PressReady PDF
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Install & use PressReady PDF

Add the plugin to the Figma desktop app, set your bleed, and export. Everything, including optional DeviceCMYK conversion, happens on your machine.

1 · Add it to Figma

Until the Community listing is live, install PressReady PDF by downloading the plugin and importing it once. You'll need the Figma desktop app; the browser version can't import development plugins.

Download plugin (.zip)
  1. Download the plugin .zip above and unzip it anywhere.
  2. Open the Figma desktop app and any design file.
  3. From the menu, go to Plugins → Development → Import plugin from manifest…
  4. In the file picker, choose the manifest.json from the folder you just unzipped.
  5. PressReady PDF now appears under Plugins → Development → PressReady PDF, ready to run.

Note. You only do this once. After that, PressReady PDF is just there in your Plugins menu whenever you need it.

2 · Use it

Select the frames you want to print on the canvas, then run PressReady PDF from Plugins → Development → PressReady PDF. The main panel has everything needed for a typical job. Advanced holds the colour, marks, and output controls.

BleedAmount & inside/outside placement
ColourProfile & live CMYK preflight
OutputResolution, PDF/X, files

Bleed & placement

The main panel reads your selection and shows a live schematic of the bleed, trim, and safe zone that updates as you type.

  1. Check your selection. The panel shows how many frames you picked and the final printed size.
  2. Set your bleed. 3 mm is the usual metric amount; 0.125 in is the US equivalent. Ask your printer if you're unsure.
  3. Choose bleed placement: Inside frame if your artwork already includes bleed, or Outside (extend) to grow the frame and stretch the background out to the new edge.
  4. Hit Export print-ready PDF. Or click Add to canvas first to place a non-destructive “Print-Ready” copy on the page, complete with bleed, locked crop marks, and a safe-zone guide. Your originals are never touched; ⌘Z or Remove undoes it.

Advanced → Colour — see what shifts in CMYK

See how every colour in your selection will behave on press. Nothing here changes your file; it shows what to expect before you commit.

  1. PressReady PDF uses the bundled GRACoL 2013 CMYK profile for consistent offline checks and DeviceCMYK conversion.
  2. Choose the conversion method: Formula for a quick estimate, or ICC for accurate profile-driven conversion.
  3. Set the rendering intent (relative colorimetric suits most print).
  4. Read the colour list. Each swatch shows its hex, its CMYK mix and how much ink it lays down. Anything too ink-heavy is flagged, gradient stops included, and you can tag any Pantone/spot colours here.

Formula is a ballpark for a fast glance. When a colour decision matters for print, switch to ICC.

Advanced → Output — tune the PDF

  1. Choose Files: combine everything into one multi-page PDF in reading order, or export one file per frame.
  2. Pick the resolution. 300 dpi is standard for print; go higher only for fine detail.
  3. Pick the PDF standard: PDF/X-4 (colour-managed) or PDF/X-1a (true DeviceCMYK). Both are produced offline.
  4. Set the total ink limit used for the colour warnings (the default suits most coated stocks).

3 · True CMYK, on your machine

When you choose PDF/X-1a, PressReady PDF converts your artwork to real DeviceCMYK using LittleCMS and a bundled GRACoL profile. PDF/X-4 instead preserves the colour-managed artwork and embeds its output intent. There's no conversion service, upload, or cold start: both paths run locally.

  • PDF/X-4: a colour-managed PDF/X with the profile attached as an OutputIntent. Right for the large majority of jobs.
  • PDF/X-1a: every pixel converted to DeviceCMYK and embedded as a true CMYK image for shops that demand exact separations.

Good to know. The artwork is rasterised to a high-resolution CMYK image (300 dpi by default). At final size this gives press-ready detail while avoiding font and transparency surprises.

Building from source

Prefer to build it yourself, or want to tinker? Clone the repo and build from the root:

cd PressReady PDF
npm install
npm run build

That produces the same files you'd get in the download, including the manifest.json you import into Figma. Use npm run watch while you're hacking on it so it rebuilds as you go.

Troubleshooting

  • “No frames selected.” PressReady PDF works on frames. Select at least one frame on the canvas (not a group or a loose layer) before you generate print frames or export.
  • A big frame is slow or stalls. Higher resolutions increase file size quickly. Drop back to 300 dpi, which is enough for almost all print.
  • The download feels large. That's expected. The colour profile and conversion engine are bundled so the plugin works offline.
  • Don't see your latest edits? Reload the plugin from Plugins → Development (right-click it and choose Reload) so it picks up your newest artwork.

Want the background on choosing bleed, safe zones, colour profiles and ink limits? There's a deeper guide in docs/USAGE.md in the repository.