Whether you're sending visiting cards, brochures, or wedding invitations to a Chennai printer, getting your files right the first time saves time, money, and reprints. Here's a concise guide to preparing print-ready files in India.

Use CMYK, Not RGB

Monitors use RGB (red, green, blue). Print uses CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). If you send RGB files, colours can shift when printed—especially blues and bright greens. In Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, set your document to CMYK before you start. In InDesign, set the colour mode to CMYK in your swatches and document settings.

Resolution: 300 DPI Minimum

For sharp text and images, your file must be at least 300 DPI at final size. If you're designing an A4 brochure at 210×297mm, the image dimensions should be 2480×3508 pixels (at 300 DPI). Upscaling a low-resolution image will look blurry in print. When in doubt, export at 300 DPI.

Add Bleed (3mm Standard)

Bleed is the extra area beyond the trim edge. Printers need it because paper shifts slightly when cutting. Add 3mm bleed on all sides. So a visiting card that finishes at 89×52mm should be supplied at 95×58mm (3mm on each side). Extend background colours and images into the bleed so no white edges appear after trimming.

Safe Zone / Margins

Keep important text and logos at least 5mm inside the trim line so nothing gets cut off. This "safe zone" is especially important for visiting cards and wedding cards where every millimetre counts.

File Formats: PDF Preferred

PDF is the industry standard. Export as PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 for best compatibility with Indian print shops. Embed all fonts and use "Press Quality" or "High Quality Print" preset. If your printer accepts native files, .ai (Illustrator) and .psd (Photoshop) with layers flattened for complex artwork are also common. Avoid sending only JPG or PNG for professional print—use them only at 300 DPI and with no compression for simple jobs.

Following these steps will make your files print-ready and reduce back-and-forth with your Chennai printer. At Super Printers we check files for free before printing—send yours via WhatsApp and we'll confirm everything is set.