StretchLearn Course

Send files to the printer that come back right the first time

A beginner-friendly path through bleed, colour, proofing, and vendor communication for real commercial print.

Beginner10 hr 15 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

The most expensive mistakes in design happen at the printer, not on the screen. This course teaches the production craft behind clean physical print: how bleed, slug, and safe margins actually work, why RGB and CMYK diverge, how to handle spot colours and overprint, what resolution a job truly needs, and how to package, soft-proof, and approve files so a 5,000-piece run is right the first time. You finish able to pre-flight a file in InDesign, build a correct PDF/X export, read a contract proof, and brief a commercial printer without surprises.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Set up documents with correct bleed, slug, and safe margins for the print method and finish

Convert and manage colour across RGB, CMYK, and Pantone spot inks using ICC profiles

Resolve resolution, image, and font issues so artwork rasterises and rips cleanly

Pre-flight and package InDesign files and export a compliant PDF/X-4 or PDF/X-1a

Read and approve soft proofs and contract proofs against a known colour standard

Write a print specification and brief vendors to avoid reruns and surprise charges

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: How Physical Print Actually Works

Understand the production chain behind a printed piece so your design decisions match the process. This module replaces guesswork with how presses, inks, and paper really behave.

3 lessons

From Screen Pixels to Printed DotsContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Offset, Digital, and Large-Format: Choosing the MethodContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Paper, Stock, and FinishesContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Document Setup, Bleed, and Trim

Build artwork on correct geometry from the first click: bleed, slug, safe margins, page size, and imposition basics. This is where most reprints are prevented.

3 lessons

Bleed, Slug, and the Safe MarginContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Setting Up a Document Correctly in InDesignContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Page Size, Imposition, and FoldsContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Colour, Images, and Type for Press

Master the three things that most often shift between screen and paper: colour mode, image resolution, and fonts. Get these right and your print matches your intent.

3 lessons

RGB, CMYK, and Why Colour ShiftsContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Pantone Spot Colours and OverprintContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Resolution, Images, and FontsContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Pre-Flight, Proofing, and Working with Printers

Close the loop: pre-flight and package files, export compliant PDFs, read proofs against a standard, and brief vendors so the job comes back right and on budget.

3 lessons

Pre-Flight and Packaging the FileContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Exporting a Correct Print PDFContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Proofing and Briefing the Print VendorContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

pre-pressprint productionbleed and trimCMYK colourPantone spot colourPDF/X exportsoft proofingprint vendor communication