Prepress Essentials: From Digital Design to Perfect Prints

Prepress is the critical stage that transforms digital artwork into print-ready files. It includes typesetting, layout creation, image optimization, color correction, proofing, and plate-making. Essentially, prepress bridges graphic design with print production, combining creativity with technical precision.

Designers coming from digital-only backgrounds often face challenges when moving into prepress. Without a solid understanding of printing standards, errors, miscommunication with technicians, and workflow problems are common. Learning the fundamentals of prepress is especially important for projects involving book printing or collaborating with reliable providers for printing in China.

Typography: Making Text Readable and Attractive

Typography is more than choosing a font—it ensures your content is legible and visually appealing.

Font Categories

• Serif Fonts: Times New Roman, Garamond, Georgia — ideal for books and magazines; classic and readable.

• Sans-Serif Fonts: Helvetica, Arial, Futura — clean and modern; perfect for headings and digital displays.

• Script Fonts: Dancing Script, Pacifico — decorative and elegant; use for logos or invitations.

• Display / Decorative Fonts: highly stylized, best for short headlines.

Font Sizes

• Body text: 10–12 pt

• Subheadings: 14–18 pt

• Headings: 24–36 pt

• Posters or banners: 48 pt+

Layout Guidelines

• Line length: 50–75 characters

• Line spacing: 1.2–1.5× font size

• Keep margins consistent and left-align text

• Avoid splitting short words or leaving punctuation at line starts

Paper Knowledge: Choosing the Right Medium

Paper affects print quality, color accuracy, and overall feel.

Composition

• Fibers: wood pulp, cotton, bamboo, recycled

• Fillers: kaolin, calcium carbonate — improve smoothness and opacity

• Sizing agents: prevent ink bleeding

• Dyes/pigments: control whiteness or add color

Formats & Weights

• Sheet Paper: A4–A0, used in offset printing

• Roll Paper: for newspapers, magazines, and packaging

• Weight:

  • 70–120 gsm: text pages

  • 150–200 gsm: brochures, magazine covers

  • 250–350 gsm: premium cards or brochures

  • 400+ gsm: packaging / rigid boards

Prepress Workflow: From File to Print

A structured prepress workflow ensures designs print correctly and beautifully.

Document Setup

• Correct page size

• CMYK color mode

• 3–5 mm bleed

• Safe margins

• 300 dpi images

Image & Color Management

• Accepted formats: TIFF, PSD, high-quality JPEG

• Avoid mixing RGB images in CMYK projects

• Use calibrated monitors and standard color profiles (FOGRA39, SWOP, GRACoL)

Preflight & PDF Checks

• Embed or outline all fonts

• Verify resolution, color mode, and overprint settings

• Include bleeds and crop marks

• Export as PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4