At Neyenesch Printers, we love helping our clients bring their print visions to life. However, even the most stunning designs can fall short if not set up correctly for commercial print. Whether you’re creating a booklet, brochure, or flyer, following a few simple guidelines ensures a smooth process and a professional end result.

Here are essential tips for creating press-ready print files:

1. Always Include Bleeds
A bleed is the extra 1/8 inch (0.125″) of artwork extending beyond the trim edge. This ensures there are no white borders after trimming, even if the paper shifts slightly during cutting.
Tip: Extend any background colors, images, or design elements that touch the edge of the piece by at least 0.125″ on all sides.

2. Adjust Tri-Fold Panel Sizes
For a smooth, professional fold, the panels of a tri-fold brochure shouldn’t all be the same width.
Tip: For an 8.5″ x 11″ tri-fold: Front and back panels: 3.6875″, Inside panel: 3.625″ This ensures the brochure folds neatly without bunching or bowing.

3. Be Cautious with Canva
While Canva is great for digital graphics, it should be only used for online or digital ad purposes.  Canva is not for commercial print projects due to limitations like improper bleed setup, lack of CMYK support, lack of fold dimension fine tuning and resolution issues. A big note: exported files are not easily editable out of Canva, thus limiting commercial printers abilities to edit or correct the files for printing purposes.
Tip: Use professional design software like Adobe InDesign or Illustrator for better control over print specs and layout.

Final Commercial Print Thoughts

Designing for commercial print requires attention to detail, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. A well-prepared file ensures a smooth process and a polished final product. Need help setting up your print files? Contact us at Neyenesch Printers—call (619) 297-2281 or email contact@neyenesch.com. We’re here to help your print projects shine!