Great print starts with a great file. Follow these guidelines and your job will sail through our prepress check — ignore them and we will probably be emailing you about it. Either way, every order includes a free artwork check, so you are never on your own.

The short version

  • Supply a PDF with 3mm bleed on every side.
  • Work in CMYK colour mode, not RGB.
  • Images at 300dpi at final print size.
  • Convert text to outlines or embed your fonts.
  • Keep important text at least 5mm inside the trim edge.

File format

PDF is the only format we can guarantee. Export a press-quality or print-ready PDF from your design software. If you only have a JPG or PNG, we can work with it provided it is high resolution (300dpi at final size) — but text and logos will always look sharper from a proper PDF.

Size and bleed

Set your document to the final trim size of the product (for example, 90 x 55mm for a standard business card) and add 3mm of bleed on every side. Bleed is the extra background that gets trimmed off — it stops white edges appearing if the guillotine shifts by a fraction of a millimetre. Extend backgrounds, images and colour blocks all the way to the bleed edge.

Colour

Design in CMYK. Screens display RGB, which can show bright neons and vivid blues that simply cannot be reproduced in print — converting at the last minute causes dull surprises. If colour accuracy matters (brand colours, for instance), tell us and we will do our best to match, but exact Pantone matching is not available on our digital presses.

Resolution

Images should be 300dpi at the size they will print. A photo that looks crisp on your phone may be a 72dpi web image that turns to mush at A4. As a rule of thumb: if the file is under 1MB, it is probably too small for anything bigger than a business card. Vector logos and text (from Illustrator or InDesign) are resolution-independent and always preferred.

Fonts and text

Convert text to outlines (curves) before exporting, or embed the fonts in your PDF. Missing fonts are one of the most common reasons jobs get held up. Keep body text at 7pt or larger, and keep all important content at least 5mm inside the trim edge so nothing gets clipped.

Common mistakes we see

  • RGB files — colours shift when converted. Design in CMYK from the start.
  • No bleed — white hairlines on the trimmed edge. Add 3mm everywhere.
  • Low-resolution logos — pulled from a website at 72dpi. Use the vector original.
  • Text on the edge — keep a 5mm safe margin inside the trim.
  • Spelling errors — we check printability, not your copy. Proofread before you send.

Still unsure?

Email your file to support@rogueprints.store before you order and we will take a quick look. Or just place your order — our free prepress check reviews every file, and we will email you if anything needs fixing before it prints.

Scroll to Top