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The job looks perfect on screen. The colours are vivid, the layout is tight, the logo is sharp. Then the printed flyers arrive and something is off — the blue looks washed out, a thin white border runs along one edge, or the body text is slightly blurry. These problems are almost always caused by file errors that happen before the file ever reaches the press. Here are the five mistakes that cause the most reprints in Singapore print shops, and exactly how to fix each one.
Mistake 1: submitting an RGB file instead of CMYK
Digital screens display colour using RGB (Red, Green, Blue light). Commercial presses print using CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black ink). These two systems have different colour ranges — and bright RGB blues, electric greens, and vivid oranges simply cannot be reproduced at full saturation in CMYK. When an RGB file is sent to press, the printer’s system converts it automatically, often producing noticeably different colours from what you designed. For flyers, posters, and business cards, always convert to CMYK in your design software and check the colour preview before exporting.
Mistake 2: missing or incorrect bleed
What bleed is and why it matters
Bleed is extra artwork that extends 3mm beyond your trim edge on all sides. When sheets are cut to size after printing, the cutting blade has a small tolerance — without bleed, a slight shift produces a thin white edge on one or more sides of your flyer, business card, or booklet cover. Any background colour, image, or pattern that touches the edge of the page must extend 3mm beyond the trim. White backgrounds do not need bleed. This is the most common file error on first-time print orders.
Mistake 3: low-resolution images
Screen images are typically 72 to 96 DPI — enough for a monitor, but far too low for commercial print. Print requires a minimum of 300 DPI at the final print size. An image that looks sharp on your laptop at full screen may print blurry, pixelated, or with visible JPEG compression artifacts on a poster or brochure cover. Before submitting, check that every image in your artwork is at least 300 DPI at its placed size. Enlarging a small image in your layout does not add resolution — it only makes the problem worse.
Mistake 4: fonts not embedded or outlined
If your PDF contains live text using a font that is not embedded in the file, the printer’s system may substitute a different font — changing the appearance, spacing, and layout of your entire document. Before exporting your brochure, booklet, or document, either embed all fonts in the PDF export settings or convert all text to outlines (curves) in Adobe Illustrator. In InDesign, use File → Export → PDF Print → Advanced → Subset Fonts When Percent is Below 100%.
Mistake 5: safe zone violations
Just as artwork must extend beyond the trim edge (bleed), critical content — text, logos, faces in photography — must stay away from the trim edge. The safe zone is 3mm inside the trim on all sides. Content placed closer than 3mm risks being cut off when the sheet is trimmed, even if the design looks safe in your PDF preview. This is particularly common on business cards where designers push content to the edge to maximise space, and on booklet pages where text runs close to the spine.
ExpressPrint checks every file before printing
At ExpressPrint, our prepress team reviews every uploaded file for the errors above before production begins. If we find a problem, we contact you before printing — not after. Upload your artwork here to get an instant quote and file check for your flyers, business cards, or any other print product.
Products mentioned in this article:
Flyers & brochuresBusiness cardsPostersBooklet (saddle stitch)Document printing
