The Complete Guide to Setting Up Files for Professional Printing

There’s nothing worse than hitting “send” on your artwork at 4:45pm, needing it printed urgently… only to find out the file isn’t set up correctly.

At Inteliprint, we absolutely can turn jobs around quickly – that’s what we do. But when files aren’t prepared properly, we lose precious time going back and forth fixing issues. In tight deadlines, that can mean missing your event, launch, or campaign date. Worse still, if errors slip through and the content hasn’t been proofed properly, you could be up for a full reprint - and that’s going to cost you.

We don’t ever want to have to reprint your order due to errors in your artwork or file setup, so getting it right the first time will save you time, money and stress.

Here’s your practical guide to preparing files for professional printing.

1. Supply Files at 300dpi 

For professional print, your artwork must be set to 300dpi (dots per inch) at the final size.

Anything lower (like 72dpi, which is standard for web images) will look fine on screen, but print blurry or pixelated when printed.

Quick tip:

If you’ve grabbed an image from Google, a website, or social media – it’s almost certainly going to be too low a resolution for print. Always use original high-resolution files.

2. Always Supply a High-Resolution PDF

PDF is the industry standard for print. Why? It locks in your fonts, layout, colours and image placement exactly as designed.

We strongly recommend supplying:

• A high-resolution PDF
• Exported at 300dpi
• With bleed and crop marks included

If you aren’t sure how to create a high-res PDF, never fear - we’ve got you covered with instructions below:

In Adobe InDesign:

1. File → Export
2. Select Adobe PDF (Print)
3. Choose Press Quality preset
4. Under Marks & Bleeds:
   1. Tick Crop Marks
   2. Tick Use Document Bleed Settings
5. Ensure output is set to CMYK

In Adobe Illustrator:

1. File → Save As
2. Select PDF
3. Choose Press Quality
4. Add bleed + crop marks

If you’re using Canva, check out our Canva guide here.

Done properly, this creates a print-ready file every time.

3. Include 3mm Bleed (Critical!)

If your design has images or colour going to the edge of the page, you must include 3mm bleed on all sides.

Bleed is extra artwork that extends beyond the final trim size. When the job is cut down to size, this prevents unwanted white borders.

Without bleed, even the slightest trimming variation can leave thin white edges. Not ideal.

4. Include Crop Marks

Crop marks are small lines placed at the corners of your artwork that show exactly where the finished piece should be cut.

Your job is printed on larger sheets before being trimmed to final size. Crop marks ensure the trim is accurate and centred — without them, borders can look uneven or elements may sit too close to the edge.

Crop marks work together with bleed. The bleed extends past the trim line, and the crop marks show us exactly where that trim line sits.

When exporting your PDF:

• Tick Crop Marks
• Tick Use Document Bleed Settings
• Ensure bleed is set to 3mm

It’s a simple step, but it ensures a clean, professional finish every time.

5. Keep Important Content in the Safe Zone

The safe zone is the margin inside your trim line where all important content should sit.

Keep text, logos and key details at least 3–5mm inside the final trim edge. While we trim accurately, there can be very slight movement during finishing — and you don’t want critical information sitting right on the edge.

If it’s important, pull it in slightly.

This small adjustment helps ensure your finished piece looks balanced, professional and nothing gets accidentally cut off.

6. Convert Colours to CMYK (Not RGB)

Screens display colour in RGB (Red, Green, Blue). Printing uses CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black).

If your artwork is left in RGB, colours can shift when converted for print — often appearing duller or slightly different to what you see on screen.

To avoid surprises, always convert your file to CMYK before exporting your print-ready PDF.

It’s a simple step that helps ensure your printed result matches your expectations as closely as possible.

7. Use High-Resolution, CMYK Images Only

All images should be:

• 300dpi at final size
• Set to CMYK colour mode
• Original high-resolution files (not downloaded from the web)

Images pulled from websites or social media are usually too low resolution for print and will appear blurry or pixelated.

If you’re unsure, zoom in to 100% in your design file — if it looks soft on screen, it will look worse in print. Start with quality images for a sharp, professional finish.

8. Use Vector Graphics for Logos and Text

Vector graphics are artwork files created using mathematical paths rather than pixels. That means they can be scaled up or down to any size without losing quality.

Unlike JPEG or PNG files (which are made of pixels and can blur when enlarged), vector files stay sharp and crisp — whether they’re printed on a business card or a large pull-up banner.

Common vector file types include:

• AI
• EPS
• PDF (saved correctly from Illustrator)

For logos especially, always supply a vector version if you have one. It ensures clean lines, solid colour and a professional finish at any size.

9. Outline or Embed All Fonts

If we don’t have your fonts installed, your file may substitute them automatically — and that can completely change your design. For this reason it’s important to outline or embed all fonts in your file.

How to Outline Fonts (Adobe Illustrator)

1. Select all text
2. Go to Type > Create Outlines
3. This converts text into vector shapes.

How to Embed Fonts (Adobe InDesign)

1. Export as PDF
2. Use High Quality Print or Press Quality preset
3. Ensure fonts are set to embed (default in most PDF exports)

Using Canva?

When exporting from Canva, choose PDF Print. Canva embeds fonts automatically in this format, so they’ll print correctly.

Avoid sending Canva design links or exporting as PNG or standard PDF for professional print. Always download as PDF Print with bleed and crop marks selected.

11. Sending Large Files

Print-ready files can be large — especially brochures, catalogues, signage or anything image-heavy. Most email platforms compress large attachments automatically, which can reduce image quality or corrupt the file.

To avoid issues, use a file-sharing platform such as:

• WeTransfer
• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• OneDrive

Upload your high-resolution PDF (or packaged artwork files if required) and send us the download link.

If you’re sending multiple files, label them clearly (e.g. BusinessCard_Front_PrintReady.pdf) so there’s no confusion at production stage.

Taking an extra minute to send files properly helps protect your artwork quality and ensures we’re printing exactly what you approved.

12. Designing in Canva? Yes, You Can.

If you are designing in Canva, make sure you export correctly for print.

Key tips:

• Use Canva Pro to enable bleed
• Select PDF Print
• Tick crop marks and bleed
• Choose CMYK if available

Canva makes it easy — you just need to choose the right export settings. 

If you’re not sure, check out our Canva guide here.

13. Proof. Then Proof Again.

Before sending your artwork, here is your proofing checklist:

• Spell-check every word
• Confirm phone numbers and URLs
• Check image resolution
• Zoom in to 100% to inspect quality
• Confirm bleed is included

We check files before printing — but we don’t rewrite or redesign your content.

If a typo slips through and gets printed, unfortunately that means a full reprint at your cost.

Double-checking takes five minutes. Reprinting takes time and money.

Getting your artwork right before you hit send makes all the difference.

When your files are set up correctly, production runs smoothly, deadlines stay intact, and your finished product looks exactly as it should. No back-and-forth. No last-minute panic. No costly reprints because of a missed typo or low-res image.

We’ll always check your files before printing — that’s part of our service. But the more accurate your setup is from the start, the faster we can get your job on press and out the door.

Let’s get it right the first time — and get it printed properly.

Not Sure? Ask Us.

If you’re unsure about anything — bleed, colour setup, resolution, fonts — just ask. Our team is here to help and would much rather answer a quick question upfront than see you under pressure later. Get in touch and save yourself time later!