The Print Checklist: 7 Things to Review Before You Hit ‘Order’
The moment before you click ‘order’ on a print job is the most important moment in the entire process. Once that file is sent, once production begins, changes become expensive, stressful, and sometimes impossible.
Yet this is the moment when most businesses rush. The deadline is looming, the design feels done, and there is pressure to get it moving. So they click, cross their fingers, and hope for the best.
That hope costs money.
Every year, Print Lord sees the same avoidable mistakes: wrong colours, missing bleeds, low-resolution images, typos that sailed past three rounds of approval, and designs that looked perfect on screen but fall apart in print.
None of these problems are mysterious. None of them require advanced technical knowledge. They just require a checklist and the discipline to use it.
This is that checklist. Seven critical things to review before you commit your job to print. Follow it, and you will save time, money, and the headache of doing it all again.
1. Check Your Resolution (And Actually Open the Images)
Low-resolution images are the number one killer of print quality. A logo or photo that looks sharp on your screen can turn into a pixelated mess when printed at actual size.
The rule is simple: images for print need to be 300 DPI (dots per inch) at the final print size. If your image is 72 DPI, which is standard for web graphics, it will not work.
But here is the mistake most people make: they check the resolution of the file, not the actual image inside it. Your PDF might say 300 DPI, but if the photo you placed in your design was only 72 DPI to begin with, the PDF resolution setting does not magically fix it.
What to do:
– Open your design file and check each image individually
– Zoom in to 100% or more and look for pixelation or blurriness
– If you are using stock images, download the highest resolution version available
– If you are unsure, ask your printer to review the file before it goes to press
Print Lord checks resolution on every job, but we would rather catch it at the artwork stage than after you have approved a proof.
2. Confirm Your Colour Mode is CMYK, Not RGB
Designing in RGB (the colour mode used for screens) and printing in CMYK (the colour mode used for print) will cause colour shifts. Often significant ones.
That vibrant electric blue you chose? It will print duller. That bright green? It will look muddier. The problem is not the printer, it is the colour mode. RGB has a wider colour range than CMYK, so some colours simply cannot be reproduced in print.
If you design in RGB and convert to CMYK at the last minute, you are gambling on how your colours will shift. If you design in CMYK from the start, what you see on screen (assuming a calibrated monitor) is much closer to what you will get in print.
What to do:
– Check your file’s colour mode before you start designing (especially in Canva, which defaults to RGB)
– If you have already designed in RGB, convert to CMYK early and check how your colours change
– If brand colours are critical, provide Pantone references or CMYK values to your printer
– Be realistic: some colours cannot be matched exactly in CMYK
Print Lord converts files to CMYK if needed, but we will always flag major colour shifts so you are not surprised when the job arrives.
3. Check Your Bleed and Safe Margins
Bleed is the area of your design that extends beyond the final trim size. It exists because cutting thousands of sheets with millimetre precision is impossible. Printers cut slightly inside the bleed area to ensure no white edges appear.
If your design has no bleed, you risk white slivers along the edges. If your text or logo sits too close to the trim line, it might get cut off.
Most printers require a 3mm bleed on all sides and a 3mm safe margin (the area where nothing important should live).
What to do:
– Ensure your background colours, images, or patterns extend at least 3mm beyond the final trim size
– Keep all text, logos, and important elements at least 3mm inside the trim line
– If you are using a template, make sure it already includes bleed and safe margins
– If you are designing from scratch, set up your document with bleed from the start
Print Lord will flag missing bleeds or unsafe text placement, but fixing it after the fact often means redesigning sections of your artwork.
4. Proofread Again (And Get Someone Else to Do It Too)
Typos are expensive. Not just because they require a reprint, but because they undermine your credibility. A misspelled word, a wrong phone number, or an outdated website URL makes your business look careless.
The problem is that the person who designed the piece, or wrote the copy, is the worst person to proofread it. Your brain sees what it expects to see, not what is actually there.
