Print files
PDF for print: how to save it
A PDF for print differs from a PDF for e-mail. It has bleed, embedded fonts, full-resolution graphics, and is best saved in the PDF/X standard, which print shops know and check automatically.
- Standard
- PDF/X-1a (CMYK, flattened) or PDF/X-4
- Bleed
- Turn it on in the export settings
- Fonts
- Embedded or converted to curves
- Pages
- Front and back as two pages of one PDF
Export settings
- Preset: PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-4:2008. Use the one your print shop requires.
- Compression: do not downsample photos below 300 DPI.
- Marks and bleeds: tick “Use document bleed settings” or enter the bleed manually. Add crop marks only if the print shop asks for them.
- Fonts: full embedding or subset. If in doubt, convert text to curves before export.
Fonts: embedded or as curves
An embedded font stays text: you can select it and fix a typo. Text converted to curves becomes shapes that look the same on every computer but can no longer be edited as text. Curves help when the print shop’s RIP lacks a font or has a different version of it.
In the kreatorproduktow.pl designer the shop chooses “Editable” or “Curves” in the template. Gradient text, e.g. gold, always goes into the file as a 300 DPI image, because some RIP programs print gradients in text incorrectly.
Frequently asked questions
PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4?
PDF/X-1a requires CMYK and flattens transparency, so it is safe for older machines. PDF/X-4 keeps transparency and allows RGB with a profile. Use what your print shop requires.
How do I prepare a two-sided flyer?
As one PDF with two pages: page 1 is the front, page 2 the back, both at the same size and with bleed.
Are crop marks needed?
For digital and large-format printing usually not, because the print shop imposes files on the sheet itself. For offset it depends on the print shop.
See also
Try the designer on your own products
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