Get Perfect Prints Every Time
Follow these specs and your prints will look exactly as designed. No surprises, no reprints, no wasted money.
The 4 Golden Rules
Every print failure we see comes from breaking one of these four rules. Follow them and you will never need a reprint.
CMYK Not RGB
Screens use light. Printers use ink. Always convert your file to CMYK before exporting or your colours will shift at press.
3mm Bleed
Extend your background 3mm beyond the final trim edge on all sides. Without bleed, a white border will appear on full-bleed designs.
300 DPI Min
Low-resolution images look sharp on screen but blurry in print. Export at 300 DPI for small format, 150 DPI for large format.
Embed Fonts
If we don't have your font installed, the printer substitutes a default and your design changes. Convert text to outlines or embed your fonts.
Bleed Guide
The most important spec. Get this wrong and you will see a white border around your print.
What is bleed?
Bleed is an extra 3mm of your design beyond the final trim edge. The cutting machine trims your print to the final size — but the blade can be off by ±1–2mm. If your background stops exactly at the edge, that tiny variation reveals the white paper stock underneath.
The fix: extend your background, photos, and full-bleed colours 3mm past every edge. For large format (A2+, banners), use 5mm bleed because large-format cutters have greater mechanical variance.
Anatomy of a correctly prepared print file
3 zones every file must have
Before vs After — name card example
Background stops at edge → cutter reveals white paper stock
Background extends into bleed → full-colour edge after cutting
CanvaHow to add 3mm bleed in Canva — step by step
- 1Open your design in Canva
Click the design file to open it in the editor.
- 2Go to File → Edit design size
In the top menu click File, then "Edit design size" — not "Resize" (that scales your content).
- 3Add 6mm to width and 6mm to height
Name card example: trim is 90×54mm, so set canvas to 96×60mm. This adds 3mm on each of the 4 sides.
- 4Extend your background to fill the new canvas
Select the background element (colour fill or photo) and drag its handles to the new edges.
- 5Keep text and logos in the original centred area
Critical content must sit at least 5mm inside the original trim edge. Do not move content outward.
- 6Download as PDF Print
File → Download → PDF Print (not PDF Standard). Canva exports at 300 DPI automatically. This is the file to upload.
Canva tip: "Edit design size" is available on all plans, including free. Always use your original editable design — do not resize a downloaded PNG, as that scales pixels and reduces DPI.
Safe Zone Guide
Keep everything important well inside the trim edge.
The rule: 5mm inside the trim edge
Keep all text, phone numbers, logos, QR codes, and important graphics at least 5mm inside the trim line. This is your safe zone.
The cutter can be off by ±1–2mm. At 5mm clearance you have comfortable tolerance even if the cut lands at the worst-case edge of its mechanical variance.
What to keep in the safe zone
- ✓Company name and tagline
- ✓Phone numbers and email address
- ✓Website URLs
- ✓QR codes
- ✓Logos (main and secondary)
- ℹBackground fills and textures (can extend into bleed area)
- ℹFull-bleed photos (can extend into bleed area)
What happens if you ignore the safe zone
Real example: a name card with a phone number 3mm from the bottom edge. The cutter lands 2mm off. The last digit is clipped. 500 name cards are wasted and reprinted at full cost. This is entirely preventable with the 5mm rule. We cannot catch this at preflight — the file dimensions look correct.
Resolution Guide
Why your design looks sharp on screen but blurry in print.
Looks fine at 100% zoom. Print will be blurry and pixelated.
Acceptable for banners and posters viewed from 1m+ away.
Required for name cards, flyers, brochures — anything held close.
Required resolution by product type
| Format | Products | Min DPI |
|---|---|---|
| Small format | Name cards, A6 / A5 / A4 flyers, brochures, stickers | 300 DPI |
| Medium format | A2 posters, exhibition panels | 200 DPI |
| Large format | Roll-up banners, fabric banners, PVC signage | 150 DPI |
Export tips by tool
- 1. Download as PDF Print (not PDF Standard or PNG)
- 2. Canva exports at 300 DPI automatically when using PDF Print
- 3. Do not scale the downloaded PDF before uploading
- 1. Image → Image Size — check Resolution field shows 300 pixels/inch
- 2. Ensure "Resample" is OFF when checking (not changing)
- 3. Export as PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 for best compatibility
Colour Mode Guide
Why that perfect blue on your screen looks different when printed.
RGB — screens use light
Monitors, phones, and TVs create colour by mixing Red, Green, and Blue light. Mixing all three at full intensity produces white. RGB can generate very bright, vivid colours including neons because light can be extremely intense.
But printers cannot recreate these colours. An RGB file sent to press will have its colours converted at the rip — and the result is often unexpected.
CMYK — printers use ink
Commercial printers layer four inks: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black). Mixing all four produces black. CMYK has a smaller colour gamut than RGB.
Bright RGB colours that exist as light simply do not have ink equivalents. The printer makes its best guess — and the result is often muddy or dull.
Colours that shift most in print
These RGB values have no accurate CMYK equivalent. If you use them and submit an RGB file, the printed result will look different from your screen.
CanvaHow to ensure correct colour in Canva
- 1Click any coloured element (shape, text, background) to open the colour picker.
- 2Switch the colour picker to CMYK tab (Canva Pro) and enter your brand's CMYK values from your brand guidelines.
