Documentation

Print & production

Turn a design into a file a commercial printer accepts — CMYK, bleed, print-ready PDF/X, profiles and preflight.

The complete path from an on-screen design to production-grade output: color modes, bleed, the print-ready PDF, output profiles, marks and the preflight checks. Written for printing professionals and production-minded designers.

RGB vs CMYK color modes Learn what a document's color mode changes, switch to CMYK for print, read the on-screen soft-proof honestly, and act on out-of-gamut and ink-coverage warnings.

Document setup & bleed Set a bleed that extends artwork past the trim edge, turn on the red bleed guide, and stop the cut from leaving white slivers on your printed pieces.

Exporting a print-ready PDF Export a production CMYK PDF/X from Popcorn Editor — the in-browser WASM RIP, ICC color management, bleed and marks, and editable vs outlined text.

Output profiles & ICC Pick the right ICC output profile and PDF/X-4 standard for your printer, understand the embedded output intent, and match your soft-proof to the press.

Marks, overprint & rich black Add crop and registration marks with the right offset, and know when to switch on Overprint / rich black so technical inks and deep blacks print correctly.

Preflight: the print checks Read every message in the Export dialog's Print checks panel, learn why each one appears, and fix low-res images and spot-color issues before they reach the press.