A “print-ready” file is terminology commonly used in the printing industry and refers to a file that meets all necessary specifications to result in a high resolution printed product without the need for any additional intervention or alteration.
Commercial printing is a little more complicated than just selecting “File” –> “Print” from your Word, Excel or Publisher file at home. Commercial printing generally involves printing multiple copies of an artwork design on a large sheet of paper or card stock, which is then cut down with a guillotine to the correct final size.
Due to all the specifications required in generating a high quality “print-ready” file, most graphic designers and commercial printers use professional graphics software like Adobe (including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop). Therefore, a Word, Excel or Publisher file will not be accepted as a print-ready file.
Below is an example of a print-ready file:
Print-ready File Specifications:
Common issues that prevent a file from being “print-ready”:
Trim Marks
This is the final size of the document and where the guillotine will cut to create the final product.
Margin
Also known as the “safe zone”, all important text and graphics should stay within 5mm of the trimmed edge.
Bleed
Bleed is required the artwork design incorporates any image or colour that extends to the edge of the final document. In order to prevent a white border on the edges of the final product due to slight variations in printing and guillotining, the image or colour must extend at least 3mm past the trim marks (or trimmed edges).
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