- 3Avoid using pure RGB hex codes for brand colours — convert them to CMYK equivalents first.
- 4When exporting, choose PDF Print — Canva applies commercial print colour profiles automatically.
Important: Canva Free exports in sRGB by default. For critical colour accuracy — brand materials, annual reports — use Canva Pro (CMYK export) or Adobe Illustrator / InDesign set to a CMYK document profile.
Font Preparation
Prevent layout shifts caused by missing fonts at the rip.
Why this matters
Your font file lives on your computer. When our rip system processes your print file, it does not have your computer. If your font is not embedded or outlined, the rip substitutes a default font (usually Helvetica or Times New Roman). Your design changes — and we cannot catch this until after printing.
Spacing changes. Letters overlap or spread. Layouts break.
Text is converted to vector paths. No font software needed.
- 1.In Canva, text is automatically outlined when you export as PDF Print. No extra steps needed.
- 2.Do NOT export as PDF Standard or PNG — these may not embed fonts correctly.
- 3.If you used a custom uploaded font, always verify the downloaded PDF renders correctly before uploading.
- 1.Select all text: Edit → Select All (Ctrl/Cmd+A).
- 2.Convert to outlines: Type → Create Outlines (Shift+Ctrl/Cmd+O).
- 3.Save a separate outlined copy (Save As) — you cannot edit text once outlined.
- 4.Export: File → Save As → Adobe PDF, preset PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-4.
- 1.Export as PDF: File → Export → Adobe PDF. In the dialog, Subset fonts below 100% to embed all used fonts.
- 2.Alternatively, use File → Package to bundle the InDesign file with all fonts and links.
File Size Reference
Always submit the bleed file size (right column) — never the trim size.
| Product | Trim size (final) | Submit this size (with bleed) |
|---|---|---|
Name CardPopular | 90 × 54 mm | ✓ 96 × 60 mm |
A6 Flyer | 148 × 105 mm | ✓ 154 × 111 mm |
A5 FlyerPopular | 210 × 148 mm | ✓ 216 × 154 mm |
A4 Flyer / PosterPopular | 297 × 210 mm | ✓ 303 × 216 mm |
A3 Poster | 420 × 297 mm | ✓ 426 × 303 mm |
DL Flyer | 210 × 99 mm | ✓ 216 × 105 mm |
Roll-Up BannerPopular | 850 × 2000 mm | ✓ 860 × 2010 mm |
Large format bleed: Roll-up banners and all A2+ prints use 5mm bleed per side (not 3mm) because large-format cutters have greater mechanical variance. The table above already reflects this — note the Roll-Up Banner bleed is 860×2010mm, not 856×2006mm.
Start with the Right Canvas Size
Each button opens Canva templates. Design your artwork, export as PDF Print, and upload directly to TheOnePrinter.com.
Business Cards
90 × 54 mm
A6 Flyer
148 × 105 mm
A5 Flyer
210 × 148 mm
A4 Flyer
297 × 210 mm
A3 Poster
420 × 297 mm
DL Flyer
210 × 99 mm
Roll-Up Banner
850 × 2000 mm
Bifold Brochure
420 × 297 mm
Stickers
Custom die-cut
Certificates
A4 landscape
After opening a template: Verify the canvas size matches our bleed dimensions from the File Size table above. Some Canva community templates use non-standard sizes — always check File → Edit Design Size before starting your design.
Common Mistakes — and How to Fix Them
The 6 errors that account for 90% of print issues we see. All are preventable.
No bleed added
CriticalWhat was submitted
Background stops at the trim edge
The result
Thin white border appears on all full-bleed prints
Fix: Extend background 3mm beyond every edge. In Canva: File → Edit design size, add 6mm to width and 6mm to height, then stretch the background layer.
Text too close to edge
CriticalWhat was submitted
Phone number or logo is 2–3mm from the trim edge
The result
Text or logo gets partially cut off — potentially missing contact info
Fix: Keep all text, logos, and QR codes at least 5mm inside the trim line. Use guides in Canva or Illustrator.
Low resolution image
Very commonWhat was submitted
A screenshot or web-exported PNG used as a logo or hero image
The result
Blurry, pixelated print — especially noticeable on name cards held close
Fix: Use vector logos (SVG/AI/EPS) or raster images at 300 DPI at final print size. Do not upscale low-res images.
RGB colour file
Very commonWhat was submitted
Canva design exported in RGB colour space
The result
Neon blue prints as dull purple. Bright orange prints muddy brown.
Fix: In Canva, download as PDF Print (not PDF Standard). In Illustrator, use Document Setup → CMYK from the start.
Font not outlined / embedded
Easy to missWhat was submitted
Custom font used in Illustrator but not outlined before export
The result
Font substituted at rip — text layout shifts, spacing changes, design breaks
Fix: Illustrator: Select All → Type → Create Outlines. Canva: always use PDF Print export which embeds fonts automatically.
Wrong file size submitted
Easy to missWhat was submitted
Trim size uploaded instead of bleed size (e.g. 90×54mm instead of 96×60mm)
The result
Content near edges gets cut; file may be flagged or rejected at preflight
Fix: Always check the File Size table below. Submit the bleed size (right column), never the trim size.
Ready to print?
Your file is ready. Upload it, approve your proof, and we will handle the rest.