If you want to create high-quality print materials, you need to know how to avoid common print errors that can ruin your design and waste your time and money. In this article, we'll show you how to prevent overprint, bleed, and crop marks from spoiling your final product.
Overprint is when two or more colors are printed on top of each other, creating a darker or unexpected color. This can happen when you use transparent or overlapping elements in your design, or when you set the wrong output options in your desktop publishing software. To avoid overprint, you should always check your separations preview before sending your file to the printer, and use the overprint or knockout settings correctly.
Overprint may be necessary to create a “rich black”. Black text over a solid color will look weak if it is trapped, or knocked-out. In my experience, creating a unique process color combination using black with the background color (ex: K100,C60) will allow you to apply trap settings across the project and not affect the rich black.
"Start with the end in mind." - Steven Covey and others Overprint can be beneficial or a hidden issue that will cause a print error. Using Preflight and Separations Preview/Output Preview before submitting files will help. Remember to ask the person/company who will output the files to provide guidance for each type of job. Different inks matter. Process inks (C, M, Y, K) can be overprinted, but there are limits, depending on substrate/paper. It may never be OK to overprint a spot color–especially metallic inks. They behave differently on press. Again, consult the one who will be putting ink on paper.
Bleed is the extra margin around your design that extends beyond the trim or cut line. This ensures that your design covers the entire page without leaving any white edges or gaps. To avoid bleed errors, you should always add at least 3 mm of bleed to your document size, and make sure that your images and backgrounds extend to the bleed area. You should also use guides or margins to mark the safe zone for your text and other important elements.
Bleed, crucial in print design, is the additional margin around a design that surpasses the trim or cut line. Its purpose is to guarantee that the design fully covers the page, eliminating white edges. To prevent bleed errors, a minimum of 3 mm of bleed should be added to the document size. Images and backgrounds must extend into the bleed area, ensuring no white gaps post-trim. Utilizing guides or margins to establish a safe zone for text and vital elements prevents essential content from being trimmed. This meticulous approach ensures that the final printed material has a seamless and professional appearance.
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If all goes well, the person cutting the paper after it has been printer, will cut perfectly along the line. If there is no excess image / background or color, there is not room for errors at the cutting machines. Bleed is the area to allow excess image, so the person or machine cutting, has a little room for error, and avoid a small white line, because the cutting knife was 1/32 inch or 0.1 mm off.
Crop marks are the thin lines that indicate where your design should be trimmed or cut. They help the printer align and cut your pages accurately and consistently. To avoid crop mark errors, you should always use the crop mark feature in your desktop publishing software, and not draw them manually or use the default settings. You should also adjust the offset and length of the crop marks according to the bleed and trim size of your document.
Using the crop mark feature correctly is a game-changer in desktop publishing. I always start with the correct template that includes predefined bleed and crop marks, get comfortable with my software’s tools to customize them accurately, double-check my document’s bleed settings and crop mark adjustments before finalizing, and clearly communicate specifications with the printer. Remember, the devil is in the details. Taking extra steps to adjust and verify your crop marks can make a significant difference in achieving a polished look. Embracing these practices has saved me from countless headaches over the years!
I often see crop marks inside the bleed. Move your crop marks outside the bleed to avoid any unexpected results when trimmed. If the trim is off slightly (which happens on large press runs) you might be able to see them. Also, if your ad is not a full-page ad or does not bleed, skip the crop marks as they are not needed.
“Do not use default settings.” Such great advice! The generic offset is typically sufficient. However, each job should be treated as unique. Some jobs might actually require tighter settings. Think postcards or specialty inserts.
If the bleed is set correctly, crop marks are not necessary. The file that the designer delivers to the printing house will not be printed directly from the sent file but will go through imposition, and then crop marks will be added to it, which will be used on the printed sheet of paper.
Crop marks can be friend Or foe, but in the right hands are very useful. Numerous times have we had files supplied where crop marks are on the document and actually helped identify the document was supplied at a different size to that on the order.. yes the trim box gives you this data however some times the first time you see an artwork is within the imposition software and so visually stands out. In other cases, artwork is supplied with no crop marks and the artwork is placed within a larger document size..whether the bleed is on or not, it is not for the repro guy to decide where the trim should be, thus is a piece of art that a designer took time to imagine up, let's not spoil it by trimming it wrong..
Before you send your file to the printer, you should always check it for any errors or inconsistencies that could affect the print quality. You can use the preflight or proofing tools in your desktop publishing software to scan your file for any issues, such as missing fonts, low-resolution images, color mode, or page size. You should also print a test copy or request a proof from the printer to see how your design looks on paper.
Been in the design trenches for years, and let me tell you, avoiding printing errors is key! Before hitting print, use pre-flighting tools to catch sneaky issues like missing fonts or low-res images. A test print or digital proof from the printer acts like a sneak peek, revealing any layout surprises or color mishaps. It's a small step that saves big headaches (and reprints!) later.
