A guide to help you prepare for print, understand the process and communicate more clearly with designers and printers.

Welcome

Print production can feel technical very quickly.

Between paper stocks, color modes, bleed, finishes, proofs and file specifications, it can be hard to know what matters, what needs to be confirmed and what a printer is actually asking for.

Print Ready was created to help you understand the essentials, organise the right information and feel more confident before sending anything to print.

What this workspace helps you do

• Understand common print terminology
• Know what information a printer may ask for
• Understand the difference between common printing methods
• Learn the basics of CMYK, Pantone and print color
• Understand bleed, safe areas and file setup
• Compare paper stocks and finishes
• Know what to check on a proof
• Prepare a final print checklist before production

What this workspace does not do

This workspace is not designed to replace a graphic designer, printer or prepress specialist.

It won’t prepare your final production files for you, validate technical feasibility or guarantee how a specific printer will reproduce your design.

Instead, it helps you understand the process, ask better questions and know what needs to be checked before approving print production.

You do not need to understand everything before starting.

Print specifications vary depending on the printer, material, format and production method. Use this workspace as a guide, and always follow the final technical requirements provided by the printer producing your project.