Export process
Set document colour to CMYK
Before exporting, confirm that your document is in CMYK colour mode. Embedded images should also be CMYK or greyscale. Converting to CMYK at the document level — rather than letting the PDF export do it — gives you full control over the result.See Color profiles and color management for guidance on CMYK conversion.
Verify bleed and crop marks settings
Your document must have 3 mm of bleed configured before export. In the export dialog:
- Enable Use Document Bleed Settings (or enter
3 mmmanually if bleed was not set in the document). - Enable Crop Marks so the production team can identify the trim position.
- Enable Bleed Marks if your application offers them separately.
Choose the correct PDF standard
Use one of these standards for print production:
Avoid exporting with the Press Quality preset without reviewing settings — it does not enforce CMYK and may leave RGB images unconverted.
| Standard | When to use |
|---|---|
| PDF/X-1a | Maximum compatibility; all colours converted to CMYK, no RGB or spot colours left unresolved, transparencies flattened. Use this when in doubt. |
| PDF/X-4 | Supports live transparencies and ICC colour management. Use if the production workflow supports it and you need to preserve transparency layers. |
Embed fonts
In all applications, enable Embed All Fonts (or equivalent). Alternatively, convert all text to outlines before exporting — this eliminates the font dependency entirely.After export, open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat or a PDF viewer and visually confirm that all text renders correctly, especially special characters, ligatures, and small print.
Handle transparencies
If your design uses drop shadows, feathered edges, or blending modes, confirm how your application handles transparencies on export.
- PDF/X-1a flattens transparencies automatically.
- PDF/X-4 preserves live transparencies.
- If the print RIP has trouble with live transparencies, flatten manually before export: in InDesign use Object → Flatten Transparency, or export as PDF/X-1a.
The Reprodisseny team will flag any transparency issues during pre-press. When in doubt, flatten.
Verify the exported PDF
Before sending the file, open the PDF and check:
- Crop marks are visible and the bleed area extends past them.
- All text is legible and has not reflowed or substituted.
- Colours look correct (allow for screen-vs-print difference; check CMYK values in Acrobat’s Output Preview).
- No missing images or low-resolution warnings (Acrobat’s Preflight tool can check this).
- File size is reasonable — a heavily compressed PDF may have degraded image quality.
Application-specific settings
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Affinity Publisher
File → Export → Adobe PDF (Print)Recommended settings:
- Adobe PDF Preset: PDF/X-1a:2001 (or create a custom preset based on it)
- Standard: PDF/X-1a:2001
- Compatibility: Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3) for X-1a; Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4) for X-4
- Crop Marks: ✓
- Bleed Marks: ✓
- Use Document Bleed Settings: ✓ (confirm value is 3 mm)
- Color Conversion: Convert to Destination
- Destination: a CMYK output profile (e.g. ISO Coated v2 or your press profile)
- Include Profiles: ✓
- Transparency Flattener: High Resolution (for X-1a)
Important warnings
Quick reference: recommended export settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| PDF standard | PDF/X-1a:2001 (preferred) or PDF/X-4 |
| Colour mode | CMYK |
| Bleed | 3 mm (all sides) |
| Crop marks | Yes |
| Font embedding | Embed all, or convert to outlines |
| Image resolution | 300 ppi at final print size |
| Transparencies | Flatten (PDF/X-1a) or live (PDF/X-4) |
| ICC profile | Include CMYK output profile |