File Setup Guide

File Setup Guide | PrintVie.com

Preparing your artwork correctly is one of the most important steps in getting a great printed result. Different design programs handle page size, bleed, colour, fonts, images, and PDF export differently.

This guide explains the recommended setup for the most common design programs used to create files for PrintVie.com. The goal is to help you create a clean, print-ready PDF before submitting your artwork.

Correct Size

Create your document at the actual finished size of your product.

Bleed When Required

Bleed is product-dependent. When required, use 0.125" (3.175 mm).

Safe Margin

Keep important content approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) from the trim.

Export PDF

Review your PDF carefully before uploading it.

Before You Start

Before opening your design software, determine the exact finished size of the product you are ordering. Your document should be created at that finished size unless the product specifications specifically state otherwise.

0.125"3.175 mm Bleed

Use this amount when bleed is required for your specific product.

0.25"6.35 mm Safe Margin

Recommended average distance between important content and the finished trim.

Important: Bleed is not required for every product. Whether bleed is necessary depends on the product and its production method. Always check the specifications for the specific product you are ordering.

Choose Your Design Software

The best program depends on what you are designing. Page-layout programs are generally best for books and multi-page documents, vector programs are ideal for logos and illustrations, and image-editing programs are best for photographs.

Software	Best For	Recommended Final Format
Adobe InDesign	Books, brochures, booklets, magazines, multi-page documents	PDF
Adobe Illustrator	Logos, illustrations, cards, signs, vector artwork	PDF
Adobe Photoshop	Photography, raster artwork, image-heavy designs	PDF / TIFF / JPEG depending on product
Adobe Acrobat	Checking and preflight of finished PDFs	PDF
Affinity Publisher	Books, brochures, magazines, multi-page documents	PDF
Affinity Designer	Vector artwork, illustrations, cards, signage	PDF
CorelDRAW	Signs, graphics, vector artwork, layouts	PDF
Canva	Simple marketing materials and layouts	PDF Print
Microsoft Word	Basic documents and text-heavy projects	PDF

Adobe InDesign

Best for: Books, booklets, brochures, magazines, catalogues, calendars, and other multi-page documents.

Recommended Setup

Adobe InDesign

Set the document to the exact finished size of the product.
Use facing pages when the project requires a spread-based layout.
Keep important content approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) inside the trim.
Use high-resolution placed images.
Check fonts and links before exporting.

Document SizeFinished Product Size

Safe MarginApproximately 0.25" / 6.35 mm

Final FormatPDF

BLEED — ONLY WHEN REQUIRED

Setting Up Bleed in InDesign

If the product you are ordering requires bleed, set the document bleed to 0.125" (3.175 mm). Do not assume that every product requires bleed.

InDesign Document With Bleed

Backgrounds and images that should reach the edge continue through the bleed area. Important content stays inside the safe area.

Set the Document Size

Enter the finished width and height of the product. Bleed is configured separately and should not normally be added to the document dimensions.

Set Bleed When Required

In Document Setup, enter 0.125" (3.175 mm) for the bleed amount.

Export Your PDF

When exporting, make sure the bleed settings are included in the PDF when bleed is required for the product.

Adobe Illustrator

Best for: Business cards, postcards, signs, stickers, labels, illustrations, logos, and other vector-based artwork.

Recommended Setup

Adobe Illustrator

Set the artboard to the finished size.
Keep important content approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) from the trim.
Use vector artwork whenever possible for logos and illustrations.
Embed or properly package linked images.
Check fonts before exporting.

ArtboardFinished Product Size

Safe MarginApproximately 0.25" / 6.35 mm

Final FormatPDF

BLEED — ONLY WHEN REQUIRED

Setting Up Bleed in Illustrator

If bleed is required for your product, set the bleed to 0.125" (3.175 mm). The artboard should remain the finished product size.

Important: When exporting your PDF, make sure the appropriate bleed settings are included. Always inspect the resulting PDF before submitting it.

Set the Artboard

Set the artboard to the finished size of the product.

