Check Before Submit

Print-Ready PDF Checker

Find the problems that make printers reject or misprint a PDF — before you send it. The PDF is read on your device, page by page.

What it checks

  • Page size and boxes: MediaBox, CropBox, TrimBox, BleedBox, rotation; mixed page sizes; comparison with your finished size.
  • Bleed: whether the page extends beyond the trim by the required amount on the required sides (book interiors: top, bottom and outside edge only).
  • Fonts: every font used, embedded or not, subset or full.
  • Images: effective PPI of every placed image = image pixels ÷ size on the page, including images inside form objects and inline images.
  • Colour: RGB, CMYK, grayscale, ICC-based and spot colour signals. RGB is reported for review, not treated as an error.
  • Security: encryption and permission restrictions.

What it does not check (yet)

Overprint, total ink coverage, safe margins, hairlines, minimum font size, crop marks and hidden objects. The report lists them as "Not inspected" so nothing is silently passed.

FAQ

What is effective PPI?
The number of image pixels per inch at the size the image is placed on the page. A 3000-pixel-wide photo placed 10 inches wide has 300 PPI, whatever DPI value is stored in the image file.
Why is RGB only 'Review'?
Many printers convert RGB to CMYK automatically and get good results; others ask for CMYK. It is worth checking with your printer, but it is not always an error.
My PDF has no TrimBox. Can bleed still be checked?
Yes, if you enter the finished size: a page that equals finished size + bleed is recognised as having bleed. Without either, bleed is shown as Not inspected.
Can it fix my PDF?
Not in this version. It tells you what to change in your design software; re-export and use 'Check a revised file' to compare.

Related tools

Bleed & Trim Checker

Does your PDF have the right trim size and enough bleed?

Font Embedding Checker

Every font in a PDF: embedded, subset, not embedded — or could not be inspected.

RGB / CMYK Checker

Which colour spaces a PDF uses, and what that means for your printer.

DPI Checker

Is this image sharp enough for the size you want to print?