What file does the printer need?

The printer needs the PDF at final size, with bleed, text outlined or fonts embedded, and the colours they actually print. They do not need the working file or a screen PNG. Ask your printer for the size, the bleed and whether they work in CMYK or spot inks. Write that into the order before you export. A Word file or a screenshot is sent and the menu comes back in another type and a shifted colour. In Madrid you find out the day the box arrives. The print PDF of that piece and a paper proof of the critical colour. The editable stays in your folder; the printer does not keep the only copy.

Join our branding community

Join a community for people who care how a brand shows up on the door, the menu and the phone—not just in a pretty PDF. We share brand judgement you can use this week: names, systems, applications and decisions that hold on the floor. No endless moodboards, no empty decks and no agency theatre. Short takes, clear examples and tips for local businesses that already exist and need to look like themselves at every touchpoint.