Sure Print & Design
✦ FILE SPECIFICATIONS

File Specifications

Customer to provide print-ready PDF format. Graphic and/or layout service available if required.

All publishers, independent authors and print brokers are welcome. We guarantee customer satisfaction for our book printing quality.

All book printing files must be in print-ready Adobe PDF format, all content pages combined into 1 pdf file and cover file submitted separately. Please review the following specifications before submitting your artwork. If there are difficulties complying with the requirements, let us know and we will try to assist you.

Before You Submit Your Files

Please review the following file specifications before submitting your artwork.

Bleed

If your artwork extends to the edge of the finished piece, please extend the background colour or image beyond the trim edge to allow for trimming. We recommend adding 1/8″ (0.125″) bleed on all sides, or 1/4″ (0.25″) where required by the specific template or product.

If your artwork does not extend to the edge, no bleed is required and the file can be submitted at the final trim size.

Click here to learn how set up bleed and margins for your documents.

Printer Marks
Printer marks are not necessary. If you decided to include printer marks to your file, please make sure your have set the offset of marks to minimum 0.125” (3 mm) to ensure marks will not be printing inside the bleed area. Click here for a visual example.
Colour
All colors in your document are recommended to be saved in CMYK format for better color consistency and accuracy. RGB is acceptable but not recommended, as it is not the proper color format for printing and may result in inaccurate or inconsistent color output.
PDF
We recommend embedding all fonts in your PDF files or converting them to outlines. Please submit the cover and interior as separate PDF files and ensure that all pages in the interior PDF are consistent in size throughout the document.
Image Quality
For the best print quality, we recommend saving photos and scanned images in CMYK format. Scanned images should be of good quality and, where possible, saved at 300 dpi or higher for optimal reproduction of photos and illustrations.
Text Safe Area
To help prevent text from being cut off during trimming, we recommend keeping text at least 3/8″ (0.375″) from the trim edge. A larger margin may be recommended depending on the book size and binding method.
Overprint / Transparency
Do not enable the “overprint fill” feature and all transparency effects must be flattened. The feature will cause unexpected results during printing. We are not responsible for any unexpected outcomes when this feature is enabled.
Tolerance
Make sure to give the book design a tolerance of about 2mm for production. Foiling allowance will be 1-2mm.

6 Most Common File Errors

These issues account for 90% of all preflight rejections. Check your files before uploading.

1
RGB Colour Space
Convert all elements to CMYK in Adobe Acrobat or InDesign before export.
2
Missing Bleed
Extend background colours/images 3mm beyond the trim edge on all sides.
3
Low-Resolution Images
Replace with 300 DPI+ images at final print size. Upscaling does not fix resolution.
4
Fonts Not Embedded
In InDesign: File > Export > PDF settings > ensure "Embed Fonts" is checked.
5
Incorrect Spine Width
Use our spine calculator and submit an updated cover file before production.
6
Crop Marks Inside Safe Zone
Make sure cropmarks are not inside the bleed area, otherwise remove all crop marks and printer marks from your file — we add these automatically.
✦ SPINE CALCULATOR

Calculate Your Exact Spine Width

Input your specs below to get the precise mechanical spine width your cover file must use.

excluding front covers and inside covers

0.513 in
(13.0 mm)
BACK COVER
SPINE
FRONT COVER
0.513 in
✦ Use this calculator for files submitted to our plant only. Third-party calculators may not match our press calibration.

Need Help With Your Files?

If you have difficulty with file setup, our team can provide file adjustment, graphic and layout services. Let us know and we will assist you.

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