PDF preflight, explained simply
Preflight refers to the full set of technical checks run on a file before it goes to production. Here's exactly what it covers, and how to automate it.
Check your first file.Without preflight, the print shop inherits the problem
A file that hasn't been preflighted arrives in production with its defects intact:
- The shop discovers the error while setting up the press
- Production has to stop to deal with it
- The fix gets made under pressure, sometimes by the printer itself
- Responsibility becomes unclear between client and print shop
- The cost of preflight is only postponed, never avoided
What a professional preflight checks
A complete preflight covers the file's entire technical chain:
Color space and ICC profiles
Effective image resolution
Fonts and linked objects
Bleed and crop marks
Total Area Coverage (TAC)
Compliance with the target PDF/X standard
Preflight, automated and accessible
PrintCheck applies the same criteria as a professional preflight — TAC, ICC, PDF/X, bleed — without requiring dedicated prepress software.
Every profile (designer, printer, agency) gets a report matched to their level of technical expertise.
Check your first file.