Exporting your newspaper to PDF

Once you've read our artwork guidelines and finished designing your newspaper, you need to export a PDF from your software, and upload it to your Newspaper Club account to be printed.

To make sure that your newspaper is ready to print, follow this simple guide.

Newspaper Club PDF Requirements

Where possible, use the PDF/X-1a:2001 preset

This creates the simplest kind of PDF, and takes care of almost everything that could cause issues at the press.

Export your file as single pages, in reading order

Your PDF should read in the same order that you'd read a standard newspaper (from front to back). Make sure the pages in your file are single pages, not spreads (two pages joined together).

Margins and bleed

Make sure your document has the margins set up according to the artwork guidelines for that size. We can't print tabloids or broadsheets that have artwork in the margins. Minis must have a 5mm bleed around the outside of each spread.

Image resolution above 150 dpi, maximum 300 dpi

We recommend you set the image resolution to a maximum of 300dpi — anything higher and you'll make your file slower to upload, without any improvement in quality. You may start to see some pixellation below 150dpi.

All images must be CMYK (no RGB or spot colours)

RGB images will be automatically converted to CMYK before printing. It's better if you take care of this so you can see how the colour balance is affected, but if you're not sure how, we can convert these for you. We can't print spot colours.

Flatten transparencies

Some transparencies and effects will not print. You should flatten any transparencies within your document, as they may not print as expected, and could appear differently in print to how they do in your PDF. The PDF/X-1a:2001 preset will do this for you.

Export guides

Using a different software package? Please contact us.

Don’t forget to check your paper!

Once you’ve exported your newspaper as a PDF, please check it carefully.

When you upload a file, our site will check that it uses our artwork guidelines, If it doesn't, we may not be able to print your newspaper. Our system won’t check for any typos or mistakes, so please make sure you give it a thorough check through.