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Print File Check: grade your file before it prints
Upload a PDF, JPG, PNG or TIFF, choose what you are printing, and get a report in about a minute. It checks the finished size, bleed and safe zone for that piece, image resolution, color mode, fonts, ink coverage and the press problems that only show up on paper. Each finding says why it matters and how to fix it, and the file gets a grade from A to F.
This is a report, not a fix: nothing in your file is changed and nothing is sent back to you. Your file is deleted from our servers as soon as the report reaches your screen.
Check a file
Upload your print file
What the grade looks at
- The piece you are printing. Size, bleed and the safe zone for postcards, flyers, brochures, door hangers, cards, letters, booklets and yard signs.
- Images and color. Every image at the resolution the piece needs at the size it prints, CMYK color and spot colors.
- What a press catches. Fonts, total ink, small and reversed text, thin lines, registration color and overprint.
How the grade works
A to F, from what the checks find
Every check ends as passed, a warning or failed. A warning is something that can print poorly or look different from your screen. A failure is something that will show on the printed piece, or stop it printing as designed. Checks that do not apply to your file, or that need you to choose the piece first, are listed as not checked and do not change the grade.
Each warning moves the grade down one letter from A, to a D at the lowest. One failed check makes it a D, and two or more make it an F. A check counts once however many pages it affects. Transparency is noted but never graded, because presses flatten it when the file is processed.
| Grade | When a file gets it |
|---|---|
| A | Print-ready. Every check passed. |
| B | Nearly print-ready. One warning, no failed checks. |
| C | Needs a little work. Two warnings, no failed checks. |
| D | Needs fixes. One failed check, or three or more warnings. |
| F | Not print-ready. Two or more failed checks. |
The checks
What each check looks for
The checks come from the preflight engine that reviews artwork in the Plavidian job builder, run on every page of your file. Each one is here in plain English: what it looks at, and why it matters once the piece is printed.
| Check | What passes | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Finished size | The page, or its trim box, matches the piece you chose, in either orientation | A file built at the wrong size has to be scaled or cropped to fit. Text moves toward the edges, and for mail the size also decides the postage. |
| Bleed | 1/8 in past the cut on every side the artwork reaches; 1/2 in on large format | A stack of paper shifts slightly as it is cut. Without bleed, a thin white line can show along the edge of the finished piece. |
| Text inside the safe zone | Text at least 1/8 in inside the cut (1/2 in on large format), clear of a door hanger's hang hole | The cut can land a little inside the trim line. Text in the safe zone stays whole and does not look crowded against the edge. |
| Image resolution | 300 pixels per inch at the printed size for most print; 150 for yard signs and posters; 100 for banners | Below that, images start to look soft on paper, and at about half of it they look blurry or blocky, even when they look fine on screen. |
| Color mode | CMYK, the four press inks, not RGB screen color | RGB color is converted to CMYK before it prints. Bright blues, greens and oranges usually print duller than they look on screen. |
| Fonts | Every font embedded in the PDF | A font that is not embedded is replaced with a different one when the file is printed. Spacing changes and text can move or reflow. |
| Ink coverage | The four inks add up to 300% or less anywhere on the page | Too much ink dries slowly, can smear or mark the sheet above it, and can crack when the piece is folded. |
| Small black text | Text at 14 pt and smaller in black ink only (100% K) | Black built from all four inks needs four plates to line up exactly. On small type any shift shows as a colored fringe or a blur. |
| Small text | No text smaller than 6 pt | Type this small is hard to read on paper, and its thin strokes can break up in print. Offer terms and disclaimers need to stay readable. |
| Small reversed text | White or light text on a printed background at 8 pt or larger | Ink spreads slightly into the paper, so fine white type on a dark or colored background can fill in and become hard to read. |
| Thin lines | Lines 0.25 pt or heavier; 0.5 pt for white or light lines on a dark background | Lines thinner than that can break up or disappear in print, and white hairlines fill in with the ink around them. |
| Spot colors | The four process inks, unless your quote includes spot-color printing | A spot color is a separate ink. On a four-color job it is converted to CMYK, and some Pantone colors shift noticeably when they are. |
| Registration color | The Registration swatch on printer's marks only | Registration is meant for printer's marks only. Inside the artwork it lays down 400% ink, which smears and does not dry. |
| Overprint | No object set to overprint in a way that changes how it prints | Overprinting ink mixes with the color underneath. White or very light objects set to overprint disappear completely on paper. |
| Crop marks | Crop marks outside the bleed area, or no marks | Marks placed inside the bleed can print onto the edge of the finished piece. |
| Form fields and comments | No live form fields, comments or sticky notes | A press prints the page itself. Form fields and comments may print, vanish or look different from your screen. |
| Transparency | Noted, not graded. An image file has no transparent areas (shadows, glows, opacity or a transparent background) | In a PDF this is normal and is flattened when the file is processed for press. In an image file, transparent areas print as bare paper. |
| File structure | The file opens cleanly and every check can run | A damaged file can open on your screen and still fail, or print incorrectly, on press. |
The Print File Check is one of the free Plavidian Workbench tools. How the check works, in brief.
