Allow me to share a long time design secret that I use over the years of my printing business. It’s possible to spend hours on a design. Correctly match colors. Nail the layout. Make everything look exactly the way the client described. So you send it to the printer but Unfortunately the whole thing looks different from from what you created: Wrong colors. Blurry images. Text that shifted. White edges where there should not be any.
And the printer says that the file was the cause.
That is a frustrating experience. The goodnews is that It is also 100% preventable. The issue almost always comes down to one thing — how you exported your PDF before sending it to print.
This guide shows you exactly how to export a print-ready PDF from CorelDraw the right way, every single time, so what you see on your screen is what shows up on paper.
Why the PDF Export Step Matters So Much
Most beginners don’t treat the EXPORT step as a serious matter. You finish the design. Hit export. Save as PDF, and send it off. That approach works fine for sharing a document over email or posting something online. But you can’t do that if your file is for print.
You need to have very specific settings for your file when you give it to a commercial printer. Due to improper PDF settings, your colors may appear different, fonts don’t come out well, pictures are blurry or or the design gets trimmed in the wrong place.
A print-ready PDF is simply a PDF file that has been set up with all the correct technical settings a printer needs to do their job properly. It isn’t difficult to get this right. You just need to know what settings to change and why.
Before You Export, Do These First
Quickly go through your document before exporting to ensure the following are in order:
Your document is set to CMYK color mode. Go to Tools, then Color Management, and check that your document color profile is set to CMYK. Printers use CMYK. If your document is in RGB, colors will shift when printed and you will not catch it until the job comes back from the press.
Your bleed is set up correctly. Bleed is the small extension of your background color or design beyond the edge of the page. Most printers require at least 3mm of bleed on all sides. If your design has no bleed, the finished print will have thin white lines along the edges after it is trimmed.
To check your bleed in CorelDraw, go to Layout, then Document Properties, and look at the Bleed settings. Set it to 3mm minimum on all sides.
Your images are high resolution. Any photo or placed image in your design should be at least 300 DPI. Low resolution images look fine on screen but print blurry. Right-click any placed image in CorelDraw and check its properties to confirm the resolution.
All fonts are embedded or converted to curves. If your printer does not have the same fonts installed on their computer, your text will substitute for a different font and mess up your entire layout. Converting text to curves prevents this completely. To convert text to curves, select all your text, then go to Object and click Convert to Curves. Or use the shortcut Ctrl + Q. Do this before you export.
Once your document is set correctly, you are ready to export.
Step-by-Step: How to Export a Print-Ready PDF from CorelDraw
Now that your document is ready, here is exactly how to export it.
Step 1 — Open the Export Dialog
Click on File in the top left corner of your screen. Select Publish to PDF. This will open the PDF export dialog box which contains all your settings.
You’ll see your document previewed on the left and several settings tabs on the right. Avoid hitting OK and letting go. Take your time to work through the settings.
Step 2 — Choose the Right PDF Preset
The dialog includes a dropdown at the top, under the heading PDF Preset. This is a list of settings which are already set up for various uses.
For commercial printing, select PDF/X-1a from the dropdown.
PDF/X-1a is the industry standard for print ready PDF documents. It will auto-correct several settings, such as color conversion and font embedding. This is the most common format accepted by most professional printers or print shops.
If your printer has requested a certain specific format, then go with what is requested. But if you are uncertain, then PDF/X-1a is the safest choice of all.
Step 3 — Check the General Settings Tab
Click on the General tab to confirm the following settings:
PDF Version: Should be set to PDF 1.3 or higher when using PDF/X-1a.
Color: Make sure it is set to CMYK. If it shows RGB, change it to CMYK here.
Compatibility: If not stated by your printer, leave it at its default setting.
Step 4 — Set Up the Bleed in the Export Settings
Click on the Prepress tab. Here you confirm your bleed settings for an exported file.
Make sure to check the Bleed Limit box and set at least the 3mm or or whatever your printer has specified. This makes CorelDraw add the bleed to the PDF.
If your printer requested Crop Marks, make sure to use them. Crop marks are tiny lines located outside the page edge which indicate the printer where to trim the paper after printing.
Step 5 — Confirm Font Embedding
Click on the Objects tab.
Make sure Embed fonts in the document is checked. This ensures all the fonts in your design travel with the PDF file so the printer sees exactly what you designed.
If you already converted all your text to curves in the earlier step, this setting becomes less critical. But it is good practice to have both covered.
Step 6 — Check Your Image Settings
Still in the Objects tab, look at the image compression settings.
Set Color bitmaps to 300 DPI minimum. This ensures all images in your design export at full print quality and not a compressed, lower-resolution version.
Set compression to None or LZW for maximum quality. Avoid JPEG compression for print files as it reduces image quality in ways that are visible after printing.
Step 7 — Export the File
Once you have confirmed all the settings above, click OK.
CorelDraw will ask you where to save the file and what to name it. Choose a clear file name that includes the project name and the word “PRINT” so you can identify it easily later. For example:
AkpanUnwana_FlierDesign_PRINT.pdfClick Save and CorelDraw will create your print-ready PDF.
After Exporting — Do This Before Sending
Once exported, open the PDF in the Adobe Acrobat Reader (or your PDF view) and scan it thoroughly before printing.
Pay attention to the following:
Colors look correct. Compare the PDF to your CorelDraw file. If colors look significantly different, your document may have been in RGB and converted to CMYK during export, which can cause shifts.
Bleed is visible. The design should extend slightly beyond the page edge in all directions.
Text is sharp and readable. Zoom in on small text to confirm it is crisp and not pixelated.
No fonts are missing. If you see strange characters or boxes where text should be, a font did not embed correctly. Go back and convert that text to curves.
Crop marks appear outside the page edge if you included them.
If everything looks correct, the file is ready to send.
Common Mistakes Beginners Make When Exporting PDFs
Using Save As PDF instead of Publish to PDF. CorelDraw has two different PDF export options. Save As PDF uses basic settings that are not optimized for print. Always use Publish to PDF for print jobs.
Forgetting to convert text to curves. This is the single most common reason layouts break at the printer. Make it a habit to convert all text before every export.
Not checking the exported PDF before sending. Always open and review the PDF after exporting. What looks right in CorelDraw does not always export exactly as expected.
Sending the wrong file. Keep your print files organized and clearly named. Sending the wrong version of a file to the printer is an easy and expensive mistake.
Not asking your printer for their specifications. Different printers have different requirements. Some want bleed at 3mm, others at 5mm. Some want crop marks, others do not. When in doubt, ask before you export.
Key Points
Exporting a print-ready PDF from CorelDraw is one of those skills that seems small until you get it wrong. When you get it wrong, it costs you time, money and your reputation with the client.
Now repeat the above steps with your next design job. Select CMYK for your document. Include bleed at the beginning of design work. Transform text to curves. Use Publish to PDF, and choose PDF/X-1a. Verify the exported file before sending to anyone.
Do this on a regular basis and you’ll never have a print job return due to a bad file.
Need help with a question about exporting from CorelDraw or experienced a particular problem? Drop it in the comments below. I read every one and I will help you sort it out.