Most of your documents will use the standard ISO216 “A” sizes. Standard Paper Size Templates include: A0 (841 × 1189 mm), A1 (594 × 841 mm), A2 (420 × 594 mm), A3 (297 × 420 mm), A4 (210 × 297 mm), A5 (148 × 210 mm), and A6 (105 × 148 mm). If you’re unsure, check with one of our team members — they’ll help you figure out which dimensions to use.

If your artwork goes right to the edge of the page, it needs a bleed — that’s a little extra image space that spills over the edge (usually by 3mm). Printers trim everything down to size, so this helps avoid weird white gaps around the edges. Also, make sure to include crop marks when you save your file — these tell the printer where to trim.

Be careful trusting your screen for colour accuracy — screens use RGB and can vary a lot based on settings and calibration. Same goes for regular office printers. If accurate colour is important for your job, ask your printer for a proof or use Pantone references so you’re both on the same page.

Before you send off your final file, convert all your text to outlines. This turns fonts into shapes, so there’s no risk of missing fonts or text reflowing unexpectedly at the printer’s end. In Illustrator or InDesign, just select your text, then hit Type > Create Outlines.

Important: Always save a new version of your file when you do this. That way, you keep an editable version too!
Bonus tip: Once outlined, double-check that nothing has shifted or disappeared — just to be safe!
Good to know: Outlined text can’t be edited, so make sure all spelling and details are final before you convert.

PDFs are the easiest and most reliable format for print. Most design programs let you export to PDF, and you can include things like crop marks, bleed, and image resolution settings when you save it.

If you’re making a brochure, export the PDF as single pages, not as spreads. Include the front and back covers as individual pages too. Don’t try to impose pages manually — printers have software for that.

Pro tip: Run a preflight check in Adobe Acrobat before sending. It’ll catch common issues like missing bleed, low-res images, or spot colours you forgot to convert.

Print and screen use different colour systems — printers use CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) while screens use RGB (Red, Green, Blue). If you don’t switch your file to CMYK before printing, colours might come out looking dull or just wrong. When converting from RGB to CMYK, you might need to tweak brightness a bit to keep everything looking vibrant.

Using Pantone colours? That’s a bit different — these are pre-mixed solid inks used for exact colour matching (great for brand consistency). If you’re using Pantones, you don’t need to worry about the CMYK/RGB stuff above.

Web images are usually 72dpi, but printing needs a lot more detail — usually 300dpi for good quality. If your images are low-res, they’ll look pixelated in print. To check your resolution in Photoshop, go to Image > Image Size and make sure it’s set to 300dpi at the actual print size.

If you’re printing a stitched brochure (the kind with staples), the inner pages can “creep” outward slightly. This happens because of paper thickness and page count. It’s usually not a big deal, but check with your printer — they’ll adjust things if needed.

Fancy effects and transparencies can sometimes trip up printers, especially if they’re left “live.” It’s safer to flatten transparencies before you export. To be extra sure everything prints how you want, you can also send your printer a flat JPEG version or even a printed proof alongside your main file.

If your design includes folds or custom cut-outs, make sure those guides are clearly marked. Use a colour that really stands out, and set it as a spot colour with overprint turned on. This makes sure it won’t accidentally get printed as part of the design.

If you’re adding something special like foil stamping or gloss varnish, treat it the same as a die-cut guide. Define those areas with a separate spot colour, or send a separate file showing just those elements. This helps your printer isolate exactly what needs the special treatment.

Spelling mistakes? Wrong phone number? Missing logos? The printer isn’t going to catch those things — they’ll print exactly what you give them. Always double-check your content before giving final approval. Once it’s printed, it’s too late, and you may need to pay for a reprint.