Set Bleed When Required

Enter 0.125" (3.175 mm) in the document bleed settings.

Export as PDF

Include the bleed when required and inspect the final PDF.

Adobe Photoshop

Best for: Photographs, image editing, raster artwork, photo collages, and image-heavy designs.

Recommended Setup

Adobe Photoshop

Create the canvas at the finished size when bleed is not required.
Use sufficient pixel dimensions for the final printed size.
A common target for high-quality print imagery is approximately 300 PPI at final size.
Keep important content approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) inside the trim.

ResolutionApproximately 300 PPI at final size

Safe MarginApproximately 0.25" / 6.35 mm

BLEED — ONLY WHEN REQUIRED

Setting Up Bleed in Photoshop

Photoshop does not use a traditional page-layout bleed setting in the same way as InDesign. If your product requires 0.125" (3.175 mm) bleed, your canvas needs to include that additional artwork beyond the finished trim area.

Example: If your finished product is 8.5" × 11" and requires 0.125" (3.175 mm) bleed on all sides, the artwork canvas would be 8.75" × 11.25" overall.

Avoid designing an entire multi-page document in Photoshop. For books, brochures, booklets, and other multi-page projects, InDesign, Affinity Publisher, or another page-layout application is generally a better choice.

Adobe Acrobat

Best for: Reviewing and checking your finished PDF before submitting it to PrintVie.com.

Use Acrobat for Quality Control

Adobe Acrobat

Confirm the page size.
Check every page visually.
Inspect text for missing or substituted fonts.
Look for missing images or graphics.
Check that bleed is present when required.
Look for objects accidentally positioned outside the intended printing area.
Check page order and orientation.

Think of Acrobat as your final inspection station. Even if your original InDesign, Illustrator, or Affinity file looks correct, always inspect the actual PDF that you intend to submit.

Affinity Publisher

Best for: Books, brochures, catalogues, magazines, booklets, and other multi-page documents.

Recommended Setup

Affinity Publisher

Create the document at the finished product size.
Use facing pages for projects designed as spreads when appropriate.
Keep important content approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) inside the trim.
Check placed images and fonts before export.
Export the final artwork as PDF.

BLEED — ONLY WHEN REQUIRED

Setting Up Bleed in Affinity Publisher

If the product requires bleed, set the document bleed to 0.125" (3.175 mm). Keep the finished document dimensions at the final trim size.

Remember: Bleed should only be added when the product specifications call for it.

Affinity Designer

Best for: Logos, illustrations, signs, cards, vector artwork, and single-page designs.

Recommended Setup

Affinity Designer

Set the document or artboard to the finished product size.
Keep important content approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) from the trim.
Use vector objects for logos and illustrations.
Check placed images and fonts.
Export as PDF for submission.

BLEED — ONLY WHEN REQUIRED

Setting Up Bleed in Affinity Designer

When your product requires bleed, set the document bleed to 0.125" (3.175 mm) and extend backgrounds and edge-to-edge artwork into the bleed area.

CorelDRAW

Best for: Signs, stickers, labels, business cards, vector artwork, promotional materials, and general graphic design.

Recommended Setup

CorelDRAW

Set the page to the finished product dimensions.
Keep important elements approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) inside the trim.
Use vector artwork for logos and illustrations.
Check fonts and linked images.
Export a print-ready PDF.

BLEED — ONLY WHEN REQUIRED

Setting Up Bleed in CorelDRAW

If your product requires bleed, use 0.125" (3.175 mm). Make sure artwork intended to reach the edge extends into the bleed area.

Be careful with automatic PDF presets. PDF presets can vary between versions and installations of CorelDRAW. Always inspect the resulting PDF rather than assuming that a preset automatically created a perfect print-ready file.

Canva

Best for: Simple flyers, posters, social-media graphics, invitations, business materials, and other relatively simple layouts.

Recommended Setup

Canva

Create your design at the exact finished size of the product.
Keep important text and logos approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) away from the trim.
Use high-resolution images whenever possible.
Download using PDF Print where available.
Open the downloaded PDF and inspect it before submitting.

