Preflight is the print world's version of a pilot's checklist. Before a file is printed, someone checks that it is the right size, has bleed, uses images with enough resolution, has its fonts included and uses the right color mode. Catching a problem at this step costs minutes; catching it after printing costs a whole run.
Customers rarely know what a printer needs, so files arrive with missing bleed, RGB photos, tiny web images and fonts that are not embedded. A consistent preflight makes those issues visible right away, so the shop can fix the file or ask the customer for a better one.
Imagine a sign shop called Copperline Signs that receives a dozen customer files a day through its website. Without a check, a designer opens each one by hand. With preflight, the files that need attention are flagged as they arrive.
In aiKit, Print file check on upload checks every file a customer sends through your website's Send us your file page and marks it Looks print-ready, Worth a look or Must fix, with Fix it in Printer's Helper one click away. Printer's Helper runs a file check on every job it builds.
Related terms
See it in practice
How to add bleed to a PDF for printing
Add 1/8 inch bleed to a PDF in plain words: aiKit extends the art past the cut, sets the print boxes, checks the file and gives you a proof to approve.
GuideHow to send a proof customers can approve from their phone
Send a design proof as a private link customers open on a phone, mark up with pins and approve with their typed name. No account needed for them.
Use casePrint-ready files for print shops: fix customer art by asking
Fix customer files by asking: add bleed, resize, check, set PDF boxes. Get a print-ready PDF, a file check and a proof link. Free to start.
Use caseOnline proofing for print shops: a clear, signed yes on every job
Send print proofs with cut and safe lines. Customers pin comments and approve by typed name from a phone, no account. Free to start with aiKit.
Use caseAI quotes for sign shops: from a customer's email to an accepted quote
Paste a sign request and get a one-page quote priced from your own prices, with options and add-ons, then a live page your customer accepts. Free to start.