When it comes to printing, even the best design can fall flat if the print file isn’t set up right. As a commercial printer, our graphics team has seen it all: fonts that disappear, blurry images, and missing bleeds. Most file prep mistakes are easy to avoid once you know what to look for. Let’s break down the top 5 print file prep mistakes we see most often and how to make sure they don’t happen to you.
The Bleed is the extra space around your artwork that gets trimmed off after printing. If you don’t include it, you could have unwanted white edges.
How to avoid it:
Always add a bleed area of 1/8 inch (0.125") on all sides of your design. Also, keep important text and images at least 1/4 inch inside the trim line so they don’t get cut off. Most design programs let you set this up automatically.
If you use a font that is not embedded, it might not show up correctly when we open your print file, especially if we don’t have the same font installed.
Before you export your file, either:
Embed the fonts in your PDF settings, or
Convert all text to outlines (this turns text into vector shapes, locking in the look).
Images that look fine on screen can turn out pixelated or blurry in print. That’s because screen resolution (72 DPI) is much lower than print resolution.
How to avoid it:
Make sure all images are at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) and saved in CMYK color mode, not RGB. Higher resolution always looks better.
When you place images or graphics into a design file (like in Adobe InDesign), they may not actually be “in” the file; they’re just linked to it. If those linked files aren’t included when you send the job to print, we won’t be able to see or use them.
Before submitting your files:
Use the “Package” feature (in InDesign or Illustrator) to gather all fonts and linked images into one folder.
Or export a print-ready PDF, including everything, if your settings are correct.
Sending the wrong print file type can delay your job or require extra steps to fix. For example, sending a Word doc instead of a PDF could cause font issues, formatting changes, or sizing problems. Always check what file formats your printer accepts (PDF is usually best).
Make sure your final print file is:
The correct size (including bleeds),
In CMYK color mode
Saved as high-quality print PDF with fonts embedded and images at 300 DPI
Preparing your print files correctly is one of the easiest ways for your project to turn out exactly as you imagined. If you ever need help, just ask! At Hatteras, we’re always happy to review your files, give feedback, and help you get everything print-ready. Visit us @www.4hatteras.com.