BLEED — ONLY WHEN REQUIRED

Setting Up Bleed in Canva

If the product requires bleed, enable Canva's Show Print Bleed option and make sure background images and colours extend beyond the trim line.

When downloading the final PDF, select the option to include crop marks and bleed only when required by the product specifications.

Canva limitation: Canva is convenient for simple designs, but it does not provide the same level of control as professional design and prepress applications. For complex books, multi-page publications, colour-critical work, or complicated finishing, professional design software is generally preferable.

Microsoft Word

Best for: Text-heavy documents, basic flyers, simple forms, reports, and projects where professional graphic design software is not available.

Recommended Setup

Microsoft Word

Set the page size to the exact finished size.
Set margins before designing the document.
Keep important content approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) from the finished edge.
Use high-resolution images.
Avoid placing important graphics directly against the page edge.
Save/export the final document as PDF.

BLEED — ONLY WHEN REQUIRED

Bleed in Microsoft Word

Word is not designed as a professional prepress application and does not provide the same level of bleed control as InDesign, Illustrator, or other dedicated design programs.

If your product requires edge-to-edge printing with bleed, a professional design application is recommended whenever possible.

Do not simply increase your Word document size by 0.125" (3.175 mm) unless specifically instructed to do so. The correct file setup depends on the product being ordered.

PDF: Your Final File

Regardless of which design program you use, the final PDF should be treated as the file that will actually be printed.

Why PDF?

PDF helps preserve page dimensions, typography, graphics, images, and layout when the file is moved between computers and production systems.

Always Inspect It

Never assume that exporting a PDF automatically means the file is correct. Open the final PDF and inspect every page before submitting it.

The Recommended Workflow

Final PDF Checklist

Before uploading your PDF to PrintVie.com, check every item below.

Your PDF should have:

The correct finished page size.
The correct page orientation.
All pages in the correct order.
All required images present and properly positioned.
Fonts properly embedded or converted where appropriate.
Correct colours for the intended printing process.
0.125" (3.175 mm) bleed when required by the product.
Approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) of safe margin for important content.
No accidental crop marks, registration marks, or other printer marks unless specifically requested.
No missing graphics or substituted fonts.
No unexpected transparency or rendering problems.
No spelling or content errors.

Which Program Should I Use?

Creating a Book?

Use Adobe InDesign or Affinity Publisher.

Creating a Logo or Illustration?

Use Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, or CorelDRAW.

Editing Photographs?

Use Adobe Photoshop.

Creating Something Simple?

Canva or Microsoft Word may be sufficient for straightforward projects.

A Final Reminder

The software you use is less important than the file you submit.

You can create excellent print files using many different applications. What matters is that the final artwork meets the requirements of the product you are ordering.

Always check the finished size, bleed requirements, safe margins, image quality, colours, fonts, page order, and final PDF before submitting your artwork to PrintVie.com.

Remember: bleed is not required for every product. When bleed is required, the standard amount is 0.125" (3.175 mm). As a general guideline, keep important content approximately 0.25" (6.35 mm) inside the finished trim edge.

File Setup Guide

Before You Start

Choose Your Design Software

Adobe InDesign

Recommended Setup

Set the Document Size

Set Bleed When Required

Export Your PDF

Adobe Illustrator

Recommended Setup

Set the Artboard

Set Bleed When Required

Export as PDF

Adobe Photoshop

Recommended Setup

Adobe Acrobat

Use Acrobat for Quality Control

Affinity Publisher

Recommended Setup

Affinity Designer

Recommended Setup

CorelDRAW

Recommended Setup

Canva

Recommended Setup

Microsoft Word

Recommended Setup

PDF: Your Final File

Why PDF?

Always Inspect It

Final PDF Checklist

Your PDF should have:

Which Program Should I Use?

Creating a Book?

Creating a Logo or Illustration?

Editing Photographs?

Creating Something Simple?

A Final Reminder

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