Print Design in Figma 2025: The Ultimate Professional Guide

Figma has evolved into a powerful platform for professional print design in 2025. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to create print-ready designs—from initial setup to final PDF export.

Why Figma for Print Design?

Modern print designers are choosing Figma for several compelling reasons:

• Cloud collaboration enables real-time teamwork
• No expensive subscriptions compared to Adobe Creative Cloud
• Cross-platform compatibility works on any operating system
• Modern interface with intuitive tools
• Plugin ecosystem adds print-specific features

While traditional tools like InDesign remain powerful for complex multi-page documents, Figma excels at business cards, flyers, posters, brochures, and most single-to-moderate page count projects.

Understanding Print vs Screen Design

Color Models: RGB vs CMYK

RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is for screens. It uses additive color where light combines to create colors. All screens display in RGB.

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is for print. It uses subtractive color where inks absorb light. All commercial printing uses CMYK.

Critical difference: Not all RGB colors can be reproduced in CMYK. Bright blues, vibrant greens, and neon colors often shift to duller versions when printed.

Solution: Always preview colors in CMYK before printing. Use our Hex to CMYK Converter and RGB to CMYK Converter tools to check color accuracy.

Resolution: DPI Explained

DPI (Dots Per Inch) determines print quality. Standard professional print requires 300 DPI.

At 300 DPI, images appear crisp and sharp. Below 300 DPI, images look pixelated or soft.

How to calculate frame size for 300 DPI:

Pixels = Physical Size (inches) × 300

Example: Business card 3.5" × 2"
Width: 3.5 × 300 = 1050 pixels
Height: 2 × 300 = 600 pixels

Use our Inches to Pixels Calculator for instant conversions.

Setting Up Your Figma File

Step One: Calculate Dimensions

Always start by calculating the exact pixel dimensions you need.

With Bleed: Standard bleed is 0.125 inches (3mm) on each side.

Final Width = Trim Width + (0.125 × 2)
Final Height = Trim Height + (0.125 × 2)

Example: Business card with bleed
Trim: 3.5" × 2"
With bleed: 3.75" × 2.25"
Pixels: 1125 × 675 at 300 DPI

Use our Bleed Calculator to automatically compute sizes with bleed.

Step Two: Create Frame

Press F to create a frame and enter your calculated pixel dimensions. Set the fill to white or your background color.

Step Three: Add Guides

Create three sets of guides:

• Bleed line - frame edges
• Trim line - 0.125" (37.5 pixels at 300 DPI) from each edge
• Safe zone - 0.125" inside trim line

All important content (text, logos) must stay within the safe zone.

Working with Color

Converting to CMYK

Before designing:

Use our color converters to check if your colors will print accurately:

• Hex to CMYK Converter
• RGB to CMYK Converter

Colors that shift significantly:

• Bright blue (RGB 0,0,255)
• Vibrant green (RGB 0,255,0)
• Neon or fluorescent colors

Safe color choices:

• Earth tones
• Muted blues and greens
• Warm reds and oranges
• Neutral grays

Rich Black for Print

Standard black (K:100%) can look washed out. Use rich black for deep, saturated blacks:

Recommended rich black:

• C:40%, M:40%, Y:40%, K:100%
• Total ink: 220% (safe)

Warning: Never use rich black for small text. Use K:100% only for text.

Total Ink Coverage (TIC)

TIC is the sum of all CMYK percentages. Most printers limit TIC to 280-320%.

Example:

• C:100% + M:80% + Y:100% + K:60% = 340% (TOO HIGH!)

High TIC causes smearing, longer drying times, and paper warping.

Our RGB to CMYK Converter shows TIC values and warns when they exceed limits.

Resolution and Image Quality

Image Requirements

All images must be 300 DPI minimum at their placed size.

How to check:

Image DPI = Image Pixels ÷ Placed Size (inches)

Example:

• Image: 3000 × 2000 pixels
• Placed at 10" wide
• DPI: 3000 ÷ 10 = 300 DPI ✓ Good

If placed at 15" wide: 3000 ÷ 15 = 200 DPI ✗ Too low

Solutions for low-res images:

• Find higher resolution source
• Reduce placed size
• Use vector graphics instead

Frame Size Guidelines

Common sizes at 300 DPI (with 0.125" bleed):

Understanding Bleed, Trim, and Safe Zones

Three Critical Zones

Bleed Zone (outermost):

• Extra space for cutting tolerance
• Standard: 0.125 inches
• Extend backgrounds here
• Nothing important

Trim Line:

• Where final piece will be cut
• Your design size
• Visible edge of product

Safe Zone (innermost):

• Keep all important content here
• 0.125" inside trim minimum
• Text, logos, critical elements

Design Rules by Zone

Bleed Area: ✓ Extend backgrounds and images ✓ Use colors/patterns that can be cut ✗ Never place text ✗ Never place logos

Trim Line: ✓ Design boundaries ✗ Don't place critical content here ✗ Cutting may be off by 1-2mm

Safe Zone: ✓ All text ✓ All logos ✓ QR codes ✓ Contact information ✗ Nothing should go outside this zone

Typography for Print

Font Selection

Print-safe fonts:

• Helvetica, Arial (sans-serif)
• Garamond, Times (serif)
• Futura, Proxima Nova (modern)

Avoid:

• Ultra-thin weights (below 200)
• Fonts with licensing restrictions
• System fonts that may not embed

Minimum Font Sizes

Text Color

For black text:

