What is Print Ready?
- Print ready? I thought my designer did that?
What Is Print Ready?
Print ready artwork is the stage where approved design is translated into accurate, structured files that printers can confidently take into pre-press. It ensures creative intent is preserved while removing risk, ambiguity and costly production errors.
You might be thinking, “Print ready? I thought my designer did that?” While designers create the visual concept, they very rarely prepare files to the correct production-ready specifications printers require. Print ready sits between design and printer pre-press: it ensures your approved creative is fully built, technically accurate and consistent across all formats before the printer begins their work. Engaging us at this stage is usually more cost-effective than using expensive agencies for the same detailed preparation, saving both time and money.
This process applies across packaging, labels, Point of Sale, brochures, posters and other printed materials. Layouts are finalised, copy is accurately placed, versioning is controlled and files are structured to scale reliably across SKUs, sizes or language variants. Artwork is known by a variety of names internationally, including production art, artwork production or simply artworking – Artworking is not redesigning, but it is refining the files to ensure smooth, consistent production, fewer errors and lower costs.
Our role is to take that design intent through to completed artwork that printers can confidently take forward into pre-press. We can also update existing artwork, extend established product ranges and roll out multiple SKUs, sizes or language versions from a single design master. This approach greatly reduces agency fees, maintains consistency, allows for rapid production and ensures creative vision is preserved across all outputs.
By the time artwork is truly print ready, printers can focus on what they do best – trapping, plate making and press setup – without needing to question intent or worse, having to correct avoidable issues destroying versioning control. The result is smoother production, lower risk, fewer delays and a far more efficient path from approval to print, giving brands a measurable financial and operational benefit over relying solely on the “one hat fits all’ agencies.
- Why does it have to cost so much? It doesn't...