How to prepare a print-ready PDF, step by step
Export a PDF that prints the first time. A step-by-step export checklist for print-ready PDF files from any design app.
1. Set up the document at the right size
Create the document at the finished size of the product you are ordering and add 0.125 in bleed on every edge. Use a separate page, or a separate file, for each printed side: front, back, and any finishing mask.
2. Prepare images and color
Place photos at 300 pixels per inch at their printed size; banners need 150. Use CMYK color where the product supports it, keep logos and text as vectors, and avoid tiny type in light colors or thin reversed-out lines.
3. Export with a print preset
Choose a PDF/X preset, such as PDF/X-4, unless your product’s specification asks for another one. Turn on the document bleed, embed all fonts, and do not add a password or editing restrictions. Crop marks are optional; if you add them, they must sit outside the bleed.
4. Check the file you actually upload
Open the exported PDF, not the design file. Confirm the page size includes the bleed, every font is embedded, images look sharp at 100% zoom, and the pages are in the right order. Upload it to the matching file role on your project; the preflight check flags common problems before review.
designXprint editorial guidance · Reviewed September 2026. Follow the exact specification attached to your selected product.