PDF file checking, step by step

Before sending a PDF to print, several technical points need to be checked. Here's what a complete file check covers — and how to automate it.

Check your first file.

Without a check, the error surfaces too late

File checking exists precisely to prevent this:

  • Error only discovered on the paper proof
  • Emergency fix under deadline pressure
  • Manual checking is slow and easy to forget
  • No written record of the check performed
  • Dependence on a single person's eye

What a complete file check covers

A thorough check reviews dozens of technical points:

Resolution and color mode
Bleed and safety margin
Embedded fonts
Total ink coverage (TAC)
Transparencies and overprint
PDF/X compliance

An automated check, not a manual audit

PrintCheck runs this check automatically on every file submitted, with the same criteria every time — nothing forgotten, no dependence on a single person.

The result: a compliance score and a detailed report, generated in seconds instead of several minutes of manual review.

Check your first file.
PDF File Check Before Printing — PrintCheck