Prepares a design for commercial print - document setup with correct bleed and safe zones, CMYK color management, print typography, image resolution, and a full prepress checklist through PDF/X export and proofing. Use when someone asks "get this file print-ready", "what bleed do I need", "why did my printer reject this PDF", "will these colors print right", or is sending business cards, brochures, posters, or packaging to a print shop. Do NOT use for on-screen design deliverables or developer handoff - use design-handoff-doc instead.
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name: Print Layout
description: Prepares a design for commercial print - document setup with correct bleed and safe zones, CMYK color management, print typography, image resolution, and a full prepress checklist through PDF/X export and proofing. Use when someone asks "get this file print-ready", "what bleed do I need", "why did my printer reject this PDF", "will these colors print right", or is sending business cards, brochures, posters, or packaging to a print shop. Do NOT use for on-screen design deliverables or developer handoff - use design-handoff-doc instead.
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# Print Layout
Print failures are paid for twice: once for the ruined run, once for the reprint. The classic disasters - content cut off at the trim, colors that shifted from screen to press, files rejected at prepress - are all preventable with numbers known before the file is built. This skill takes a design to print without those surprises.
## Inputs to collect
1. **Trim size** - the final cut dimensions. No default; this must come from the user or the printer's spec sheet.
2. **Printer's specifications** - ask for the spec sheet or at minimum: required PDF standard, ICC profile, ink limit, and bleed requirement. If unavailable, use the defaults below and label the file "pending printer confirmation".
3. **Print method** - offset, digital, or large-format. This sets resolution and color decisions.
4. **Color-critical?** - brand colors or product photography that must match. If yes, plan a hard proof from the start.
## Operating procedure
Follow the steps in order - color and type decisions depend on the document setup, and the checklist only means something after everything upstream is done.
### Step 1: Set up the document
- **Trim size** - the final cut dimensions of the piece.
- **Bleed** - extend any artwork that touches the edge by 3mm (0.125in) past trim, so a slightly off cut never reveals white paper.
- **Safe zone** - keep all critical content (text, logos) at least 3-5mm inside the trim to survive cutting tolerance.… load the full skill through Skill Me