Press Ready PDFs

How to Create a Press-Ready PDF for Digital Inkjet Printing

Press Ready PDFs Tips

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • The right settings for creating a press-ready PDF depend on the press the project will be printed on.
  • Image settings, font settings, and color management settings are key in creating press-ready PDFs for a streamlined print process.
  • Color management policies are also vital in helping printers remain true to your design intent. 
A digital inkjet project can change dramatically from the start of the design process to the final printed piece. These changes can influence more than just the artistic direction — they can impact how the file itself should be prepared to achieve the highest print quality.

Some printers may request a press-ready PDF, while others will need native design files with all fonts and high-resolution images included. If you’re delivering a press-ready PDF, there are a number of details to review and settings to confirm before handing files off to your print partner.

“Each press requires different PDF settings,” write Elizabeth Gooding and Mary Schilling, authors of The Designer’s Guide to Inkjet, 3rd Edition. “Asking your print provider for their preferred PDF format setting… will streamline your PDF management and ensure that you save your PDF files correctly each time.” 

 This short guide will help you create press-ready PDF files for a smooth, cost-effective inkjet production process.

1. Configure image settings 

These three steps will configure your image settings to ensure the highest resolution and color quality on the printed page. 

  • Turn off Downsampling Color Images when saving a PDF for print. Do not downsample your images at this stage of the process. Your images should already be saved to the resolution specified by your print provider.
  • Compress images. Select ZIP compression, as it will compress without downsizing the pixel depth of the image.
  • Apply the resolution of the machine when creating your PDF. This will  allow the inkjet RIP to process the images to a lower dpi if needed for proper output.
Finalize font settings

2. Finalize font settings

Embed all fonts. If using variable data, ensure fonts are not limited to only the characters visible in the PDF. The decision to embed full or subset fonts varies depending on the printer’s inkjet workflow. Larger, fully composed variable-data jobs may require embedding only subsets of a font family.

Your printer can advise you on these settings, which is why it’s key to establish and maintain an open line of communication and collaboration with your printer to help troubleshoot challenges and unlock new opportunities. 

3. Adjust color management settings

Color management ensures visual consistency from screen to substrate. When saving PDFs, proper settings must be applied when converting rendering intents and color spaces from the input profile to the output device profile.

This process — known as early binding — is critical to achieving consistent print color.

Gooding and Schilling stress the importance of proper PDF color management in maximizing the ability of digital inkjet technology to create crisp images and stunning color. 

 

“This will keep all the images color managed according to the settings applied through Adobe Bridge without changing CMYK- or Pantone-assigned vector elements,” explain Gooding and Schilling. 


Managing color at the PDF level ensures that vector colors are processed by the inkjet device’s output profile and DFE settings, providing a closer color match within the intended gamut.
Press-Ready PDFs Color Management

4. Apply color management policies

Some colors can be assigned as CMYK or Pantone. PDF color management settings should be applied differently for each instance in which the printer handles CMYK or spot colors. Each color management policy option will process color differently.

The settings below provide different color management policies to images and assigned colors. If you want to match the color space for another print process, consult your print partner to verify that they will honor your PDF rendering intent and color space settings.

  • Leave Color Unchanged will use the color assignments in your Adobe program and allow the inkjet device to perform all color conversion. Use this option if your provider tells you they will do all graphic element color management.
  • Tag Everything for Color Management will convert all colors used in images and graphics to the CMYK working color space assigned. Use this option if you require your images to simulate other print processes with the same color space and if your provider calls for all colors to be CMYK.
  • Tag Only Images for Color Management converts bitmapped images to the assigned color space settings, leaving CMYK and Pantone colors assigned in your Adobe layout program untouched. Use this option if your provider has a Pantone conversion library within their workflow.
  • Convert All Colors to RGB is not suited to the inkjet process, so you should not use this setting. Convert All Colors to CMYK will convert all RGB and Pantone colors used within the document to CMYK. This allows the Adobe PDF engine to convert all colors and may cause an unexpected outcome for some colors.
Press-Ready PDFs settings

With The Designer’s Guide to Inkjet, 3rd Edition, you can prepare design files with confidence. And, if you’re ready to print, the PrintAccess® directory contains thousands of print service providers to help you connect with the inkjet printer that meets your needs.

Download the guide or access the directory to get your project across the finish line.