Brochure Artwork & Design Guide: How to Prepare Print-Ready Files
Quick answer: Supply one multi-page PDF, single pages in reading order, at finished size with 3mm bleed on all edges and crop marks. Keep critical content 5mm inside the trim. Images at 300dpi, colours in CMYK, fonts embedded or outlined, rich black for large solids. Do not impose the file or supply spreads — we handle that.
The Checklist
| Setting | What we need |
|---|---|
| File format | Single multi-page PDF (PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 preferred) |
| Page order | Single pages, reading order, cover first — not spreads |
| Document size | Finished trim size (A5: 148 x 210mm / A4: 210 x 297mm) |
| Bleed | 3mm on all four edges |
| Safety margin | 5mm minimum inside the trim edge |
| Crop marks | Yes, offset beyond the bleed |
| Colour mode | CMYK |
| Image resolution | 300dpi at final placed size |
| Fonts | Embedded or converted to outlines |
| Rich black | C40 M30 Y30 K100 for large solid areas |
| Page count | Multiple of four for stitched and perfect bound work |
Bleed and Trim: Why 3mm Matters
Guillotines are accurate, but no cutting process is perfect to the last fraction of a millimetre across a stack of sheets. If your background colour or image stops exactly at the trim line, any tiny variation leaves a white sliver along the edge — and once you have seen it on a finished brochure, you cannot unsee it.
Bleed solves this. Extend any element that touches the edge 3mm beyond the trim on all four sides. The guillotine cuts through that extended area, so the colour runs cleanly off the page regardless of small movements.
The reverse applies inward: keep text, logos, page numbers and anything else that must not be clipped at least 5mm inside the trim edge. On higher page counts, push that further — creep means inner pages trim slightly differently from outer ones.
Page Order and Imposition
Supply single pages in reading order, starting with the front cover, as one PDF. Page 1 is the front cover, page 2 the inside front cover, and so on to the back cover.
Do not impose the file yourself. No printer's spreads, no reader's spreads, no pre-paired pages. We rearrange your pages onto press sheets as part of production, and a file that has already been imposed has to be taken apart before we can begin — which costs time on your job, not ours.
If pages are intentionally blank, include them as blank pages. That way there is no ambiguity about whether something is missing.
Colour: Work in CMYK
Print is CMYK — cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Screens are RGB, which can display colours no printing process can reproduce. If you supply RGB artwork it will be converted, and the vivid RGB blues, oranges and greens will shift, sometimes noticeably.
Set your document to CMYK from the start rather than converting at the end, so you are designing with colours you can actually have.
Pantone and brand colours: if your brand has a specified Pantone reference, tell us. Our digital process reproduces Pantones as CMYK builds, and while the match is close it is not exact for every colour — particularly vivid oranges, deep blues and metallics. Send us the reference and we will tell you honestly how close we can get before you commit.
Rich black: 100% K on its own prints as a flat, slightly washed dark grey across large areas. For solid black backgrounds use a rich black build — C40 M30 Y30 K100 works well on our presses. Keep body text at 100% K only, though; rich black on small type causes registration fuzz.
Images and Resolution
Images should be 300dpi at their final placed size. That last part matters: a 300dpi image scaled up to 200% in your layout is effectively 150dpi, and it will look soft.
Avoid images pulled from websites — they are typically 72dpi and RGB, and no amount of upscaling recovers detail that was never captured. If a supplied image is genuinely too low-resolution to hold up, we will tell you before we print rather than after.
Fonts
Embed all fonts in your PDF, or convert type to outlines. Exporting to PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 handles embedding automatically, which is the main reason we recommend those presets.
One thing to watch: type below about 6pt, fine hairline rules and very light type reversed out of a dark background all lose definition in print in ways they never do on screen. If your design leans on any of those, it is worth a conversation before production.
Uncoated and Recycled Stocks Need a Little More Punch
Ink absorbs into uncoated and recycled sheets rather than sitting on a sealed coated surface. The practical effect is that print appears slightly softer and marginally darker than the same file on coated stock, and fine detail is less crisp.
If you are printing on uncoated or recycled stock, consider lightening images very slightly and avoiding extremely fine detail or hairline rules. It is a small adjustment that makes a visible difference — and if you tell us which stock you are using while you are still designing, we will advise properly.
Common Problems We See
- No bleed. The single most frequent issue. Backgrounds stopping at the trim line means white edges.
- Spreads instead of single pages. Has to be split before we can impose.
- Page count not a multiple of four. Stitched and perfect bound work cannot accommodate it.
- RGB images. Colours shift on conversion, usually in the brightest areas.
- Text too close to the trim. Looks fine on screen, sits uncomfortably tight on the finished piece.
- Missing cover pages. Interior pages supplied without the cover, or inside covers omitted from the count.
- 100% K solid backgrounds. Prints flatter and greyer than expected across large areas.
We check every file before it goes to press and we will come back to you if something is wrong. We would always rather have that conversation than print a job we know could be better.
No Artwork? We Can Design It
Our in-house graphic designers can create your brochure artwork from scratch or work up what you already have. We supply drafts for approval and you can suggest any tweaks you like before anything goes to print.
Design charge: our artwork service is charged at £35 per hour, with the final cost based on the time the project needs. We will keep you updated at every stage — no surprises at the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much bleed do brochures need?
3mm on all four edges, with crop marks. Any element touching the page edge should extend 3mm beyond the trim line.
Should I supply my brochure as spreads or single pages?
Single pages in reading order, as one multi-page PDF, starting with the front cover. Do not impose the file or supply printer's spreads — imposition is part of our production process.
What resolution should brochure images be?
300dpi at final placed size. An image scaled up in your layout loses effective resolution, so check the size it appears at rather than the size of the original file.
Do I need to convert my artwork to CMYK?
Yes. Print reproduces in CMYK, and RGB artwork will be converted, which shifts vivid blues, greens and oranges. Working in CMYK from the start means you design with colours that can actually be printed.
Can you match a Pantone or brand colour?
We reproduce Pantone references as CMYK builds. The match is close for most colours but not exact for vivid oranges, deep blues and metallics. Send us the reference and we will tell you honestly how close we can get.
What file format should I send?
A single multi-page PDF, ideally exported as PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4, with fonts embedded, images at 300dpi and 3mm bleed.
Do you offer a design service?
Yes. Our in-house designers create artwork to your requirements at £35 per hour, supplying drafts for approval before print. Contact us and we will come straight back with a quotation.
Next Steps
Check your page count and imposition, choose your paper stock, then browse the brochure range. Questions about a specific file? Send it over and we will check it before you order.