Prepare a print file: the 3 fondamentaux

1. Colorimetry: CMYK Coated Fogra 39

On a screen, the colors are produced by light emitted in RGB mode (Red, Green, Blue). In print, the colors are produced by ink deposited These two spaces do not cover exactly the same colours: some highly saturated RGB shades (fluo greens, electric blues, bright oranges) simply do not exist in CMYK.

If you provide a file in RGB, the printer automatically converts it to CMYK, and the rendering may differ from what you see on the screen: a very bright green becomes a dull green, a bright cyan blue loses shine. To avoid this bad surprise, export your files directly to CMYK with the ICC Coated Fogra 39 profileThis is the European standard profile for offset printing on coated paper, used by default on our manufacturing lines.

How to activate the CMYK in common software

• Adobe Illustrator : File > Document Color Mode > CMYK Colors. Edit > Colors > Settings > Coated FOGRA39.
• Adobe Photoshop : Image > Mode > CMYK Colors. Edit > Color Settings > Coated FOGRA39.
• Adobe InDesign : default in CMYK, check Edit > Colors > Coated FOGRA39.
• Affinity Designer / Publisher : File > Document Configuration > Color Space > CMYK, Profile Coated FOGRA39.
• Canva, Figma, Sketch : these tools work in RGB. For serious printing, export and reconvert to Photoshop/Illustrator, or request a file printing techniques compatible.

The Pantone colour case

If your graphic chart imposes precise Pantone colors (yellow Pantone 109, blue Pantone 286...), specify it in your brief. On premium B2B commands, we can print in direct Pantone (5th or 6th colour on the press) to ensure a perfect reproduction of your brand identity. Otherwise, the Pantone conversion to CMYK is calculated according to official equivalences, with a controlled visual deviation but perceptible on metallic or fluo colors.

2. Resolution: 300 dpi in full size

Standard printing resolution is 300 dpi (dots per inch, dots per inch) to the actual print sizeThis means that an image that will be printed at 10 x 10 cm must be about 1180 x 1180 pixels. Below 300 dpi, contours and texts become blurred, fine details disappear, and the eye instantly detects an amateur rendering.

Quick calculation of the required resolution

Images vectorielles vs images bitmap

A picture vectorielle (Illustrator .ai, .svg, .eps, .pdf vectorial) has no fixed resolution: it is defined by mathematical curves that always impriment perfectly clear regardless of the final size. Focus the vector for everything that is logo, text, flat illustration, icons, pictograms. This is the only way to guarantee an impeccable rendering on large format (plate, box).

A picture bitmap (Photoshop .psd, .jpg, .png, .tif) is composed of pixels. Its resolution is fixed and cannot be increased without loss. If one enlarges a photo 800 x 800 px to 30 cm, one gets 67 dpi: blurred. For photographs, always leave the source file in high resolution.

3. Bleeds and quiet area

There final cut The type of machine (massicot, shape cut, press) and the support is normally 1 to 3 mm in series production. To absorb this tolerance without visible rendering, two safety zones are provided: the two areas of the product are: the bleeds (outside) and the safe zone (Inside).

Bleeds: extend the visual beyond the cut

The bleeds are to extend the elements of the background (colors, photos, patterns) beyond the final cutting line. If the machine cuts 1 mm next to it, you cut into the bleed, never in the white of the support. Without bleeds, a slight offset produces an unsightly white net at the edge of the print: this is the #1 error of amateur files.

The values of bleeds vary according to the product and the manufacturing technique:

See the dedicated product details sheets by product : playing cards, Case, boxes, trays, Stapled booklets, flyers and flyers.

Quiet area: keep important elements away from the edge

The quiet area is the mirror image of the bleeds: it is an inner margin in which no text, logo, pictogram, critical element. If the machine cuts 1 mm too short, you start the white from the bottom, but you never cut a word or an icon. Universal standard: 3 mm from the final cut edge.

In concrete terms, on a 63 x 88 mm map with 3 mm of bleeds and 3 mm of quiet area, you work on a 69 x 94 mm file whose useful content (title, text, important illustration) does not exceed 57 x 82 mm centered.

4. Recommended File Format

The universal format for transmitting a print-ready file is the PDF (Portable Document Format), version 1.4 or higher, with vectorized fonts and integrated images. This is the format we ask for by default on all our projects.

Features of the PDF print-ready

• Vectored fonts (converted to plot) or integrated into the file. Avoids substitution problems.
• Integrated images, pas en lien externe.
• Color space CMYK with profile Coated Fogra 39.
• Minimum 300 dpi resolution for all bitmap images.
• Bleeds included according to the product values.
• No visible layers non-flattened (unless specifically requested for special effects such as selective varnish or hot-gold, see our guide to finishing).
• Cutting strokes at least 3 mm of finished format, except for trays (no cutting lines) and certain specific templates.

