Print Design 101: How to Prepare Files Like a Pro (And Avoid Costly Mistakes)

Print Design 101: How to Prepare Files Like a Pro (And Avoid Costly Mistakes) If you’ve ever sent a file to print only to get back misaligned colours, cut-off text, or blurry images, you know how frustrating it can be. The truth? Most printing errors happen because of incorrect file setup. At Glu Group, we print hundreds of projects every month—from business cards to banners—and we’ve seen it all. In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to prepare your files so they print perfectly every time. How to Supply Print- Ready Files (The Right Way) 1. Always Include Bleed What is bleed? Bleed is the extra space (usually 3mm) beyond your design’s edge. It ensures no white borders appear when your design is trimmed. How to add bleed: Adobe InDesign/Illustrator: Go to File > Document Setup (InDesign) or File > New (Illustrator). Set bleed to 3mm on all sides. Extend background colours/images past the crop marks. Canva: Make sure you have some of your design bleeding over th...