Most "we shipped your file but it printed wrong" disputes start with a customer file that wasn't print-ready and a prepress team that didn't catch it before the press. Automated preflight at upload catches the issues that matter, surfaces them to the customer in plain English, and either auto-fixes or blocks the order until the customer fixes them.
The result: fewer disputes, less rework, faster turnaround.
Preflight checks
- Image resolution — flags below threshold (configurable per product, typically 300dpi)
- Color mode — RGB images flagged for conversion; CMYK confirmed
- Embedded fonts — missing fonts blocked with explicit fix instructions
- Bleed and trim safety — content too close to trim line flagged
- Page size — file dimensions must match product dimensions within tolerance
- PDF version compatibility
- Transparency flattening warnings for PDF/X-1a targets
- Spot color usage when not configured
How issues surface
Critical issues block submission. The customer sees what is wrong, in non-technical language, with a suggested fix ("This image is 72 DPI. Print quality needs 300 DPI. Upload a higher-resolution version.").
Warnings allow submission but surface to the customer and to your prepress team. The customer sees them in the cart confirmation; your team sees them in the job detail.
Auto-fixes
Some issues auto-fix invisibly: RGB-to-CMYK conversion, font subsetting, mild flattening. Others surface as warnings the customer must acknowledge. Anything that risks visible degradation surfaces; anything that is purely technical (font subset, color profile rewrite) just happens.
Custom rules
The default preflight rules are practical defaults. You can add custom rules per product — minimum DPI of 600 for fine line art, no transparency on a specific substrate, no spot colors on digital presses. Custom rules live in admin configuration; no code changes.