Other accepted formats

On some complex commands (boxes with embossing, special finishes), we also work from files native Illustrator (.ai) or InDesign (.indd) with all links. Specify it upstream. Photoshop (.psd) files are accepted in high resolution bitmap for photo illustrations, but not for final layout.

5. Common mistakes to avoid

Here are the 8 most common problems detected in files received in first version, which require a return and delay production:

1. File in RGB. Automatic conversion to CMYK with different rendering. Solution: Export to CMYK Fogra 39 from the start.
2. No money lost. White threads visible after cutting. Solution: Expand the bottom from 3 to 5 mm outside the cutting area according to the product.
3. Text too close to the edge. Risk of cutting on characters. Solution: quiet area minimum 3 mm.
4. Low resolution images. Blur or pixelized visuals. Solution: 300 dpi minimum, from source file.
5. Non-vectorized fonts. Risk of substitution by a replacement font. Solution: Convert all texts to pre-export layout PDF.
6. Colors too close to the total black (400% ink). Causes bavour and drying too slow. Solution: rich black maximum C40 M30 J30 N100, or 200% ink.
7. Too thin or bordered. Becomes invisible or irregular. Solution: minimum thickness 4 to 5 mm to absorb offsets.
8. Several cards grouped together in a board. Disorder for the chain suite. Solution: one file per card (or double/overside), never boards imposed by the client.

6. Checklist avant envoi

Before submitting your final file, check these 10 points:

• Colorimetric mode: CMYK profile Coated Fogra 39?
• Resolution: 300 dpi at full size on all images?
• Bleeds: present and in accordance with product (3, 5 or 20 mm) ?
• Quiet area: no text, logo, pictogram in the 3 mm of the cut edge?
• Fonts: vectored in plotted or integrated in PDF?
• Format: PDF/X-4 or PDF 1.4+ with integrated images?
• Black: maximum 200% ink (C40 M30 J30 N100 or simply N100)?
• Liners and borders: minimum thickness 4 to 5 mm?
• Text meaning: consistent with the reading sense on each side (boxes, cases)?
• Pages: multiple of 4 for the Stapled booklets ?

If you have any doubt, Send us your file upstreamOur studio does a free check before production launch and you can get back the points to correct within 48 hours. It is included in all our B2B orders.

French manufacturing process B2B

Understanding the downstream process illuminates file preparation choices. Here are the main manufacturing steps in order:

1. Receiving and checking the file (24 to 48 hours). Our studio checks: CMYK mode, resolution, bleeds, vectored fonts, quiet area, text meaning per face. If not compliant, return with detailed report for correction.
2. BAT validation (Good to shoot, 24h). We send a PDF or physical BAT according to your choice. Explicit validation mandatory before launch.
3. Pressing and printing (3-7 days)Offset for medium and large series, digital for small quantities and prototypes. Plant inks on all our B2B supports.
4. Finishes (1 to 5 days depending on options). Film coating, selective varnish, hot gilding, embossing, polishing of the songs: check our glossary of finishes.
5. Cut, fold, back-up, assembly (2-5 days). On our industrial lines or in ESAT workshop for manual operations with high added value.
6. Quality control and packaging (1 to 2 days). EN71 compliance test on games intended for a family or child audience, visual inspection of the whole lot.
7. Shipping (24 to 72 hours)Delivery France metropolitan via partner carrier. Possibility of logistics storage at our home for orders spread over time.

Average total time: 3 to 5 weeks depending on complexity, finishes and quantity. For urgent orders (seminars, trade shows), we offer an express mode on certain formats: request a quote.

Regulatory compliance and certification

Board games intended for the general public or children must meet several standards:

• EN71-1, EN71-2, EN71-3 European standard on the safety of toys (mechanical resistance, flammability, chemical migration). Our cards, cases, boxes and trays for children or families are systematically tested. See our page on safety standards toy.
• CE : compulsory marking for sale in the European Union. Cover EN71 and other directives.
• REACH European Chemicals Regulation. Our inks and film-coated products are REACH compliant.
• PEFC / FSC : certifications for sustainable forest management. We work with certified papers on request.
• ESAT (Establishment and Labour Support Service) : our partner workshop in Brittany is a ESAT, which allows the client companies to count their orders under the obligation to employ disabled workers (Law of 11 February 2005).

In your brief, specify the expected certifications: we adapt the materials and processes accordingly.