A print ready file is one that is ready to submit to a print device. The file contains all the resources that allow it to print correctly and up to your standards. A lot of the time people send something to print and they receive a message from their local printer that the file is not “Print Ready”. So here are some things to do before sending your files to the printer:
– Make sure all images are saved at a minimum of 300 dpi upon final submission and that all color images are saved as CMYK.
– Make sure all black and white images are saved as grayscale or bitmap images.
– If an image is intended to “bleed” off the print to the edge of image area, make sure your document includes an additional 1/8″ for the bleed area.
– When using Adobe Illustrator or InDesign programs, make sure you convert all text to outlines, which eliminates the need to provide your printer fonts, and flatten all layers before saving/sending file.
– Make sure all you backgrounds and shapes that are black are set to “rich black” which consists of 40% cyan – 30% magenta – 30% yellow – 100% black. Text should be saved key color black, 100% black.
-Printers typically consider .tif and .PDF file formats for images to be there preferred choice.
– Printers typically consider Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop as application file formats they prefer as well.
At Moonstruck Marketing Group we can help you save money and time by making sure all your files are “Print Ready” before they go to press!