How to Prepare A PDF File for Printing

The graphic designer’s work does not end at all when the final corrections from the client are made and the project is accepted. There is one more important task ahead of him – preparing the file for printing according to the guidelines indicated by the specific printing house.

What File is Suitable for Printing?

In order for your project file to be opened, checked and printed in the printing house, it must be saved in the appropriate format and in the appropriate program version. In the case of the file format, PDF files are recommended.

In simple terms, printing documents to a PDF file is making an electronic copy of a given file and saving it on a disk or in the cloud. In this case, we use the SwifDoo PDF, which is a fast, convenient, economical and ecological solution. If you are interested in practical advice on this topic, in this article we will present the advantages and possibilities of the function of printing documents to a PDF file.

Printing Documents to PDF File – The Advantages

Printing documents to a PDF file has many advantages, including:

Time to perform this action. In fact, all you need to do is go to the file you are interested in, select the print option integrated with the SwifDoo PDF program;
A PDF file created using this method looks the same on all computers, tablets and mobile devices. For example, this is useful when we want to print a paper version of a given document on a device other than ours. We will be sure to get high-quality printouts with all the elements in place;
PDF files can be reviewed and comments can be placed in them regarding the highlighted content. This option is very useful in the daily work of an editor and proofreader;
It is possible to extract one or more pages and place them in a separate file;
PDF files do not take up much space and are flexible to convert to other formats (such as PDF to DWG).

Preparing A File for Printing on Offset Machines Requires A Few Basic Steps

File Format: Offset printed files usually require PDF format. Make sure your file is saved in the correct format and is print-ready.
Color Space: Make sure the file is saved in CMYK format. This color space provides accurate color reproduction on offset printing. The RGB format, which is used on the web, can be distorted on offset printing, so avoid using this space.
Resolution: The required resolution for offset printed files is typically 300 dpi (pixels per inch). The required resolution can vary depending on the press and print size, so it’s always a good idea to check with your printer.
Cut Area: Prepare a file with an appropriate cut area. The cut area is the part of the design that will ultimately be cut from the print. Make sure that all design elements, such as text and images, are within the cut area.
Margins and Bleeds: Leave adequate margins in the file to prevent accidental cutting of important design elements. It is recommended to leave a 3-5mm margin around the entire design. Print waste (i.e. parts of the print that will be cut) should also be included in the file and left in the cutting area.
Fonts: If you use custom fonts, make sure they are embedded in the PDF or EPS file. Otherwise, the printer may replace the custom font with the base font, which could affect the appearance of your design.
Color Version: If your design includes elements that are printed in a special color, such as gold or silver, you will need to prepare an additional version of the file that will be separately printed on an offset press using the special color.
Contacting a Printer: Finally, it is worth consulting with the printer who will be doing the printing. The printer can provide information and advice that will help you prepare the file for printing on offset machines.

Printing Documents to A File – When is It Useful?

There are many companies and institutions that are required to store specific documentation. There is no denying that it can take up a lot of space and finding anything in the files or piles of papers on shelves can require a lot of time. In addition, printed documents in physical form require the use of consumables, which involve allocating a considerable budget for them.

Modern possibilities mean that owners of some businesses decide to store documents in digital form, which is possible thanks to the function of printing documents to a PDF file . It should be remembered here that not all documents can be stored only in electronic form. Therefore, we will not always avoid the need to store a large amount of paper.

Printing documents to a PDF file is also a popular solution in situations where we want to send a given document to another device. PDF files look identical for every user and on every device, unlike DOC files, for example, and if necessary, they can also be printed in paper form without any problems.