01
Press PDF.
PDF/X-4. CMYK, or your printer’s named profile. 3 mm bleed, crop marks, fonts embedded, images at 300 dpi at print size.
PRINT-READY FILES
What “print-ready”
means here.
Every job is released against the same specification, or your printer’s if they supply one. This is what you receive and what the designer checks before release.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Three files.
One of them goes to press.
02
Review proof.
A low-resolution PDF or PNG proof at trim size, with bleed and safe area shown, for your records.
03
Source artwork.
Layered vector source with named spot layers for dielines, cut paths and finishes, so the job can be reprinted or adapted later.
PRE-FLIGHT
Checked on
every release.
The designer’s release check covers the setup faults that cause reprints. If your printer’s specification differs, it takes precedence.
Send a printer specification- Bleed
- 3 mm on all edges, with background and images extended into it.
- Safe area
- Text and logos at least 3 mm inside the trim; 5 mm for bound edges.
- Colour
- CMYK process. Spot colours only where the printer will run them, named as Pantone or by the printer’s name.
- Black
- Small text and fine lines 100 K. Large solid black areas as a rich black, 60 / 40 / 40 / 100 unless specified.
- Resolution
- Raster images at 300 dpi at print size; large format at 100–150 dpi at full size or scaled with the scale stated.
- Lines
- Minimum 0.25 pt positive, 0.5 pt reversed out of a solid.
- Fonts
- Embedded in the PDF. Outlined on request where the printer requires it.
- Marks
- Crop marks offset from the trim; registration marks when the printer asks for them.
- Dielines
- On a separate layer as a named spot colour set to overprint, not knocked out.
- Cut paths
- Contour cuts as a spot colour named exactly CutContour, closed paths only.
- Finishes
- Spot varnish, white ink and foil as separate named spot layers with the area mapped.
- Export
- PDF/X-4, single file per side or per panel as the printer requires.
COMMON TRIM SIZES
Sizes we set up
most often.
Australian standard sizes. Your printer’s stated trim size overrides these.
- Business card
- 90 × 55 mm, or 86 × 54 mm where specified
- DL flyer
- 99 × 210 mm
- A6 / A5 / A4
- 105 × 148 mm · 148 × 210 mm · 210 × 297 mm
- A3 / A2 / A1
- 297 × 420 mm · 420 × 594 mm · 594 × 841 mm
- Pull-up banner
- 850 × 2000 mm, or to the stand’s stated media size
- Roll labels
- To the applicator’s label size and roll direction
- Packaging
- To the supplier’s dieline, placed at 100 %
SUPPLYING YOUR OWN FILES
Have artwork already?
Send it with the brief. We run the same pre-flight check, report what needs fixing, and either correct it or return the list so you can.
Need files
set up correctly?
Send the job and the printer’s spec.
We do the rest.