Canva App

Print Preflight for Canva

Check your design for common print production issues before sending it to the printer. Safe zones, image resolution, CMYK color safety — all in one click.

How It Works

Three steps to catch print issues before they cost you time and money.

1

Open InkProof in Canva

Find InkProof in Canva's Apps panel and open it right inside the editor. No separate tabs, no sign-up required.

2

Run Print Check

Click one button and InkProof scans your design for safe zone violations, low-resolution images, CMYK-unsafe colors, and sizing issues.

3

Review & Fix

See clear Pass, Review, or Fix results for each check. Toggle the safe zone overlay to visualize edge margins directly on your design.

Four Preflight Checks

Each check gives you a clear Pass, Review, or Fix verdict with specific details about what to adjust.

Safe Zone Detection

Flags text and elements too close to page edges. Uses a 36px (~9.5mm) safe zone. Large background elements are automatically skipped. Text near edges triggers a failure; other elements trigger a warning.

Fix — text near edge

Image Resolution Analysis

Measures effective PPI (pixels per inch) for every image in your design. Below 100 PPI means pixelation is likely. Between 100 and 150 PPI may look soft. 150+ PPI is good to go.

Pass — 150+ PPI

CMYK Color Safety

Scans shape fills and text colors for RGB values that shift dramatically when converted to CMYK for print — neon blue, bright purple, hot pink, neon green, and bright orange.

Review — color may shift

Page Dimensions

Checks if your design dimensions are reasonable for print production. Warns if either dimension is smaller than 2 inches at 96 PPI, which can indicate the design was set up for screen, not print.

Pass — print-ready size

Visual Safe Zone Overlay

Toggle a colored overlay directly on your design to see exactly where the safe margins are. Green means all elements are safe. Red highlights areas where content is too close to the edge.

🤓 All Pass
🧐 Warnings
😡 Failures

Meet the Professor

Your friendly print preflight guide. The Professor reacts to your results — happy when everything passes, concerned when there are warnings, and alarmed when there are issues that need fixing. A quick visual cue so you know where you stand at a glance.

Print Tips

Quick rules of thumb for getting the best results from your printer.

📄

Export as PDF Print

Use Canva's "PDF Print" export option for the highest quality output. Avoid PNG or JPG for professional print jobs.

📷

Use 200+ PPI Images

Higher resolution images produce sharper prints. Aim for at least 200 PPI at the final print size for crisp results.

🎨

Avoid Neon Colors

Electric and neon colors look vivid on screen but shift significantly when printed in CMYK. Stick to muted, print-safe tones.

Private by Design

InkProof runs entirely in your browser inside Canva's editor. No data leaves your device. No backend. No accounts. No tracking.

No data collection
No backend server
No cookies or analytics
No sign-up required