Print quality is not just about your printer’s equipment. It starts long before a single sheet of substrate passes through a press — it starts with your brief.
A well-structured print brief is the single most effective thing a client can do to ensure their project comes out exactly as intended, on time and on budget. Yet it is one of the most consistently underestimated parts of the print process. Vague specifications, incorrectly supplied artwork, undefined finishing requirements, and unrealistic lead times account for the majority of print revisions, delays, and budget overruns.
This guide walks you through every element of a commercial print brief — what to include, why it matters, and how to get it right the first time.
1. Define the deliverable precisely
Before anything else, be completely specific about what you are printing. This sounds obvious, but the difference between “a brochure” and “an A4, 8-page saddle-stitched brochure, printed on 150gsm gloss throughout with a 350gsm gloss cover, full bleed, four-colour CMYK” is the difference between a smooth project and a back-and-forth negotiation.
Your deliverable definition should cover:
- Final size (flat and finished): e.g. A4 (210 × 297mm), DL (99 × 210mm), custom dimensions
- Number of pages or panels
- Quantity: how many units do you need? Are there multiple versions?
- Binding or folding method: saddle-stitch, perfect bind, spiral, roll fold, Z-fold, gate fold
- Single or double-sided printing
If you are unsure about any of these, your printer should be able to advise — but you need to know what you are trying to achieve before that conversation can be productive.
2. Specify your substrate and finish
The material your job is printed on has a profound effect on the final result — on how it looks, how it feels, how it performs in the field, and how much it costs. Substrate selection is one of the most impactful decisions in the print process, and it deserves specific attention.
Key substrate considerations:
- Paper or board weight: measured in grams per square metre (gsm). Higher gsm = heavier, more premium feel
- Paper finish: gloss (vibrant, high-contrast), silk/satin (semi-sheen, good for text-heavy pieces), uncoated (tactile, natural feel), recycled
- Speciality materials: vinyl for large-format outdoor, fabric for exhibition displays, synthetic for weatherproof applications
Finishing options transform the look and feel of a printed piece significantly:
- Lamination: gloss, matt, or soft-touch — applied to the surface of covers or cards
- Spot UV: a high-gloss varnish applied to specific areas, creating tactile contrast
- Foil stamping: metallic or holographic foil pressed onto the printed surface
- Embossing or debossing: raising or recessing an area of the substrate
- Die-cutting: cutting the substrate into custom shapes beyond standard rectangles
3. Supply print-ready artwork — correctly
This is where most print projects encounter their first delay. Artwork supplied incorrectly forces your printer to spend time identifying and communicating problems before the job can even be scheduled. In the worst cases, incorrectly supplied files result in reprints.
A print-ready file should meet these minimum requirements:
- Resolution: 300 DPI (dots per inch) at the final print size. Screen-resolution images (72–96 DPI) will appear pixelated in print.
- Colour mode: CMYK, not RGB. RGB is designed for screens; commercial printing uses CMYK inks. Colours that look vibrant on screen may shift significantly when converted to CMYK.
- Bleed: 3mm of bleed on all edges that will be trimmed. Content or design elements that extend to the edge of the finished piece must extend into the bleed area to prevent white edges.
- Safe zone: keep all critical content (text, logos) at least 5mm inside the trim edge.
- Fonts: embed all fonts in your PDF, or convert text to outlines before supplying.
- File format: PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 are the preferred formats for commercial print. InDesign export using these presets is ideal.
If your artwork is not yet print-ready, communicate this to your printer upfront. Many commercial printers — including Albion Press — offer pre-press and design services that can prepare or adapt your files. It is far better to flag this at briefing stage than to discover it after the job has been scheduled.
4. Confirm colour expectations clearly
Colour is one of the most technically nuanced areas of commercial printing, and it is where expectations most commonly diverge from reality without a clear brief.
Key colour considerations to include in your brief:
- CMYK vs Pantone: four-colour process (CMYK) is standard for most commercial print. For brand colours that must be precisely matched — particularly on packaging or corporate stationery — a Pantone (PMS) spot colour may be required.
- Colour profile: if your artwork was prepared in a specific colour profile (e.g. ISO Coated v2), communicate this to your printer.
- Proofing: request a proof — digital or hard copy — before the full run is printed. A hard copy proof on the actual substrate is the most accurate representation of the finished job.
If brand colour consistency is critical to you, discuss this explicitly with your printer at briefing stage. They can advise on the most appropriate printing method and whether spot colours are warranted.
5. Set realistic lead times
Print quality and speed are both achievable — but not always simultaneously, and not always at standard cost. Understanding the typical production timeline for your job type allows you to plan realistically and avoid the cost of rush turnarounds.
A typical commercial print production timeline:
- Standard digital print (small format, short run): 3–5 working days from approved artwork
- Litho print (medium to large runs): 5–10 working days from approved artwork
- Large-format: 3–7 working days depending on material and finishing
- Complex finishing (spot UV, foil, die-cut): allow an additional 3–5 working days
These timelines assume approved, print-ready artwork. Each revision cycle adds time. The single most effective way to protect your deadline is to supply correct artwork on time.
6. Agree on proofing and sign-off
Proofing is your opportunity to review the job before it goes to press. It is also your last chance to catch errors — in spelling, layout, colour, or specifications — before those errors are multiplied across your full print run.
Be clear in your brief about:
- What type of proof you require: digital PDF proof, printed colour proof, or a physical mock-up
- Who in your organisation has sign-off authority — and who needs to review before sign-off
- Your expected turnaround time for reviewing and approving proofs
Once you have approved a proof, the printer is authorised to proceed with the full run. Any changes requested after proof approval will typically incur additional cost and may affect your delivery timeline. Treat proof approval as a significant commitment, not an administrative step.
7. Delivery, packing, and labelling
The brief is not complete until you have confirmed how and where the finished job should be delivered. For large runs or multi-site deliveries, this can be as complex as the print spec itself.
- Delivery address(es): be specific, including building name, floor, and contact person
- Packing requirements: flat, rolled, or folded? In boxes of a specific quantity?
- Labelling: if the job is going to multiple locations, are boxes labelled per destination?
- Courier or collection: are you collecting, or does the printer arrange delivery?
If your job is part of a larger campaign — for example, branded materials that need to arrive at an event venue at a specific time — communicate the critical delivery window upfront, not on the day of despatch.
The brief checklist
Before submitting your brief, confirm that you have covered:
- Product type, dimensions (flat and finished), page count
- Quantity (and whether multiple versions are needed)
- Substrate: paper weight, finish, and material type
- Finishing requirements: lamination, spot UV, foil, die-cut, binding
- Print-ready artwork supplied in CMYK, 300 DPI, with 3mm bleed
- Colour matching requirements (CMYK or Pantone)
- Proof type required and sign-off contact
- Required delivery date and delivery address
- Packing and labelling requirements
Working with Albion Press
With 85 years of commercial printing experience, the Albion Press team has worked with clients across every industry and at every level of print sophistication. Whether you are placing your first commercial print job or managing a complex multi-format campaign, we guide you through the briefing process to ensure every job is set up for success.
We offer pre-press consultation, artwork preparation, proofing, and full delivery — a complete turnkey print solution from brief to finished product.