What File Format Should I Send to a Print Shop?

The short answer: press-ready PDF

If you remember one thing, remember this: a PDF with embedded fonts is the safest file you can send to any print shop. PDFs lock your layout, fonts, and images into a single portable file, so what you see is what we print.

When you export a PDF, choose a "press quality" or "high quality print" preset, and make sure fonts are embedded (most modern software does this automatically).

Other formats we accept

A good local shop can work with far more than PDFs. At Pacific Copy we accept files from Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, Canva (exported as PDF), Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint — plus standard image formats like TIF, JPG, and EPS. Mac or Windows, either is fine.

If you send a native file (like InDesign), include every font and every linked graphic used in the document. Missing fonts are the single most common reason a job stalls on day one.

Three mistakes that cause reprints

The good news: a real print shop checks for all of this before printing. Send us your file and our prepress department will flag problems — usually the same day — instead of shipping you a box of blurry flyers.

• RGB color for a full-color job. Screens use RGB; presses use CMYK. RGB files get converted, and some colors — especially bright blues and greens — shift noticeably. Design in CMYK from the start.

• No bleed. If ink runs to the edge of your piece, extend the artwork at least 1/8" past the trim line, and keep text at least 1/8" inside it. Otherwise trimming can leave white slivers or clip your text.

• Low-resolution images. Web images are 72 dpi; print needs 300 dpi at final size. That logo screenshot that looks fine on screen will print fuzzy.

When in doubt, just ask

This is the advantage of a local shop over an upload-and-pray online printer: you can talk to the people who run the press. Email your file to bc@paccopy.com or call (425) 252-5898 and we will check it for free.