What to Do Before Packaging Printing Files? 5 Types of Checklist - 99% of Customer Files Are Unqualified, Printing Factories Revise for Customers

A printing factory owner in Wuxi, Mr. Lu, received a new client in 2024 for producing 2000 cosmetic gift boxes. The client provided 1 AI file + 1 PSD file + 5 JPG reference images. Mr. Lu opened the AI file and found 5 types of issues within 5 minutes: no bleed, fonts not outlined, RGB color mode used, resolution at 200dpi instead of 300dpi, and the file format was AI 2024 version (which is poorly compatible with the factory's AI 2018). All 5 issues were present in a single file.

Mr. Lu had his proofing staff spend 4 hours modifying the file before it could be used. The client was unaware of why the modifications took 4 hours, only knowing that the final quote was 30% higher than expected – because the labor cost for file modifications was included.

Type 1: Bleed (3mm standard) – 99% of client files lack it

Bleed is a must for printing – printing presses cannot print to the edge of the paper, so a 3mm bleed (trimming allowance) is required. However, 99% of client files lack bleed – the client's designer assumes printing is borderless like the design draft.

Factory's file modification method: Add 3mm bleed around the client file – extend the background color to the bleed area (if the client's background is a solid color, it can be directly extended; if the background is a gradient/pattern, edge blending is needed). Adding bleed to one file takes 15-30 minutes.

Mr. Lu said, "Clients are surprised when I tell them adding bleed takes 30 minutes – they don't know that printing presses cannot print to the edge of the paper and that 3mm bleed must be left. Client designers think their design drafts are already print-ready, but they are actually monitor drafts."

Type 2: Resolution (300dpi standard) – Client's phone photos cannot be used

The standard print resolution is 300dpi (300 pixels per inch) – the client's design draft looks clear on a monitor, but when enlarged 100 times on a printing press, it becomes blurry.

Common resolution issues in client files:

• JPG materials: Photos taken with a phone at 100dpi are not usable, while those taken with a DSLR at 300dpi are usable
• PSD layered images: Materials downloaded from the internet by the client have a resolution of only 72dpi and are not usable
• AI vector graphics: Vectors are not related to raster resolution and can be infinitely enlarged (this is why clients love using AI)

Factory's file modification method: Elements with insufficient resolution must either be re-provided by the client (phone re-shoot, DSLR re-shoot, find a high-resolution version online) or the factory can use AI intelligent enlargement (software like Topaz Gigapixel AI can enlarge 4 times and make it barely usable). Modifying the resolution of one file takes 30-60 minutes.

Mr. Lu said, "The client said the cosmetic bottle image on our gift box was downloaded from the official website – I opened it and it was a 72dpi JPG, completely unusable for printing. The client had to re-shoot, and re-shooting one product image costs 2000 yuan, which is 10 times more expensive than modifying the file."

Type 3: Color mode (CMYK standard) – RGB colors print with half the vibrancy lost

The standard print color mode is CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black), while the standard color mode for monitors is RGB (Red, Green, Blue). Over 50% of client files are in RGB mode – the vibrant colors (high saturation RGB) that client designers see on their computers deviate significantly when printed.

Common color shifts when converting RGB to CMYK:

• Fluorescent Green: Vibrant RGB green → CMYK prints as yellowish green
• Bright Blue: Vibrant RGB blue → CMYK prints as grayish blue
• Magenta: Vibrant RGB magenta → CMYK prints as grayish red

Factory's file modification method: Convert client file from RGB to CMYK – automatic color conversion with a color shift of 5-15%. If the client is sensitive to color (cosmetic clients), the factory needs to make a proof to confirm the color, which takes 30-60 minutes for color conversion + 1-2 days for proofing and confirmation.

Mr. Lu said, "Cosmetic clients most often fall into the RGB color shift trap – the fluorescent pink lipstick box color they see in RGB turns into tomato red when printed, with a color difference ΔE > 10, and the client rejects the product. Now, when we receive orders from cosmetic clients, we default to RGB to CMYK conversion + proofing to confirm the color, which takes an extra day."

Type 4: Fonts (Outlining/Embedding) – Missing fonts turn into tofu blocks

The most common issue with client files is missing fonts – the client file opens as "Fangzheng Lanting Black" on the client's computer, but when sent to the factory, it opens as "tofu blocks" (because the factory doesn't have the client's font installed).

