Print Design in Figma: The Ultimate Guide
Figma was built for screens, but thousands of designers use it for print every day. This guide covers everything you need to know: frame setup, color management, bleed, DPI, typography, and exporting press-ready PDFs.
In This Guide
- Why Use Figma for Print Design?
- Setting Up Your Document
- Color Management: RGB to CMYK
- Bleed and Crop Marks
- Image Resolution and DPI
- Typography for Print
- Exporting Print-Ready PDFs
- Pre-Flight Checklist
1. Why Use Figma for Print Design?
Traditionally, print design meant Adobe InDesign or Illustrator. But Figma offers real advantages for many print projects — especially for teams already using Figma for digital design:
Real-Time Collaboration
Multiple designers can work on the same print file simultaneously — no file versioning headaches.
One Design System
Use the same components, styles, and brand tokens for both web and print. No duplicate assets.
No Software Licenses
Figma runs in the browser. No per-seat Adobe licenses for team members who only need occasional print work.
Client Review Built In
Share a Figma link for client feedback instead of emailing PDF proofs back and forth.
The main gap — CMYK color, bleed, crop marks, and press-ready PDF export — is handled by the Printery plugin.
2. Setting Up Your Document
Print design starts with the right frame size. Unlike screen design where you think in pixels, print design uses physical units — inches or millimeters — converted to pixels at a specific DPI.
The Formula
Pixel size = Physical size (inches) × DPI
Example: A 8.5" × 11" Letter page at 300 DPI = 2550 × 3300 pixels
Common Print Sizes
| Document | Physical Size | Figma Frame (300 DPI) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Card | 3.5" × 2" | 1050 × 600 px |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | 2480 × 3508 px |
| US Letter | 8.5" × 11" | 2550 × 3300 px |
| 5×7 Postcard | 5" × 7" | 1500 × 2100 px |
| 11×17 Poster | 11" × 17" | 3300 × 5100 px |
| 24×36 Poster | 24" × 36" | 7200 × 10800 px |
Use our Inches to Pixels or MM to Pixels calculator for custom sizes.
3. Color Management: RGB to CMYK
This is the biggest challenge when using Figma for print. Figma works in RGB, printers need CMYK. The color spaces have different gamuts — some screen colors cannot be reproduced in ink.
RGB (Screen)
Additive color model. Light is emitted. Wider gamut. Used by monitors, phones, and Figma.
CMYK (Print)
Subtractive color model. Ink absorbs light. Narrower gamut. Used by offset and digital printers.
Best practice: Design in RGB (you have no choice in Figma), but choose print-safe colors from the start. Avoid neon greens, electric blues, and hot pinks — they'll shift significantly in CMYK. Use Printery's CMYK export with an ICC profile (ISO Coated v2 recommended) for accurate conversion.
Read our complete Figma CMYK guide for a deep dive into ICC profiles, rendering intents, and spot colors.
4. Bleed and Crop Marks
Bleed is extra area beyond the trim edge of your design. When paper is cut, the blade can shift by up to 1-2mm. Without bleed, you'd see white slivers at the edges. Standard bleed is 3mm (0.125") on all sides.
Crop marks are thin lines printed at the corners that show the printer exactly where to cut. They sit outside the bleed area.
In Figma + Printery: You design to the trim size (e.g., 1050×600px for a business card). Printery automatically adds the bleed area and crop marks during export. Just make sure your background colors or images extend to the frame edges so they fill the bleed area.
Learn more: Bleed & Crop Marks feature page | Bleed Calculator tool
5. Image Resolution and DPI
DPI (Dots Per Inch) determines how sharp images look in print. Screens display at 72-96 PPI, but commercial printing requires 300 DPI. Using screen-resolution images in print results in visible pixelation and blurriness.
DPI Quick Rules
- ✓ 300 DPI: Standard for all commercial printing
- ✓ 150 DPI: Acceptable for large format (posters viewed from 3+ feet)
- ✗ 72 DPI: Screen only — never use for print
Use Printery's DPI check to scan all images in your design and catch any below 300 DPI before exporting.
6. Typography for Print
Print typography behaves differently from screen typography. Text is physically inked onto paper, so there are unique considerations:
Minimum Sizes
- Body text: 8pt minimum, 9-11pt recommended
- Captions: 7pt minimum
- Fine print: 6pt absolute minimum
- Reversed text (white on dark): +1pt larger than normal
Font Considerations
- Thin weights: Hairline/thin fonts can disappear in print. Use medium weight minimum for small sizes.
- Small colored text: Use single-color text (K100 for black). Multi-color text at small sizes causes registration issues.
- Embedding: Printery embeds all fonts in the PDF automatically.
7. Exporting Print-Ready PDFs
Figma's built-in PDF export produces RGB files without bleed or crop marks — not suitable for professional printing. Printery generates true press-ready PDFs with:
- • CMYK color conversion with embedded ICC profile
- • Bleed areas (configurable: 3mm, 5mm, or custom)
- • Crop marks and registration marks
- • 300 DPI image resolution
- • Embedded fonts
- • Multi-page support (batch export)
See our step-by-step export guide for detailed instructions.
8. Pre-Flight Checklist
Before exporting your final print PDF, verify each of these:
- ☐ Frame dimensions match your intended print size at 300 DPI
- ☐ All images are 300 DPI or higher (run Printery's DPI check)
- ☐ Background colors/images extend to the frame edges (for bleed)
- ☐ Text and important elements are within the safe zone (5mm from edges)
- ☐ No text smaller than 7pt
- ☐ Small black text uses K100 (not rich black)
- ☐ CMYK conversion enabled with correct ICC profile
- ☐ Bleed set to 3mm and crop marks enabled
- ☐ Spelling and content proofread
Start Designing for Print in Figma
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