Your file
What happens to your file
- It is used for this check and nothing else. There is no account, and nothing is added to a job or a mailing list.
- It is deleted from our servers as soon as the report reaches your screen. If you close the page before that, the file and the report are deleted within 20 minutes.
- The report exists only in this browser tab. We do not email it or keep it, and there is no link to it or to your file.
- Nothing is fixed, converted or sent back. The page previews are small pictures made for this screen.
Laying out a mailpiece? The Mailpiece Templates show where USPS needs the address and barcode. No artwork yet? Design it online in Plavidian Studio, which sets up the bleed and safe zone for you.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does the print file check look at?
The finished size of the piece you choose, bleed where the artwork reaches the cut, text inside the safe zone, image resolution at the printed size, color mode, fonts, total ink coverage, small black text, small and reversed text, thin lines, spot colors, registration color, overprint, crop marks, and form fields or comments. It uses the same preflight engine that checks artwork in the Plavidian job builder, run on every page of your file.
How is the grade worked out?
Every check passes, warns or fails. A file with no warnings and no failures gets an A. Each warning moves it down one letter, to a D at the lowest. One failed check makes it a D, and two or more make it an F. Checks that do not apply, or that need you to choose the piece first, do not change the grade.
Does it fix my file?
No. It is a report only. Nothing in your file is changed, converted or sent back, and there is nothing to download. Each finding explains what to change in your own design program. If you would rather start over, Plavidian Studio builds print-ready files in your browser with the bleed and safe zone already set.
What happens to my file after the check?
It is used for this check only. The file and its report are deleted from our servers as soon as the report reaches your screen, and within 20 minutes if you leave before then. We do not keep a copy or share it, and there is no link to it.
Which files can I check?
PDF, JPG, PNG and TIFF files up to 50 MB and 16 pages, with pages up to 36 inches on a side. A PDF gets the most complete check: fonts, ink coverage, overprint, small text, thin lines and the safe zone are PDF checks, and only a PDF carries its exact trim and bleed size.
Why choose what I am printing?
The size, bleed and safe zone depend on the piece. A 6 x 9 postcard needs a 6.25 x 9.25 inch page with bleed, a yard sign needs 1/2 inch of bleed, and a black-ink letter needs none. Without a choice the check still runs everything else, but size and bleed are not graded.
What is bleed, and why does it matter?
Bleed is artwork that carries on past the cut line, usually 1/8 inch on every side. A stack of paper shifts slightly as it is cut, so a background that stops exactly at the cut can leave a thin white line along the edge. With bleed, the cut always lands inside the artwork.
Does an A mean the piece will print perfectly?
An A means the file passed every technical check we ran. It does not check spelling, design or whether the content suits your mailing. Every file sent with a Plavidian order is also reviewed by our prepress team, and you approve a proof before anything prints.
Ready to print?
Order standard pieces online, or ask for a custom quote on a mailing, a special size or a large run.