Print ready artwork for book printing

Creating print ready artwork is a crucial step in book production. It ensures your design meets the technical requirements for high-quality, commercial printing. Important to note, print ready artwork in NOT  a Word document.

Print ready artwork refers to digital files formatted and optimised for the specific printing process being used. This includes adhering to guidelines such as correct file resolution, appropriate colour modes and precise document sizing.

A key component is the use of high-resolution images (typically 300 DPI) to avoid pixelation or blurriness during printing. Margins and bleeds must also be accounted for, allowing artwork to extend beyond the trim line for edge-to-edge printing without unwanted white borders.

File preparation involves using professional design software, such as Adobe InDesign, to ensure proper formatting. The artwork should be saved as a PDF file, the industry standard for print ready files, as it ensures compatibility across printers.

Colour modes should be set to CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) rather than RGB, as CMYK is the standard for physical printing. Another essential element is the inclusion of crop marks, which indicate where the paper should be trimmed, and embedded fonts to ensure text is displayed correctly regardless of the printer’s software.

It’s also important to maintain the correct safe zone—a margin inside the trim line where critical text and design elements are placed to avoid accidental cropping.

Glossary of Specialist Terms

• Bleed: an area extending beyond the final trim size, ensuring no unprinted edges appear after trimming.
• Trim line: the line where the printer cuts the paper to achieve the final size.
• Safe zone: an inner margin where important content is placed to avoid being cut off.
• PDF: PDF format is industry standard for print ready files. It ensures proper colour, resolution and font embedding.
• CMYK: the colour model used for printing. This is as opposed to RGB,which is used for digital screens.
• Crop marks: lines on the file indicating where the paper should be trimmed.

Understanding these terms and requirements is essential for producing professional, quality books that meet both aesthetic and technical standards. And that is something Tricorn Books does!

Click here for more in depth information on creating artwork.