Creating a Press Quality PDF

Adobe InDesign
  1. With the ad file created, from the File menu, choose Export.
  2. Give the file a unique, descriptive name.
  3. Select Adobe PDF from the Save as Type list and click SAVE. The Export Adobe PDF options will display.
  4. From the Adobe PDF Preset list, select “[Press Quality]”. The default settings for Press Quality should be used.

Note: If “(modified)” follows “[Press Quality]” in the Adobe PDF Preset list, an option other than the default has been selected. Select “[Press Quality]” from the list to reset the options to the default.

Full Page Bleed exception:

  1. Start with a page size equal to the magazine trim of 8.5″×11″.
  2. Go to the Marks and Bleeds options and enter 0.125″ for each side. Do not select any other options (do not include any printer’s marks). In this case, the PDF Preset will appropriately display as “[Press Quality] (modified)”. (The final PDF page size will display as 8.75″×11.25″.)
  3. Click EXPORT to create the PDF.

InDesign full page with bleed template (Right-click and save to your computer. Then open this file in Adobe InDesign.)

Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop

In Illustrator and Photoshop, creating a PDF is accomplished by saving the file as a PDF (not exporting):

  1. From the File menu, choose Save As.
  2. Give the file a unique, descriptive name.
  3. From the Save as Type list, select Adobe PDF (Illustrator) or Photoshop PDF (Photoshop) and click SAVE (the Save Adobe PDF options will appear similar to the one shown above for an InDesign export).
  4. From the Adobe PDF Preset list, select “[Illustrator Default]” (Illustrator) or “[Press Quality]” (Photoshop). No additional settings should be used. No crop markings are necessary for the printing of the ad (crop and bleed marks, etc.).

Note: If “(Modified)” follows “[Illustrator Default]” or “[Press Quality]”, an option other than the default has been selected. Select “[Illustrator Default]” or “[Press Quality]” as appropriate from the list to reset the options to the default.

Full Page Bleed exception:

  1. In Illustrator, start with a page size equal to the magazine trim of 8.5″×11″.
  2. Go to the Marks and Bleeds options and enter 0.125″ for each side. Do not select any other options. In this case, the PDF Preset will appropriately display as “[Illustrator Default] (modified)” or “[Press Quality] (modified)”. (The final PDF page size will display as 8.75″×11.25″.)

Illustrator full page with bleed template (Right-click and save to your computer. Then open in Adobe Illustrator.)

  1. In Photoshop, bleed is not set directly. In this case only, make the document size 8.75″×11.25″.
  2. Click SAVE PDF to save the PDF.
Canva
  1. Press the Share button in the top-right corner
  2. Select “Download”
  3. For the File type, choose “PDF Print”
  4. Full page with bleed only: Choose “Crop marks and bleed” (non-bleed ads should not choose this option)
  5. If you are using Canva Pro, for the Color Profile, choose “CMYK (best for professional printing)”
  6. Press “Download” (Your browser will download the file according to its typical settings. Locate the file and if necessary rename it to a file a unique, descriptive name.)

Canva full page with bleed template. After opening the template, we recommend you enable the following:

    • File > View settings > Show rulers and guides (Shift + R)
    • File > View settings > Show print bleed (All art that extends off the page should reach at least 0.125″ in each direction to the edge of the bleed area.)
QuarkXPress
  1. From the File menu, choose Export > Layout as PDF.
  2. Give the file a unique, descriptive name.
  3. From the PDF Style list, choose “Press – High Quality/High Resolution”.
  4. Click the options Options button and choose “Off” mode under Marks. If your ad does NOT bleed, choose “Page Items” under Bleed; otherwise, leave it as “Symmetric”/0.125″.