Polotno

File inspector

PDF preflight checker

Drop a print PDF, get a pass/warn/fail report on the structural checks that cause most print rejections: sizes, trim, bleed, rotation, encryption. Free, in-browser, no upload.

Quick answer

Most print rejections are structural: wrong size, no bleed, or mixed pages, all checkable before submission.

Formula: drop PDF → geometry checks → pass / warn / fail

Drop a PDF here, or

Checked in your browser. The file never leaves your machine.

The checks that catch most rejections

Print files fail for boring reasons far more often than exotic ones. A merged document with three page sizes. A flyer exported at the trim size with zero bleed. A password someone forgot to remove. This tool reads the PDF’s geometry (boxes, sizes, rotation, encryption) and flags exactly those, in seconds, before the printer’s queue does it overnight.

Honest scope

This is a structural preflight, and structure is not everything. What it verifies: page-size consistency, TrimBox presence, bleed margins, rotation flags, encryption, standard-size match. What it deliberately does not verify: color spaces, ink coverage, font embedding, image resolution, and overprint. Those live in the content stream and need a full preflight engine like Acrobat Pro’s. Run this first; if it passes and your printer still wants a full PDF/X check, that’s the tool they mean.

Fixing what it finds

FindingFix
No bleedRe-export at trim + bleed. The bleed calculator gives exact targets
No TrimBoxEnable printer’s marks / bleed settings in the export dialog
Mixed page sizesRebuild from one source at one size; check pages in the page size checker
Password protectionRe-save without security from any PDF viewer
Nonstandard sizeConfirm against the product spec. Custom sizes are often intentional

If the file needs rebuilding rather than re-exporting, the PDF to JSON converter opens it as an editable design where sizes and bleed can be set properly before a clean export.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What does this preflight check?

The structural layer: password protection, consistent page sizes, TrimBox presence, bleed margins (≥3 mm), page rotation flags, and whether the size matches a print standard. These catch the most common print-rejection causes.

Q: What does it NOT check?

Content-level properties: color spaces (RGB vs CMYK), ink coverage, font embedding, image resolution, overprint, and transparency flattening. Those need a full preflight engine: Acrobat Pro's Preflight or your printer's own check. This tool is the fast first pass, not the last word.

Q: What is preflight in printing?

The pre-submission inspection of a print file against the printer's technical requirements: sizes, bleed, colors, fonts, resolution. The name comes from aviation's pre-flight checks; the purpose is catching problems before they cost a print run.

Q: Why did my printer reject a PDF that looks fine on screen?

Screens forgive what presses don't. The usual suspects, in order: no bleed on an edge-to-edge design, wrong page size, RGB images that shift in CMYK conversion, and missing fonts. The first two are exactly what this tool checks in seconds.

Q: Is my file uploaded?

No. The structure is parsed entirely in your browser.

Want this in your app? Embed Polotno SDK.

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