Print marks are details that are added to files. In fact, there are multiple ways to add print marks. For example, Adobe Print, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat are all amazing options for your printing needs. The marketing professionals at Ironmark are here to provide some clarity about the intricacies involved in creating an ideal, expedited commercial printing experience.
1. Bleed and Crop Marks
2. PDF Formats
2. How To Add Print Marks In Adobe InDesign, PhotoShop, and Microsoft
The first step involved in bringing your creative intentions to life is ensuring that you send in print-ready files, containing all the necessary print marks. Without these marks, your printer will not be able to ensure that your needs are met. The necessary print marks include the following:
A bleed refers to the image beyond the final trim that will be cut off after the material has been printed and cut down. Bleeds are an important part of the printing process because even the smallest amount of misregistration or knife draw could leave finished work with white edges. For those who hope to have a successful print job, ensure that images extend beyond the final size by 1/8”, and when exporting your print PDF, make sure bleed and crop marks are selected.
Crop marks refer to the tick marks positioned on the corners of your file that indicate final trim. Since we print on oversized paper with bleeds, these tick marks help to guide us when we are trimming the print job down to the final size.
PDF stands for portable document format, and is the best format for printing. Here are the two main reasons that commercial printers prefer PDF:
It contains everything your print provider needs – When you save a file in PDF, all the components that make up your document (color, fonts, etc.) are solidified within it, which eliminates the guesswork on the end of the commercial printing provider. What you send us is exactly what will be printed.
It contains embedded fonts that eliminate issues – One of the most common issues related to printing is associated with the fonts contained within the document (e.g., incompatible versions, corrupted fonts, or missing fonts). Font issues tend to occur when you are using programs such as Illustrator or Adobe InDesign. A PDF mitigates these types of issues because all the elements of your design are embedded within the file.
Regardless of the software, the process of converting your file into a PDF is pretty much the same. Simply click "File," then go to "save as” or “export," making sure that the crops and bleeds are included, and that images are not down sampled. Next, name your file, save it as a PDF, and you're ready to go.
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to include print marks on your files, using various software programs.
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The marketing professionals at Ironmark specialize in print services, ranging from digital print to signage and large format print. If you have any questions regarding the services we provide, please contact Ironmark to speak with one of our print experts today.