This introduces end-to-end print workflow directly within Pencil. This is a dedicated set of print controls to help you design and export creatives that are ready for real-world production. We are launching Print Mode in Beta, so you’ll have to turn it on in the Beta settings page before any next steps.
What's included?Print Setup & UI Controls
In order to turn on Print Mode, you will need to navigate to the Canvas Settings tab within the Editor. Once here you can toggle it on to see Print UI controls available directly in the UI, helping you ensure your designs are correctly formatted for trimming and production.
Bleeds - Bleeds are the area of your design that extends beyond the final trim edge. This ensures that when the design is cut to size, there are no unwanted white edges. In Pencil you can still position layers outside of the trim size, towards the Bleed edge.
Safe area - The Safe area defines the space inside the design where important content should stay. Keeping text and key visuals within this area prevents them from being cut off during trimming.
Crop marks - Crop marks are visual guides added to the corners of your design that indicate where the final piece should be trimmed to its intended size.
New Format > Print flow
You can now add print formats during the format setup flow, making it easier to start designing for print from the beginning of your workflow.
We have enhanced DPI settings to give you greater control over print quality. You can now design with confidence knowing your creatives meet the resolution requirements needed for high-quality print output.
Export & Colour Management
We have upgraded export capabilities to better support print workflows.
This includes:
Exporting print-ready PDF files: PDFX-1A, PDFX-3, PDFX-4
Improved colour management with CMYK and RGB support
Support for ICC colour profiles - set for CMYK or RGB
Size and Workflow Suggestions
Static print creatives in pencil work up to to 16,000 x 16,000 pixels in size. So, you can edit your creative’s width, height, and dpi - as long as either height or width does not exceed 16,000 pixels. For example a 240x120 inch poster at 300 DPI is too large, as 240 inches x 300 = 72,000. If this comes up for you, try working at a higher dpi on a smaller dimension (e.g. working at 1/10th the final size) or dropping the DPI at the larger dimension.