Factory's file modification method: 2 options:

• Font embedding: Embed the font in the client file, so the factory opens it with the client's font still intact (PDF standard)
• Font outlining: Convert the text in the client file to outlines/paths, so the factory opens it not as a font but as paths (AI font style, AI file standard)

The difference between font embedding and outlining: Embedding retains the editability of the text, while outlining makes the text uneditable. Factory owner Mr. Lu said, "If the client file is in AI format, I will ask the client to convert the text to outlines before sending – this way, the font won't be lost when the factory opens the file. But if the client is using Word/PPT files, outlining will mess up the layout."

Modifying the font of one file takes 15-30 minutes (embedding) or 30-60 minutes (outlining).

Type 5: Format (PDF standard) – High-version AI/CDR have poor compatibility

The most common format issues clients encounter:

• High-version AI: Clients use AI 2024, while the factory uses AI 2018 (compatible with AI 2020 files), and AI 2024 files cannot be opened in AI 2018
• High-version CDR: Clients use CDR X8, while the factory uses CDR X4 (compatible with CDR X7 files), and CDR X8 files cannot be opened in CDR X4
• Large PSD files: Client PSD files are 1GB+, and the factory's computer configuration is too poor to open them

Factory's file modification method: Ask the client to save the file in PDF format – PDF is the industry standard, all software can open it, and font embedding, resolution, and color mode are all locked, so the factory doesn't need to modify anything.

Mr. Lu said, "Now, when I receive client orders, the first thing I say is please save the file in PDF and send it – if the client insists on sending AI/CDR, I ask the client to save it in a lower version or convert it to outlines and then save it as PDF. But clients often reply 'I don't know how', and in the end, they still send AI 2024 files, asking me to upgrade the software. Upgrading software once costs 1000-3000 yuan."

Printing Factory Owner's 5-item File Inspection Checklist

Mr. Lu's 5-item file inspection checklist (each client file checked within 5 minutes):

1. 1st Check: Is there a 3mm bleed? Check all sides
2. 2nd Check: Is the resolution up to 300dpi? Open the image to check
3. 3rd Check: Is the color mode CMYK or RGB? Check file properties
4. 4th Check: Are the fonts embedded/outlined? Check PDF font references
5. 5th Check: Is the file format PDF or AI/CDR? Can it be opened in a lower version?

5-item checklist, each file checked within 5 minutes. 95 out of 100 client files are unqualified – but with the 5-item checklist, the factory owner can quickly identify the issues.

Printing Factory Owner's Real Account of File Modification

Mr. Lu calculates the annual file modification account:

• Average file modification time for 5 types of issues: 1 file takes 2-4 hours (not all 5 issues necessarily appear, but 1-3 issues is the norm)
• Annual number of files modified: 500 files (calculated at 1-2 files per day)
• Annual file modification hours: 1000-2000 hours = 60% of a proofing staff's working time
• Annual file modification labor cost: 60% of a proofing staff's annual salary of 80-150,000 yuan = 50-90,000 yuan
• Annual software upgrade cost: 2-3 times × 2000 yuan = 0.5-1 million yuan

Total 55-100,000 yuan/year. This is the real account of the printing factory owner – 99% of the files provided by clients are unqualified, and the factory has to spend 60% of a proofing staff's working time modifying files.

Printing Factory Owner's 3 File Modification Suggestions

Mr. Lu gives 3 suggestions to his peers:

1. 1st Suggestion: Include file modification fees in the quote – calculate at 200-500 yuan per file, so clients know that file modification is the factory's labor cost, not a free service
2. 2nd Suggestion: Provide clients with a file preparation guide before their first cooperation (5-item checklist + standard PDF file template), so clients can self-check first
3. 3rd Suggestion: Monthly statistics on the frequency of the 5 types of file issues, feedback to sales – so sales know the quality of the client's files before quoting

If these 3 suggestions are implemented, the factory's file modification working time can be reduced from 60% to 30%, giving the proofing staff time to handle more orders – this is the real efficiency account of the printing factory owner.

Extended Reading

• 4 Things to Prepare Before Sending Design Drafts to the Factory
• 3 Types of ICC Profile Practice in Digital Printing
• Pantone Spot Color vs. CMYK Four-Color Printing
• How Much Color Difference ΔE is Qualified for Printed Products? 3 Judgment Standards