What to do:
– Proofread your design at least twice, slowly
– Get a colleague, friend, or partner to proofread it independently
– Check every phone number, email address, website URL, and social handle
– Read the text backwards to catch spelling errors your brain might skip over
– Print a draft copy if possible, errors are easier to spot on paper than on screen
Print Lord checks for obvious errors, but we are not copywriters or editors. The responsibility for accuracy sits with you, and we will always remind you to double-check before approving a proof.
5. Confirm Your File Format and Settings
Not all PDFs are created equal. A PDF exported with the wrong settings can cause problems with colour, resolution, fonts, or transparency.
The safest format for print is a high-quality PDF with fonts embedded and images at 300 DPI. Sending a Word document, a PowerPoint file, or a low-resolution PDF is asking for trouble.
What to do:
– Export your design as a high-quality PDF (Adobe PDF preset: PDF/X-1a or Press Quality)
– Ensure all fonts are embedded (not just outlined, embedded)
– Flatten transparency if your design software allows it
– Check the file size: a full-colour A4 flyer should be several megabytes, not a few hundred kilobytes
– If you are unsure, ask your printer what format and settings they prefer
Print Lord accepts a wide range of file formats, but a properly prepared PDF will always give you the best result with the fewest surprises.
6. Review the Proof Carefully (And Actually Look at It)
When Print Lord sends you a proof, we are not just ticking a box. We are giving you one final chance to catch anything that is wrong before production begins.
Yet the number of clients who approve a proof without properly reviewing it, then call later to say something is wrong, is staggering.
A proof is not a formality. It is your responsibility. If you approve it, you are saying everything is correct. If there is an error and you approved the proof, the reprint is on you.
What to do:
– Open the proof on a large screen, not just your phone
– Check every word, every number, every image
– Zoom in and look at the edges, the text, the colours
– Compare the proof to your original design file to ensure nothing has shifted
– If something looks off, ask questions before you approve
– Do not approve a proof under pressure or in a rush
Print Lord checks every job before we send a proof, but your approval is the final safeguard. Take it seriously.
7. Double-Check Your Quantity, Delivery Address, and Deadline
This sounds basic, but mistakes happen. You order 500 flyers when you meant 5,000. You send the delivery to your home address instead of your business. You assume a two-day turnaround when the printer quoted five.
These are not design errors, they are process errors, and they can derail your campaign just as badly.
What to do:
– Confirm the quantity matches your distribution plan
– Check the delivery address is correct and someone will be there to receive it
– Confirm the turnaround time and delivery date before you approve the order
– If you need it by a specific date, make sure the printer has committed to that date
– Keep a record of your order confirmation and proof approval
Print Lord confirms all these details upfront, but it is worth double-checking on your end too. Clear communication prevents costly mistakes.
The Real Cost of Skipping the Checklist
Every single item on this checklist is based on real mistakes Print Lord has seen, caught, or had to fix. Some cost clients hundreds of pounds. Some cost them time they did not have. Some cost them credibility they could not afford to lose.
The checklist takes ten minutes. A reprint takes days and costs money. The choice is obvious.
Print Lord’s Role in This Process
Print Lord does not just print what you send. We review, we advise, we flag issues, and we ask questions. But we are not miracle workers. If a file is fundamentally flawed, if critical information is wrong, or if a design will not work in print, we will tell you, but we need you to work with us.
The best print jobs are partnerships. You bring the vision, we bring the expertise, and together we make sure the final product is something you are proud to put your name on.
Use the Checklist, Every Time
Print this. Save it. Pin it to your wall. Make it part of your process.
Every time you are about to hit ‘order,’ run through these seven checks:
- 1. Resolution: Are all images 300 DPI at final size?
- Colour mode: Is the file in CMYK, not RGB?
- Bleed and margins: Does the design extend 3mm past the trim, with text 3mm inside?
- Proofreading: Has someone else checked for typos and errors?
- File format: Is it a high-quality PDF with embedded fonts?
- Proof review: Have you carefully reviewed and approved the proof?
- Order details: Are quantity, address, and deadline correct?
If you can answer yes to all seven, you are ready to print. If you cannot, stop. Fix it. Then proceed.
Print Lord exists to help you get it right. But the checklist is your first line of defence.
Use it. Every time.
Print Lord. At your service. On brand. On time.
printlord.co.uk