How should my files be configured before sending them for printing?
To guarantee professional printing and avoid errors in borders, cuts, colors or texts, your files must meet a series of technical specifications.
These configurations ensure that the final result is sharp, precise and faithful to your original design.
Here we show you how to properly prepare any file before sending it.
1. Use 3 mm bleeds if your design reaches the edge
If your design has backgrounds, colors or images that touch the edge of the page, you need to add 3 mm of bleed on each side.
🟩 Why are bleeds necessary?
- They avoid unwanted white borders
- They correct minimum cut variations
- They ensure a professional finish
If your design does NOT reach the edge (everything is inside the margin), bleeds are not mandatory.
2. Always work at 300 dpi
The minimum resolution for printing must be 300 dpi.
Less resolution generates:
- Blurry images
- Pixelated texts
- Grainy photos
Especially important for:
- Photographs
- Covers
- Magazines
- Catalogs with images
3. Use CMYK color space
To guarantee precise colors when printing, you must work in:
🎨 CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black)
RGB looks good on screen, but changes when printing.
CMYK ensures that:
- Colors are consistent
- Dull tones don't appear
- Photos come out correctly
4. Use internal margins of at least 7 mm
To prevent text from being too close to the edge or being lost in the binding area, you need to use:
📏 Recommended internal margins: 7 mm
Especially important in:
- Books
- Stapled magazines
- Catalogs
- Editorial material
5. How should I prepare the cover?
We accept two modalities:
A) Complete cover in a single file
Includes:
- Front cover
- Spine
- Back cover
This file must come:
- In PDF
- In FINAL SIZE
- With 3 mm bleeds
- With spine width calculated according to your paper and number of pages
B) Front cover and back cover in separate files
In this case:
- Front cover → exact final size
- Back cover → exact final size
- Spine is assembled in production
Both options are valid.
6. All fonts must be embedded
To avoid errors such as:
- Changed fonts
- Line breaks
- Modified styles
You must embed all fonts in your file.
In PDF this usually comes as:
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