Print Error Guide
File Dimensions are Incorrect
Ensure you correctly setting up your trim and bleed, and ensure you export with the right settings as well.
Dimensions Reference
Total Dimensions | Trim | Safe Zone |
4.25" x 6.25" or 1275 x 1875px | 4" x 6" | 3.75" x 5.75" |
6.25" x 9.25" or 1875 x 2775px | 6" x 9" | 5.75" x 8.75" |
6.25" x 11.25" or 1875 x 3375px | 6" x 11" | 5.75" x 10.75" |
Example If you're designing a 4" x 6" postcard, add an extra 0.125" to all four sides to bring the total file dimensions to 4.25" x 6.25". The safe zone should be inset from the 4"x 6" trim by 0.125" on all four sides so all text, logos, terms & conditions, etc. should appear within 3.75" x 5.75".
InDesign: Setup & Export
When exporting your artwork from InDesign, make sure you have Use Document Bleed Settings selected so that your exported PDF includes the bleed.
Illustrator: Setup & Export
When saving/exporting your artwork from Illustrator, make sure you have Use Document Bleed Settings selected so that your exported PDF includes the bleed.
File Size Exceeds Limit
To ensure your file size is below the file size limit, you have a few options.
You could compress your images during export from Indesign or Illustrator. 300 DPI is usually sufficient for print, so if you have images with a much higher DPI, you can reduce the DPI of the images in your artwork.
You could also collapse your images using Photoshop.
InDesign: How to Lower DPI When Exporting
Open the file in Indesign.
Go to File → Export → Format: Adobe PDF (pdf) → Save
Go to Compression.
For the Downsampling entries, you can alter the input to downsample to 300 pixels per inch for images above 300 pixels per inch.
Alternatively you could change the Image Quality to High instead of Maximum.
If your image's DPI is too low, we recommend using a different image. Do not attempt to increase the DPI of any images.
Photoshop: How to Collapse Images
Select all the images you wish to collapse.
Go to Layer > Flatten Image.
Go to Save As and when you reach the options box, select a quality of 8 (High).
Assets Under 300 DPI/PPI
If you got this error message, it means we found one or more image assets in your artwork that are below 300 DPI (dots per inch), which is our minimum standard for printing a crisp image. We recommend you replace these with a higher DPI image.
Checking Image DPI (Adobe)
You can check the DPI for all your images inside a PDF using Adobe Print Production.
Open your file in Adobe, and go to the Print Production Tool > Preflight.
Under the Profiles > PDF Analysis, select List page objects, grouped by type of object.
Click Analyze to run an analysis.
The tool will break out your images into ranges of DPI. Open these to get a list of images that fall into the range for the DPI.
Registration Black
Registration black is a black that is 100% of cyan, yellow, magenta and black (C=100, M=100, Y=100, K=100). This black should be avoided for your artwork, as this much ink will saturate the paper it’s printed on, bleed into the paper, take too long to dry, and will likely smudge. Registration black should only ever be used in registration marks to reference the alignment of the different inks or plates used.
When in Indesign, you can typically avoid this problem by not using the [Registration] swatch.
InDesign: How to Locate & Change Registration Blacks
Go to Edit > Find/Change.
Select Custom from the top dropdown and click to the Color tab.
Select Registration under the Find Color dropdown.
Click Find Next. This should help identify the areas in the artwork where you're using Registration Black, and allow you to change them to a different black.
Click Change to make the change, or Change All to apply the selected black to all instances where you're using Registration Black.
Detected Spot Colors
In printing, a spot color is a color that's produced by a special ink (pure or mixed) that's printed by a single run. Pantone is one example of a spot color system, but there are many other systems used worldwide.
Poplar does not fully support printing in spot colors, meaning if you use a spot color, our printer will have to convert it to the closest CMYK (process) color. If you must use a spot color, we recommend you do the conversion to CMYK (GRACoL Coated 2006) yourself, because our printer's conversion may not be to your liking. Please keep in mind that the printer's final conversion also does not appear in our previews.
How to Find Spot Colors in Your Artwork
You can use a tool like Adobe Print Production to detect the spot colors in your artwork.
Open your file in Adobe, and go to the Print Production Tool.
Open the Output Preview tool (right hand panel).
You should only see the four process colors. If there are any spot colors in your file, they will be displayed in the Output Preview tool.
