What a print-ready PDF is, and what yours needs
The printer asked for a print-ready PDF. What the term means, the six things a printer checks, what it means when your tool makes an image-based PDF, how to check your own file before you send it, and the note to send with it.
Beginner4 min readUpdated 27 September 2026Editor · PDF export, Studio · Print PDF
On this page
What the printer checks
| Check | Pass | Fail |
|---|---|---|
| Page size | Trim plus bleed, in mm or inches, so it matches the job | A4 sent for an A5 job; a page with no bleed on a full-bleed design |
| Resolution | Photos at 300 dpi at final size (150 for large posters) | A 1080 px social image on an A4 page |
| Type | Fonts embedded, outlined, or the whole page rendered as an image | Fonts referenced but missing, so the press substitutes |
| Colour | CMYK, or RGB with a note asking the printer to convert | Spot colours nobody asked for; a mix of profiles |
| Marks | Crop marks outside the bleed if requested; none if not | Marks drawn inside the artwork |
| Structure | One PDF per piece, pages in order, no hidden layers or comments | A single PDF holding three different flyers |
Image-based PDFs are print-ready too
Professional layout tools write PDFs with live type and vector shapes. Browser design tools, Voidcanvas included, usually write the page as one high-quality image at 300 dpi. That is fine for flyers, posters and cards, as long as the page is sized correctly and the image is at 300 dpi: the type is crisp at that resolution and cannot reflow, which removes the font problem entirely. What you lose is selectable text and the very sharpest hairlines. Tell the printer it is image-based so nobody looks for fonts to embed.
Check your own file in two minutes
- Open the PDF in any viewer and look at the document properties. The page size should be the trim size plus bleed: 216 × 303 mm for an A4 with 3 mm bleed, 154 × 216 mm for an A5.
- Zoom to 400 per cent on the smallest text. It should be crisp. If it is soft, the page was rendered below 300 dpi or the design was scaled up.
- Look at the edges. Background colour and photos should run to the very edge of the page (into the bleed). White strips at the edge mean no bleed.
- Count the pages. One piece, one file, in order.
- Note the colour mode you exported and whether marks are on. That goes in the email.
The note to send with it
One line saves a phone call: "A5 flyer, 154 × 216 mm page including 3 mm bleed, image-based PDF at 300 dpi, RGB, no crop marks, 170 gsm silk, 500 copies. Please convert to your profile and send a PDF proof." Change the numbers, keep the shape.
How to do it in Voidcanvas
- Editor: design at a print preset or a 300 dpi custom size, add bleed with Image, Canvas size… (Relative, 72 px each way), export with Ctrl+E as PDF. Designs over 2000 px on their longest side are sized at 300 dpi. The PDF is one page, image-based, RGB, with no marks. Details in Export for print.
- Studio: add a print format on the Brief tab, build it, and on Deliver tick Print PDF. The package PDF is at trim size with 3 mm bleed, crop marks outside the bleed, TrimBox and BleedBox set, and a slug line stating the size, bleed, version and that the file is RGB. Details in Deliver every format.
Does a print-ready PDF have to be CMYK?
No. Most digital printers accept RGB and convert with their own press profile, which is usually better than a generic conversion on your side. Say RGB in the note and ask for a proof if colour matters. Some litho and packaging printers do require CMYK; ask first.
What is PDF/X?
A family of PDF standards for print (PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-4) that lock down fonts, colour and boxes. Printers like them because nothing is ambiguous. An image-based PDF at the right size behaves like one in practice: nothing can reflow and the boxes can be set.
Does the printer add the bleed?
Only if you ask and they agree, and only for flat colour. Anything with a photo or a pattern at the edge needs the bleed in your file.