Resources
File preparation guide
Everything you need to know before sending me your design, in four visual steps, plus ready-to-download templates.
This applies to any design. This is how files need to be prepared.
Designing with the correct technical parameters guarantees a professional, flawless result and speeds up delivery times. Here are the four essentials before you export.
Color management: we speak CMYK
Always work your canvas in CMYK from the start of the project. Screens combine red, green and blue light (RGB); if you send me an RGB file, the automatic conversion to physical ink causes visible loss of brightness and shifts in greens, blues and purples.
Looking for a truly deep black? Don't just use K:100 — combine all four channels at maximum.
On large format (eco-solvent, latex or UV) it gives unbeatable density; on rigid substrates or laser cardstock, a premium finish with a subtle raised texture.
Optimal resolution by format
Match your dots per inch (DPI) to the final substrate size, always at real/final size.
Small format
300 DPI
Business cards, flyers, menus, invitations and corporate stationery.
Large format
250 DPI
Banners, commercial vinyl, rigid signage, roll-ups and displays over 1 metre.
Bleed and safety margin
Cutting paper, cardstock or vinyl involves small millimetre-level variations. Structure your canvas in three concentric zones to avoid unsightly white edges or cutting off valuable information.
- Outer bleed (+3mm): background or photos must extend all the way to this edge.
- Real cut line: the final size of your printed product.
- Inner safety zone (-4mm): keep text, logos and contact details here, safe from the cutting blade. On bi-folds and tri-folds, also leave 4 mm on each side of the fold lines.
Outlined fonts and delivery format
Always convert text blocks to outlines/curves before saving. That way, if my software doesn't have your exact font installed, the design won't suffer any line breaks or distortion.
The optimal format is a high-quality PDF (preferably PDF/X). I also accept:
- PDF/X
- .AI (Illustrator)
- .EPS
- .TIFF
- Maximum-quality .JPEG
💡 Have technical questions before exporting a large-format or custom design? Don't risk material or budget. Start with the template and this guide, at no cost. If you then want me to check your file and tell you what's wrong, it is an extra €20 (up to 2 reviews); and if you prefer that I get it print-ready, it is quoted separately.
Downloadable templates
Download the template for your product: it already has the final size, the 3 mm bleed, the 4 mm safety zone and, on bi-folds and tri-folds, the fold lines. Each download includes the template as PDF and SVG (Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Inkscape, Affinity), as PowerPoint (Microsoft Office), a guide image for Canva and a PDF export guide. The labels inside the templates are in Spanish.
Which product do you need?
- Business card (85 × 55 mm): your details to hand out in person. Little text: name, job, phone and website. I print them on 300gsm matte card.
- A6 flyer (105 × 148 mm): an offer or an event to hand out or leave on the counter. One main message, single or double-sided. I print flyers and leaflets on 130gsm matte paper.
- 95 × 200 mm flyer: a long format that fits in an envelope or a display stand. Ideal for price lists, opening hours or short menus.
- Bi-fold (1 fold, 4 pages): a restaurant menu or a presentation of your services. Open A4 folds to A5; open A3 folds to A4.
- Tri-fold (2 folds, 6 panels): a leaflet with more information: services, photos, map and contact. One panel is slightly shorter so it closes neatly.
Before designing, also think about: single or double-sided?, how many copies? and which paper? (thinner or thicker, gloss or matt). If you are not sure, ask me and I will recommend the best option for what you want to achieve.
A4 tri-fold
297 × 210 mm · 97 + 100 + 100
Outside and inside, with the shorter fold-in panel.
A3 tri-fold
420 × 297 mm · 138 + 141 + 141
Outside and inside, with the shorter fold-in panel.
📄 Never exported a print-ready PDF? Download my easy step-by-step guide for Canva, Illustrator, CorelDRAW and PowerPoint (in Spanish).
🤖 Was your design made with AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Nano Banana…)? These files usually come out low-resolution, in RGB and without bleed, and it shows once printed. Check it against this guide first, at no cost. If you then want me to review it, it is an extra €20 (I tell you what's wrong, up to 2 reviews), or have me prepare it, quoted separately.