• Use K:100% only
• Never rich black for text
• Exception: Large headlines can use C:40%, M:40%, Y:40%, K:100%

For colored text:

• Ensure sufficient contrast
• Test with CMYK conversion
• Minimum 30% difference in values

Exporting Print-Ready PDFs

Export with Print for Figma Plugin

The easiest method is using the Print for Figma plugin:

• Automatic CMYK conversion
• Adds crop marks and bleed marks
• Exports PDF/X-1a (industry standard)
• Embeds fonts automatically
• Verifies DPI

Get Print for Figma Plugin

Manual Export Settings

If exporting manually from Figma:

• Format: PDF
• Scale: 1x (actual size, never scale)
• Include: Bleed area
• Compression: Maximum quality

Pre-Flight Checklist

Before sending to printer:

☐ Frame sized with bleed (use Bleed Calculator) ☐ All backgrounds extend into bleed ☐ All text in safe zone ☐ Images are 300 DPI minimum ☐ Colors converted/checked with CMYK converters ☐ Total ink coverage under 300% ☐ Fonts embedded in PDF ☐ Crop marks visible ☐ File size reasonable (under 50MB)

Common Print Sizes

US Standard Sizes (with bleed)

Marketing Materials:

• Business Card: 3.75" × 2.25" (1125 × 675 px)
• Postcard: 6.25" × 4.25" (1875 × 1275 px)
• Flyer (Letter): 8.75" × 11.25" (2625 × 3375 px)
• Poster 18×24: 18.25" × 24.25" (5475 × 7275 px)

International (ISO A-Series)

With 3mm bleed:

• A6: 111 × 154 mm (1311 × 1819 px)
• A5: 154 × 216 mm (1819 × 2551 px)
• A4: 216 × 303 mm (2551 × 3579 px)
• A3: 303 × 426 mm (3579 × 5031 px)

Use our MM to Pixels Calculator for any size.

Professional Workflow

Complete Project Workflow

Setup Phase:

• Calculate dimensions with calculators
• Create frame with correct size
• Add guides for bleed, trim, safe zones
• Set up color swatches (CMYK-safe)

Design Phase:

• Keep text in safe zone
• Extend backgrounds to bleed
• Use 300 DPI images
• Check colors with converters

Review Phase:

• Run pre-flight checklist
• Convert colors to CMYK
• Verify all image resolution
• Check total ink coverage

Export Phase:

• Use Print for Figma plugin
• Export PDF/X-1a with crop marks
• Verify file integrity
• Request proof print

Production Phase:

• Send files to printer
• Provide specifications
• Review proof print
• Approve for production

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Top 10 Print Design Errors

Wrong resolution: ✗ Designing at 72 DPI ✓ Always use 300 DPI calculations

No bleed: ✗ Design stops at trim ✓ Always add 0.125" bleed

Text too close to edge: ✗ Text on trim line ✓ Keep 0.125" inside trim minimum

RGB colors: ✗ Using bright RGB without checking ✓ Convert and verify all colors

Low-res images: ✗ Using web images (72 DPI) ✓ Source 300 DPI minimum

Wrong black: ✗ Rich black for small text ✓ K:100% for text only

Hairline strokes: ✗ 0.25pt or thinner lines ✓ Minimum 0.5pt strokes

Missing fonts: ✗ Not embedding fonts ✓ Embed or outline fonts

Wrong file format: ✗ Sending PNG or JPG ✓ Always PDF/X-1a

No proof print: ✗ Printing without testing ✓ Always request proof

Advanced Techniques

Spot Colors and Special Finishes

For spot UV, foil stamping, or embossing:

• Design effect areas on separate layer
• Export as spot color
• Provide vector outlines
• Specify finish type to printer

Large Format Design

For banners and posters:

• Resolution can drop to 150 DPI for distant viewing
• Bleed often 1-2 inches
• Account for grommets (1" from corners)
• Use vendor-provided templates

Multi-Page Documents

For brochures and booklets:

• Create separate frames for each page
• Number pages clearly
• Use components for repeated elements
• Export as single PDF or individual pages

Tools and Resources

Free Tools (Ours!)

• Hex to CMYK Converter - Check color accuracy
• RGB to CMYK Converter - Convert with TIC check
• Inches to Pixels Calculator - Get exact dimensions
• MM to Pixels Calculator - Metric conversions
• Bleed Calculator - Calculate sizes with bleed

Essential Plugin

Print for Figma ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• CMYK conversion
• PDF/X-1a export
• Crop marks and bleed
• DPI verification
• Download Free

Explore Use Cases

Learn how to create specific print items:

• Business Cards
• Flyers
• Posters
• Brochures
• View All 30 Templates

Conclusion

Print design in Figma is professional, efficient, and powerful in 2025. By following proper specifications—300 DPI resolution, 0.125" bleed, CMYK colors, and safe zones—you can create print-ready designs that rival traditional desktop publishing software.

Key Takeaways

✓ Calculate correct dimensions for 300 DPI ✓ Always add 0.125" bleed on all sides ✓ Keep text/logos in safe zone (0.125" inside trim) ✓ Convert and verify colors with CMYK tools ✓ Use 300 DPI images minimum ✓ Export PDF/X-1a with Print for Figma plugin ✓ Request proof print before production

Ready to Start?

• Download Print for Figma Plugin
• Use our free conversion tools
• Explore print templates
• Read more print design guides

Happy printing! 🎨✨

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Questions about print design in Figma? Contact us or leave a comment below.