RGB (Red, Green, Blue)

RGB is used for digital displays:

• Computer monitors
• Mobile phones
• Tablets
• Televisions
• Projectors

RGB works by combining coloured light to create millions of colours. Because light is being emitted from the screen, colours appear bright, vivid and highly saturated.

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)

Commercial printing uses CMYK inks. Instead of emitting light, printers apply layers of ink onto paper.
CMYK has a much smaller colour gamut than RGB. This means many colours visible on screen simply cannot be reproduced in print.

For example:

• Neon colours
• Bright greens
• Electric blues
• Intense oranges

may all look spectacular in RGB but become noticeably duller when converted to CMYK.

Many AI-generated images, PowerPoint graphics, Figma and Canva designs are created entirely in RGB. If these files are sent directly to print, colour shifts are almost inevitable.

Professional artworkers understand how to manage these conversions before the files ever reach the printer.

Colour Separations: How printing actually works

Most people assume a printing press simply “prints the image.”

In reality, commercial presses create images through colour separations.

The artwork is split into:

• Cyan
• Magenta
• Yellow
• Black

Each colour is printed independently and precisely aligned during production.

Even a minor issue in artwork setup can create:

• Colour shifts
• Registration errors
• Blurry text
• Halo effects
• Unwanted colour tints

Professional artworkers check separations to ensure:

• Black text remains crisp
• Colour builds are correct
• Rich black areas print correctly
• Overprinting and gradients behave as intended
• Spot colours reproduce accurately

Most presentation and digital-first design applications do not provide sufficient control over these specialist printing requirements.

Bleed: Preventing white edges

One of the most obvious signs of amateur print artwork is missing bleed.

When printed sheets are trimmed, the cutting process has slight tolerances.

A guillotine is never accurate to a fraction of a millimetre across an entire print run.

To compensate, artwork must extend beyond the trim edge.

This extension is called bleed.

Typically:

• 3mm bleed is standard in the UK
• 5mm or more may be required for larger formats

Without bleed, even a tiny trimming variation can leave unwanted white lines around the edge of the printed piece.
Professional artworkers understand:

• How much bleed is required
• Where it should be applied
• Which elements should extend into the bleed area

Many users of PowerPoint and AI-generated graphics are unaware bleed is required at all.

Crop Marks: Guiding the finishing process

Crop marks indicate where the finished piece should be trimmed.

They act as production guides throughout the printing and finishing workflow.

Without correct crop marks:

• Cutting becomes less accurate
• Finishing errors become more likely
• Production costs may increase
• Delays can occur

Professional print PDFs include:

• Crop marks
• Registration marks
• Colour bars (when required)
• Production information

These are standard requirements in commercial printing environments but are often missing from files exported directly from presentation software.

Spreads: More complex than you think

Many printed publications consist of facing pages.

Examples include:

• Annual reports
• Brochures
• Magazines
• Catalogues

Designing these files requires careful consideration of spreads.

Key considerations include:

Creep
As pages are folded together, inner pages move outward.
Artwork may need adjustment to compensate.

Spine Width
Perfect-bound documents require precise spine calculations.
Even small differences in paper stock can alter the final spine width.

Crossovers
Images or graphics spanning two pages must align correctly across the gutter.

Reader Experience
Content near folds can become difficult to read if not positioned correctly.

Experienced artworkers understand how print finishing methods impact layout decisions long before the files are printed.

Resolution Matters

Many AI-generated images look excellent at screen resolution.

However, printing often requires:

• 300 DPI for high quality reproduction
• Larger dimensions than originally generated
• Appropriate sharpening adjustments

A graphic that appears sharp on a monitor may print:

• Soft
• Pixelated
• Blurred

when scaled for professional print use.

Professional artworkers verify image resolution, scaling factors and print suitability before production.

AI Has no understanding of Print Production

AI tools are remarkable creative assistants.

They can:

• Generate concepts
• Create imagery
• Suggest layouts
• Accelerate ideation

What they cannot do reliably is understand the production requirements of a specific print job.

An AI-generated image does not know:

• The paper stock being used
• The press technology
• The finishing method
• The binding process
• The colour profile requirements
• The printer’s workflow

AI can generate creative assets, but professional artworkers ensure those assets are printable.

They are complementary, not interchangeable.

Why PowerPoint is particularly risky

PowerPoint was designed for presentations – not professional print production.

Common issues include:

• Incorrect colour profiles
• Low-resolution imported images
• Lack of bleed control
• Poor PDF export settings
• Font substitution problems
• Transparency flattening issues
• Inconsistent colour management

While PowerPoint can produce simple documents for office printers, it should not be considered a substitute for professional artwork software when producing commercial print materials.

Figma Is great, but it’s nothing like Adobe InDesign

Figma has transformed digital product design and collaborative workflows.

It excels at:

• Interface design
• Web design
• App prototyping
• Team collaboration

However, commercial print production requires capabilities that specialist publishing tools such as Adobe InDesign were specifically designed to handle.
These include:

• Advanced pre-flight checking
• Comprehensive colour management
• Print-ready PDF standards
• Professional typography controls
• Complex publication management
• Sophisticated print production workflows

Figma is a fantastic design platform, but professional print production remains outside its core purpose.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

Poorly prepared artwork can result in:

• Reprints
• Delayed launches
• Brand inconsistencies
• Increased production costs
• Missed deadlines
• Wasted materials

In some cases, a seemingly minor artwork error can result in thousands of printed items becoming unusable. The cost of professional artwork preparation is usually a fraction of the cost of correcting a failed print run.

The Value of Experienced Artworkers

Professional artworkers bring expertise that software cannot replace.

They understand:

• Print processes
• Colour management
• Finishing techniques
• File preparation
• Press limitations
• Production specifications
• Quality control

Most importantly, they know how to anticipate problems before they happen.

Their role is not simply to make artwork look good. Their role is to ensure it reproduces accurately, consistently and reliably in the real world.

Final Thoughts

AI, PowerPoint, Canva and Figma are exceptional tools when used for the purposes they were designed for. AI can accelerate creativity. PowerPoint communicates ideas. Canva provides great inspiration in the form of mock ups. Figma enables collaboration and digital design. But creating professional print-ready artwork requires specialist knowledge that goes far beyond what is visible on a screen. Understanding colour spaces, bleeds, crop marks, separations, spreads, resolution and print production workflows remains essential to achieving high-quality print outcomes.

The reality is simple: just because a design looks right on screen doesn’t mean it’s ready for press.

And when budgets, brands and reputations are at stake, print artwork is still best left to experienced professionals.

Get in touch

If you would like help or advice with your print project, get in touch below.