Free PDF preflight checker
Let me preflight that for you.
Check whether a PDF is actually ready to print — before it reaches production. Upload it and get a Prepta Score with bleed, trim, colour, fonts, resolution and transparency measured against a real production profile.
- Bleed and trim — measured when page boxes are present
- Colour space — RGB vs CMYK against a print profile
- Image resolution (placed PPI) and font embedding
- Live transparency and PDF/X markers
- A Prepta Score you can share — the PDF is never included
Checking a file for someone else?
No account. One file at a time.
Your file is deleted as soon as the report is ready — within about an hour if the check fails. You can share the report; the file is never included.
Free artwork check
IDLEFree check, or full Prepta
The free check is a diagnostic. It tells you what is wrong and why it matters. It does not modify your file. Full Prepta repairs within your profile and returns a validated production file.
Free artwork check
- Prepta Score with the measurements behind it
- Shareable report — Checked by Prepta
- Preflight links to send to whoever made the file
- Likely source classification
- Your file is not modified
Full Prepta
- Automatic repair within your profile policy
- Your own production profiles, versioned
- Validated PDF/X output file
- Review queue, versions and audit trail
- Multiple files and multiple workflows
Key terms this check uses
Plain definitions — what we mean when the report mentions bleed, colour space, or PDF/X.
- PDF preflight
- Checking a PDF against the technical requirements of a print workflow before production — bleed, colour space, resolution, fonts, transparency and PDF standards. Read more →
- Bleed
- Artwork extended beyond the trim line so cutting variance does not leave an unprinted edge. Typical minima are 3 mm for commercial print and more for large format. Read more →
- Trim box
- The PDF page box that defines the finished cut size. Bleed is measured outward from trim; missing or synthesised boxes make bleed hard to verify.
- CMYK vs RGB
- RGB is for screens; most print uses CMYK (or spot). Unconverted RGB in a print PDF often shifts colour on press. Read more →
- Effective DPI
- Image resolution at the size the artwork will actually print — pixel dimension divided by printed size. A 300 dpi image scaled up is no longer 300 dpi. Read more →
- PDF/X markers
- Identification in the PDF (e.g. GTS_PDFXVersion and OutputIntent) that many RIPs expect. A marker check is not the same as full ISO PDF/X validation. Read more →
- Embedded fonts
- Font data stored inside the PDF so RIPs do not need the font installed. Unembedded fonts risk substitution, reflow or rejection. Read more →
- Live transparency
- Opacity, blend modes and soft effects left unflattened in the PDF. Allowed in many PDF/X-4 workflows; some cutters and older RIPs still need flattening. Read more →
- Prepta Score
- A 0–100 summary of how well a PDF matches a production profile, with every finding and measurement listed — not a pass/fail from a single rule.
Common questions
What does a free PDF preflight check cover?
Bleed and trim (when page boxes are present), colour space against a CMYK print profile, placed-image resolution, font embedding, live transparency and PDF/X markers. You get a Prepta Score and the measurements behind every finding. Full ISO PDF/X validation is not claimed — we check for the markers print workflows expect.
Is this the same as Acrobat Preflight or Enfocus PitStop?
It answers the same question — is this PDF print-ready? — but as a free single-file check in the browser. Full Prepta adds automatic repair, your own profiles, and validated output. Acrobat and PitStop are operator tools; Prepta is built for print shops receiving customer files.
Do you keep my PDF?
No. The file is deleted as soon as the report is ready — within about an hour if the check fails. You can share the report link; the PDF is never part of it.
Can Prepta fix the issues it finds?
The free check only reports. Automatic repair within your production profile, revalidation, and a production-ready output file are part of full Prepta.
Can I ask a customer or designer to check their file before they send it?
Yes. Create a preflight link and send it over. The recipient runs this same free check without an account, sees what needs fixing, and can send you the link to their report. The link carries no file and no names — only an anonymous ID.
New to preflight? What is PDF preflight? · What is bleed? · RGB vs CMYK · FAQ
Looking for a specific check? Bleed · CMYK · Resolution · PDF/X · Fonts · Transparency · All tools
Not starting from a PDF? Check a JPG, PNG, TIFF, HEIC photo or design file with the free print file checker.