File Setup Requirements

Follow these requirements when preparing files for any Short Run Printing project. Files set up to these specs move straight into production — files that miss them are the most common cause of delays.

Designing in InDesign? Our step-by-step guides cover bleed & layout, document size & units, and exporting a print-ready PDF.

Every Job — The Basics

One single PDF per job that contains every page of the project. Please do not upload a separate file for each page — a 40-page booklet should be one 40-page PDF.
Page order: page 1 is the outside front cover, page 2 is the inside front cover, page 3 is the first content page, and so on in reading order — ending with the inside back cover and outside back cover as the last two pages.
Individual pages, NOT imposed spreads. Our equipment handles imposition and adjusts for creep automatically, which ensures the highest quality output. (The one exception is a perfect bound cover with a printed spine — see below.)
Bleed: include a 1/8" (0.125") bleed on all four sides of every page. If your finished size is 8.5" × 11", your PDF pages should be 8.75" × 11.25".
Safe margin: keep all text and critical content at least 1/8" (0.125") inside the trim edge — 1/4" (0.25") is strongly recommended.
Color mode: CMYK. Please do not use spot colors — they are emulated and may not print as expected. RGB files are accepted, but colors may shift when converted.
Photos & images: 300dpi minimum — 600dpi preferred. Lower-resolution images will print pixelated and are not covered by our Quality Guarantee.
Fonts: embed all fonts, or convert text to outlines.
No printer’s marks: do not include crop marks, registration marks, or color bars. Export at final trim size plus bleed only.
Saddle-stitched booklets: the total page count must be a multiple of 4 (each sheet of paper carries 4 pages).

Perfect Bound Books

If you would like a printed spine, set your cover up as a two-page spread and use the spine width figure shown in the quote calculator. Submit the outside and inside covers as pages 1 and 2 of your PDF:

Page 1 — outside cover spread: back cover on the left, spine in the middle, front cover on the right. The spread width is: cover width + spine width + cover width (plus 1/8" bleed on the outside edges).
Page 2 — inside cover spread: inside front cover on the left, inside back cover on the right, with white space in the middle where the glue goes (the spine area must not be printed).
Pages 3 and on: your content pages as individual pages, as described above.

Glue area (perfect binding only): the first 0.2" of the binding edge on the inside covers and on the first and last content pages must be white — this strip is where the adhesive bonds, and glue does not adhere well to printed ink.

If you do not need a printed spine, you may submit your cover as regular individual pages instead.

Coil & Spiral Bound Books

Coil binding punches a row of holes along the binding edge of every page. To keep text and important content clear of the punch:

Keep all text and critical content at least 3/8" (0.375") from the binding edge — 1/2" (0.5") is preferred.
Remember the binding edge alternates sides as the reader turns pages: odd pages are punched on the left, even pages on the right.
Full-bleed backgrounds may extend into the punch area — only text and content you cannot lose need to stay clear.

Helpful Downloads & Guides

Full Bleed Spec Sheet (PDF) — a printable reference to share with your designer.
PDF Export Profile — use our export profile so your file meets spec every time.
Print-Ready PDF Export Guide (InDesign)
Paper Guide — compare available paper options.
FAQ & Resources — answers on color, grayscale, rich black, transparency, and more.

Not sure about something?

It’s always better to ask before uploading. Call us at 855.629.5162 or email info@shortrunprintingltd.com — we’re happy to review your file setup and help you get it right the first time.