Over the years InDesign has gotten better and an awesome tool I found helped customers was the ability to have a preflight check whilst designing a page in InDesign. Straight away you know if an image is lo res, if an image is rgb.. you don't have to pay anyone for a proof, or a week before expecting delivery get told files are wrong and need re supplying.. InDesign can check in real time, its a great tool! If you have already got past this and have pdfs, use the preflight in Acrobat, despite all the gobbledegook, you will see common things such as rgb or missing fonts, speak to your printer if unsure. Use the Output Preview to check separations, remember to set the desired output profile though..UK its generally the fogra 39 for coated.
General Tips 1. Use Templates - Templates provided by your print service company usually have correct bleed, trim, and safety areas set up. 2. Proof and Test Print - before sending your file to print, proof it thoroughly. If possible, do a test print to ensure everything looks correct. 3. Communicate with Your Printer - communicate with your print provider to ensure you understand their requirements and specifications. They can provide valuable guidance and catch potential issues before they become problems.
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Preflight is the best options. Several tools are available. But the tool is just the start. Define what your outcome should be, and preferably follow a standard. Associations like PDF Association and The Ghent Workgroup, help you to define how a good PDF should be. Then you can have preflight tools check against these presets and standards, and stop files from going to print. Next to checking, avoiding is even better.
The final step in preparing your file for professional printing is to export it in the right format and settings. You should always follow the printer's specifications and guidelines, and choose the best format for your project, such as PDF, EPS, or TIFF. You should also make sure that your file includes all the necessary elements, such as fonts, images, bleed, and crop marks, and that you use the correct color profile, resolution, and compression options.
Do you have specialized font elements in your design? If yes, convert the type to outlines. (Tip: Beforehand, copy that text block and save it to the side in the pasteboard area in case you need a quick edit, then covert again.) Converting to outlines is a quick and fool-proof way to ensure no font errors. Your publisher and printer will thank you!
Request a PDF export preset from your print vendor. They can be saved as ".joboptions" files and shared with clients (you) to ensure the files submitted are made to their specifications. We have offered this to our clients, along with other guidance since PDFs became available for print jobs. If they don't have one for your type of print job, they can make one. (I've made many of these for clients.) Communicating in advance + automation will get you pretty far.
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Automate the hell out of it ;) Every tool / software can output "a" PDF. Next to preflighting, there are tools that can modify or add elements to a PDF file, after the export. These tools can check for the availability of e.g. Color strips, bleed- & crop marks, and if not, add them. In many cases this can be setup as a drop folder, where you drop a non compliant PDF, and the tool will upgrade / fix your PDF for common issues (how you define them)
One of the best ways to avoid print errors is to communicate clearly and effectively with your printer. You should always provide them with a clear brief and instructions, and ask them any questions or doubts you have about their process or requirements. You should also review their feedback and suggestions, and make any changes or corrections they request. By working closely with your printer, you can ensure that your file is ready for print and that you get the best results possible.
Talk to them. They want to produce the best possible job for you as well. Don't second guess how files need to be supplied - ask the question. From initial consultation through to quotation talk about possible pitfalls, what could go wrong and why. From materials being used to finishing required, they will advise the best route for what you have in mind. This may affect how the artwork is supplied, they will know the best way to impose the file so follow the advice given. They can advise on creep and cross-overs for example - little things which ultimately will lead to a great piece of print, which we are all after.
I agree with Steve, talking to your printer is paramount to a succesful print. Before the design stage kicks off, unless you understand print, don't presume what you are doing is correct. Many hours have been spent on the phone after receiving dozens of files that are not fit for print. If unsure, don't bulldoze through numerous design before asking if it's OK to use, ask early so the first design is done correctly, then the rest will be a breeze and prevent holding up the job later on down the line. If I can guide the designer through the process, what to use, how to export etc etc , not only does that give them the knowledge to creat print ready documents to send anywhere, it saves us from having to request new files, slowing the order.
Specific Colors required — if your organization has a specific PANTONE color or colors then these should be in place on your Print File. Some printers do use CMYK values, but other vendors, such as ours, Cannot guarantee color matching with using just CMYK colors.
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Two topics: Automate the hell out of it. Print is a very valuable channel to communicate, but it's expensive. Especially, since you can spend a lot of hours in the checking, and correcting of the PDF / output. Find your way to automate as much as possible, to allow a smooth flow from design over pre-press to press and finishing. VDP When thinking about variable data printing (e.g. direct mail) test with shortest, longest, most bizar address or names etc. Do a quick check for characters that are not in your alfabet (Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Greek, ...) and check the PDF, before you automate, and let a run of 50.000 prints go to waste.