Print & production
Exporting a print-ready PDF
A print-ready PDF is the file a commercial printer will accept without a single email back: CMYK color, the right ICC profile embedded, bleed included, and text that behaves. Popcorn Editor builds that file for you with a color-managed print RIP that runs entirely in your browser. Here is the full path from canvas to .pdf.
Opening the Export dialog
The primary export action is Download. You'll find it on the Share split-button and in the File menu — either one opens the Export dialog.
In the dialog, choose PDF in the Output Format row. If your document is already in CMYK (print) mode, the dialog opens straight to the print path with everything preset for production. (Not in CMYK yet? See RGB vs CMYK color modes and switch the document's Color mode first — spot colors and soft-proofing only work correctly from a CMYK document.)
Choosing the color space
The Color space toggle is the fork in the road:
| Setting | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Print (CMYK) | An ICC-managed PDF/X | Anything going to a commercial printer |
| Digital (RGB) | An editable RGB vector PDF | Screen delivery, or round-tripping into Illustrator |
This article is about Print (CMYK) — the production path. Digital (RGB) produces a lighter, editable vector PDF for screens, but it cannot carry a CMYK output intent or preserve spot separations, so it is not what your printer wants.
How the CMYK PDF is built
Here is the part that surprises people: there is no server round-trip. When you export a Print (CMYK) PDF, Popcorn Editor builds a display list from your canvas and hands it to a print RIP (psrip) that has been compiled to WebAssembly and runs on your own machine, in the browser. Nothing is uploaded.
That RIP converts every color to CMYK through your chosen ICC profile and emits a standards-compliant PDF/X-4 document. While it works you'll see a Generating print PDF… state; when you're ready, the button that starts it reads Export print PDF.
Because the whole conversion is client-side, you do not need to be signed in and the design does not need to be saved to export a CMYK PDF. The file is generated locally and downloaded straight to you.
Output profile and PDF/X standard
Two controls decide what "CMYK" actually means for your file:
- Output profile — the ICC destination the RIP converts into. Pick the profile your print provider names (common choices are Generic CMYK, US Web Coated (SWOP) v2, Coated FOGRA39 and GRACoL 2006 Coated). If you're unsure, Generic CMYK is the safe default.
- PDF/X standard — set to PDF/X-4, which supports live transparency and embeds your output profile as the file's output intent.
The dedicated Output profiles & ICC page in this section goes deep on which profile to choose and how the embedded output intent reaches your printer's RIP.
Bleed and marks
Two print options control what sits outside the trim edge:
- Bleed — entered in millimeters and seeded from your Document setup… value, so if you set 3 mm bleed on the document it's already filled in here. It stays an editable per-export override. See Document setup & bleed for how bleed keeps the cut from leaving a white sliver.
- Crop & registration marks — toggles trim and registration marks in the bleed area, with a Mark offset field to push them clear of your artwork. Off by default; many modern printers impose their own marks, so enable this only when yours asks for it.
The Marks, overprint & rich black page covers marks and the Overprint / rich black checkbox (which also appears on this CMYK path) in detail.
Editable text vs outlined text
This is the choice that trips up the most files, so it gets its own two controls:
- Editable text (best effort) — keeps text selectable so it round-trips into Illustrator or InDesign. Spacing is approximate, and some text (drop shadows, gradient fills, sheared or clipped text) still flattens or rasterizes. Great for a designer who will keep editing; risky for a printer, because it depends on the fonts on the far end.
- Outline text — converts all text to vector outlines on the RIP. Font-independent and RIP-safe, but no longer editable. Available when Editable text is off.
The tradeoff in one line:
| Choice | Re-editable? | Font-safe at the printer? |
|---|---|---|
| Editable text (best effort) | Yes | No — depends on their fonts |
| Outline text | No | Yes — nothing to substitute |
For files going straight to print, keep Outline text on unless your printer specifically requests editable text. Outlines can't reflow or substitute a missing font on their end — what you see is exactly what images.
Image resolution
Image resolution sets the DPI for the parts of the design that must be rasterized — gradients, effects and placed images. The options are Auto, 150, 300 and 600. Auto is the default and fine for most work; 300 is the standard print target if you want to pin it explicitly.
Multiple canvases
If you've selected more than one canvas, a Multiple canvases choice appears:
- Single PDF (pages) — one multi-page PDF, one canvas per page.
- Separate files (ZIP) — a zip archive of individual PDFs.
Reading the print checks
At the bottom of the dialog sits the Print checks panel — an informational preflight list that recomputes as you change format, color space and the editable-text option. It flags low-resolution images, spot colors that a format would lose, heavy ink coverage and similar risks.
Crucially, it never blocks your export — it's there to warn you before the printer does. Every message and its one-click fix is documented in Preflight: the print checks. Read it on every export; it's your last chance to catch a problem before the file leaves the building.
What you get
Press Export print PDF and Popcorn Editor downloads a .pdf (or a .zip for separate files) built entirely on your machine — a color-managed PDF/X-4 with your bleed, marks and output intent baked in.
Next
- Match your file to the press with Output profiles & ICC (in this section), then confirm nothing's amiss in Preflight: the print checks.
- Want the guided, step-by-step version? Follow How to export a print-ready PDF.