InDesign: How to Replace Spot Colors
Use Ink Manager to replace the spot colors. Note - this method is the quickest and fastest way to replace the spot colors - not the most 1:1. If you are looking for the fullest level of control over color conversion, you can instead refer to resources like this one on how to do a more manual conversion.
Open the InDesign file. Go to Swatches.
Click the menu icon in Swatches. At the bottom, you'll see Ink Manager.
You will see a list of all the inks you are using in your artwork: the regular CMYK colors (process colors), followed by spot colors if you used any.
Convert each single spot color to a process color by clicking on the little icon to the left of the spot color name. The icon will change and match the icons of the process colors.
Note that the color change may not be visible until you export your InDesign file. You should inspect all your files upon export.
Note: Converting spot colors in Ink Manager doesn't change the color swatch itself. It's just a setting telling InDesign that the color should be converted to process when you print or export to a CMYK format.
Illustrator: How to Replace Spot Colors
Open the Color palette if it isn't already displayed. You can find it under the Window tab up top.
Click the menu (hamburger) icon on the right.
Click CMYK to switch the spot color to CMYK.
Note that the color change may not be visible until you export your Illustrator file. You should inspect all your files upon export.
Detected Transparencies in Artwork
Transparencies in artwork, if they are not flattened prior to printing, can look different when printed. For one example (out of many), instead of seeing a transparent layer, you might see a black layer that blocks everything underneath that layer.
If you get this error, it means your file is not a PDF/X-1a file. To correct this issue, you just need to export the file as a PDF/X-1a file.
InDesign: How to Export as PDF/X-1a
Double check total dimensions of the file, make sure trim and safe zone indicator layers are deleted and not hidden.
Go to File → Export → Format: Adobe PDF (pdf) → Save
Select Adobe PDF Preset: [PDF/X-1a:2001]
Check the box for Create Separate PDF Files
Click Export
Illustrator: How to Export as PDF/X-1a
Double check total dimensions of the file, make sure trim and safe zone indicator layers are deleted and not hidden.
Go to File → Save As... → Format: Adobe PDF (pdf) → Save
Adobe PDF Preset: [PDF/X-1a:2001] → Save PDF
Exceeded Maximum Ink Density
We recommend you keep your total ink density below 360 (aka 360% in coverage). For example a color with C=50, M=50, Y=50, K=100 would total 250 (aka 250% in coverage) and be acceptable. Too much ink can saturate your paper and cause ink drying problems or alter the color characteristics of your artwork.
How to Identify Ink Over-Saturation
You can use a tool like Adobe Print Production to find the areas where your total ink coverage exceeds 360, and then use that to inform your color fixes in your design tool.
Open your file in Adobe, and go to the Print Production Tool.
Open the Output Preview tool (right hand panel).
Select the Total Area Coverage checkbox.
Change the input value to 360 (which is the max ink coverage allowed).
Adobe will then highlight the areas in your artwork that exceed the value you inputted.
Common Questions
Why should I design in CMYK instead of RGB?
Typically, files designed for print are designed in CMYK. These four letters refer to the four colors typically used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. This is a subtractive system, because every layer of ink reduces the brightness of the originally white sheet of paper.
The RGB system, standing for red, green, blue - is the system typically used in digital formats: your computer screen, televisions, and cameras. This is an additive system, because red, green, or blue light is added to create the pigment from blackness (absence of light).
The color spectrum that is available in RGB is not 1:1 with what is available in CMYK. This means if you design in RGB, you could be using colors that are not available in CMYK - resulting in a print that looks different from the intended result. Therefore, we highly recommend designing in CMYK.
Do my images have to be at least 300 DPI? What about 200 DPI?
While we highly recommend 300 DPI or above, everyone has a different standard of what's "crisp" enough for them. You can use images below 300 DPI, but at your own risk.
I don't have the right tools to run these checks!
If you don't have the right tools to run these checks or make these edits, please let us know so we can help.
What is PDF/X?
"the PDF/X standard is a widely used standard, defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), for a printing workflows."
"The PDF/X-4 format is reliable for live transparency and color management. This format is optimal for RIP processing, digital printers that use the Adobe PDF Print Engine, and any PDF file to be printed in Acrobat".
Use Adobe PDF Options to Export to PDF in InDesign, helpx.adobe.com/nz/indesign/using/pdf-options.html#about_pdf_x_standards.
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