Exporting a print-ready PDF from InDesign
A practical, printer-specification-first guide to exporting a reliable PDF from InDesign: PDF/X, pages, bleed, image compression, colour, fonts and final checks.
Read guidePrinternational library
Everything you need
to make it print.
Evergreen production knowledge, organised to be found in the moment you need it.
Start here
Most used
on deadline.
Six practical guides for getting a file from screen to press without avoidable surprises.
Press-ready PDF checklist for pre-press designers
A release checklist for inspecting a PDF as production artwork: page boxes, images, fonts, colour, separations and the job specification.
Read guideWhat is bleed in print?
Bleed, trim and safe area explained—plus how to set up edge-to-edge artwork without introducing avoidable crop-mark errors.
Read guidePreflight checking in InDesign
Use InDesign preflight, package reports and PDF output preview to catch preventable print errors before handoff.
Read guideRGB vs CMYK: what changes for print
The practical difference between RGB light and CMYK ink, why colours shift, and how to choose the right workflow for a print job.
Read guideISO paper sizes: A, B and C series
The ISO 216 A-series system explained, with A, B and C format dimensions in millimetres, inches and points.
Read guideBrowse by subject
Explore the full library by production topic.
Colour management
CMYK, RGB, Pantone, rich black and everything between.
Paper sizes & standards
ISO, American, architectural and historical formats.
Prepress & production
Bleed, preflight, file preparation and press-ready work.
Adobe workflows
Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign for printed work.
Print design
Typography, layout, formats and physical design decisions.
More practical guides
Keep the work
moving.
Further guidance for colour, paper, prepress, Adobe workflows and print design.
How to prepare Illustrator artwork for print
Set up Illustrator artwork for commercial print: artboards, bleed, linked images, spot colours, overprint, PDF/X export and final PDF checks.
Read guidePrint finishing and binding: a practical guide
Choose folds, binding, paper direction and special finishes before layout locks—then prepare artwork that a printer can manufacture reliably.
Read guideSeparations, overprint and transparency: a pre-press guide
How to inspect the PDF behaviours that can change artwork at output: separations, knockouts, overprint, spot colours and transparency.
Read guide10 practical rules for better print design
A production-minded checklist for designing print that is clear, deliberate and ready for the press.
Read guideUS envelope sizes
A practical reference to common US announcement, commercial and catalogue envelope sizes in inches and millimetres.
Read guideUS paper sizes
A reference to common US, ANSI and larger-format sheet sizes in inches, millimetres and PostScript points.
Read guideArchitectural paper sizes
ARCH drawing-sheet sizes in inches and millimetres, with their common alternative names.
Read guideBusiness card design: the complete guide
A practical guide to business card design—from the information hierarchy and typography to size, colour, stock, finishing and a print-ready handoff.
Read guideBusiness card sizes around the world
A practical reference to common business-card formats, including regional standards, dimensions and aspect ratios.
Read guidePantone to CMYK and RGB: reference values
Why Pantone-to-CMYK and RGB values are only approximations, how to use this historic reference safely, and how to specify a colour for real print.
Read guideConverting RGB to CMYK
A current, profile-aware workflow for preparing RGB photography and artwork for commercial print.
Read guideDensitometer
A practical introduction to using densitometers to control ink density, tone value increase and trapping on press.
Read guideGraphic file formats for print
Choose the right raster and vector format for editing, placement, PDF export and press-ready delivery.
Read guideHalftones and line screens
How printed dots create continuous-looking tone, what LPI means, and how to choose enough image resolution for the final printing process.
Read guideHow CMYK printing works
How cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks create a printed image—and why paper, screening, profiles and total ink coverage all matter.
Read guideHow to outline text in Illustrator
When outlining is appropriate, how to create outlines safely, and why a press-ready PDF is usually better for routine font handoff.
Read guideISO envelope sizes
ISO 269 envelope formats, their dimensions and the A-series sheets they are designed to contain.
Read guideISO press-sheet sizes: RA and SRA
RA and SRA press-sheet dimensions, and how raw formats provide room for bleed, trim, gripper and finishing.
Read guidePage layout files and print delivery
Understand the difference between native layout files, packages and press-ready PDFs—and send the right one to print.
Read guidePhotoshop colour management for print
A practical Photoshop workflow for preparing images for print: profiles, soft proofing, gamut checks, retouching, sharpening and final export.
Read guideRich black vs plain black
When to use 100K, when a rich black helps, and how to avoid registration, trapping and total-ink-coverage problems in print.
Read guideWhat is duotone?
How monotones, duotones, tritones and quadtones use spot inks and curves to create distinctive printed images.
Read guideWhat is Pantone / PMS?
A practical guide to Pantone Matching System colours, spot inks, CMYK simulations and choosing the right guide for print.
Read guideInDesign keyboard shortcuts for faster print work
A current, practical reference for navigation, type, objects, panels and prepress in Adobe InDesign.
Read guideHistorical reference
Earlier paper
standards.
Withdrawn and traditional formats, retained for research and reference.
Historical British printing paper sizes
Traditional British printing-paper sheet names and dimensions, including crown, demy, royal and double formats.
Read guideHistorical British writing paper sizes
Traditional British writing-paper sheet names and dimensions, from pott and foolscap to post, copy and medium.
Read guideHistorical German DIN D paper sizes
The D-series paper sizes from the original DIN 476 standard, withdrawn when Germany adopted ISO 216.
Read guideHistorical Soviet paper sizes
The OST 5115 paper-format system used in the Soviet Union from 1932 until it was replaced by GOST 9327.
Read guideHistorical Swedish paper sizes
The withdrawn Swedish SIS 01 47 11 paper-size extensions, including the D, E, F and G series.
Read guideTraditional British paper sizes
A historical reference to traditional British sheet names and their approximate dimensions.
Read guideHistorical Belgian paper sizes
A historical reference to traditional Belgian sheet names and their approximate dimensions.
Read guideHistorical French paper sizes
A historical reference to traditional French sheet names and their approximate dimensions.
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