PDFengine Blog

tutorials

BookBaby PDF requirements: 0.125 inch bleed, CMYK, 300 dpi and a page count in multiples of 4

BookBaby wants single pages, 0.125 inch bleed, CMYK, 300 dpi, embedded fonts and a page count in multiples of 4. Here is how to prepare your book interior PDF.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

UPrinting PDF requirements: 0.125 inch bleed, CMYK, 300 dpi and embedded fonts

UPrinting asks for CMYK, 0.125 inch bleed, 300 dpi images and embedded fonts, and recommends PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4. Here is what that means for your print file.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Vistaprint PDF requirements: 0.125 inch bleed, CMYK and 300 DPI, per product template

Vistaprint asks for a print-ready PDF with about 0.125 inch bleed, CMYK, 300 DPI images and embedded fonts. The exact values depend on your product template.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Blurb PDF to Book requirements: single pages, no crop marks and 100% black for text

For PDF to Book, Blurb asks for single pages in CMYK or sRGB, an even page count, no printer marks and 100% black for text. What exactly is on the checklist?

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Bookmundo PDF requirements: PDF/X-3, 3 mm bleed and a cover without crop marks

Bookmundo asks for 3 mm (0.12 in) bleed, embedded fonts and no printer marks; for the cover PDF/X-3:2002 and at least 250 dpi. How to set up your interior and cover, and what PDFengine can do.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Brave New Books cover PDF requirements: PDF/X-3:2002, 3 mm bleed and no crop marks

For the cover, Brave New Books asks for PDF (X-3/2002), JPG or PNG with 3 mm (0.12 in) bleed, at least 250 dpi and no print, crop or bleed marks. How to set up your cover.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Drukwerkdeal and Printdeal PDF requirements: PDF/X-4, Fogra 39 and 280% maximum ink

Drukwerkdeal and Printdeal ask for a PDF in PDF/X-4:2008 with Fogra 39, no crop marks, embedded fonts and a total ink coverage of at most 280%. How to get your file ready.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

IngramSpark PDF requirements: PDF/X-1a or X-3, 240% ink and bleed on three sides

For interior and cover, IngramSpark asks for a PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-3:2002 file, CMYK, at most 240% ink and no crop marks. Here is how to prepare your PDF, and what PDFengine does and does not do for you.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Amazon KDP PDF requirements: how to save your manuscript with bleed

If your book has images that run to the page edge, you have to upload the manuscript to Amazon KDP as a PDF. These are the requirements: 0.125 inch bleed, single pages, embedded fonts and PDF/X-1a preferred.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Lulu PDF requirements: 0.125 inch bleed, no crop marks and at most 270% ink

Lulu asks for a PDF with single pages, 0.125 inch bleed, embedded fonts, flattened transparency and a total ink coverage of at most 270%. Here is how to prepare your book file.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Total ink coverage (TAC): what it is and how to stay under 240, 270 or 280%

Total ink coverage (TAC) is the sum of cyan, magenta, yellow and black at one spot. Printers ask for 240, 270, 280 or 300% as a ceiling. What does that mean, why does converting to CMYK not meet it by itself, and how do you check it?

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

48HourPrint PDF requirements: 0.125 inch bleed, CMYK, 300 dpi and no crop marks

48HourPrint asks for a CMYK PDF at trim size plus 0.125 inch bleed per side, 300 dpi images and no crop marks. Here is what to prepare and what is not specified.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Submitting a print-ready PDF to Onlineprinters: PDF/X-4:2010, 2 mm bleed and CMYK

Onlineprinters recommends PDF/X-4:2010 and asks for CMYK, 2 mm bleed, a 4 mm safety margin and at least 300 dpi, unless your product says otherwise. What does the page say, and what should you check yourself?

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Submitting a print-ready PDF to Print.com: PDF/X-1a or X-4, 3 mm bleed and 280% for brochures

Print.com, a printer active in the Netherlands, preferably asks for PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4, ISO Coated v2 or PSO Coated v3 and 3 mm bleed. For brochures a 280% ink limit comes on top. How to prepare your PDF.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Submitting a print-ready PDF to Pumbo: interior and cover requirements step by step

What does Pumbo, a book printer active in the Netherlands, ask of your book PDF? Bleed, crop marks, color profile, ink coverage, fonts and the separate cover, with the source and what you still need to check yourself.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Submitting a print-ready PDF to Flyeralarm: PDF/X-4, ISO Coated v2 300% and bleed

Since 2025, Flyeralarm recommends PDF/X-4, asks for ISO Coated v2 300% for printed matter and wants no crop marks. How to prepare your PDF, and what you still need to check per product.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Gelato PDF requirements: PDF/X-4, 4 mm bleed and no crop marks

Gelato asks for a PDF/X-4 with the GRACoL 2006 output intent, 4 mm (0.16 in) bleed on every side and no crop marks. What exactly is in the requirements, what is a hard requirement and what is advice?

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Coldset PDF requirements at Janssen/Pers Rotatiedruk: PDF 1.3, WAN-IFRA profile and 6 mm bleed

Janssen/Pers, a Dutch coldset printer, asks for a cPDF (PDF 1.3) in CMYK with the WAN-IFRAnewspaper26v5 profile, a maximum of 240% ink and 6 mm bleed on pages that run off the edge. Here is how to prepare your file.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 14, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Convert PDF text to outlines without Illustrator (and when you shouldn't)

Your printer wants text as outlines but you only have a PDF. How to convert it without Illustrator, what you lose, and when embedding fonts is the better answer.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 12, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to deliver a newspaper ad PDF: the 240% ink limit, ISOnewspaper26v4 and GWG2015 explained

Your newspaper wants GWG2015, ISOnewspaper26v4 and max 240% ink. Here is what that means, why a profile label is not enough, and how to convert your ad so it passes.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 06, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Output intent vs colour conversion: why a PDF/X label doesn't fix your colours

An output intent tells the printer which press your PDF was made for. It doesn't change a single colour value. Here is why that matters and how to check your file.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 06, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Which colour profile does your printer want? FOGRA39, FOGRA51, FOGRA52 and newsprint explained

FOGRA39, ISO Coated v2, FOGRA51, FOGRA52 or a newspaper profile? What the names mean, how much ink each allows and which one to choose.

Daan van Tongeren

Oct 06, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Can a PDF's Creation Date Prove Anything? Not on Its Own

A PDF's creation date is a field the producing software wrote, not proof. Only a qualified time stamp gets the eIDAS art. 41(2) presumption of its date.

Daan van Tongeren

Aug 07, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Prove a Document Existed on a Specific Date

Notarial record, RFC 3161 token, blockchain anchor or web capture: eight routes compared on whether the other side can recompute your proof without you.

Daan van Tongeren

Aug 07, 2026 Read More

tutorials

What Makes an Electronic Timestamp 'Qualified' Under eIDAS

A timestamp is qualified only if the issuing service is on an EU Trusted List. Article 41(2) then gives it a presumption of accurate time and intact data.

Daan van Tongeren

Aug 07, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Verify a Document Proof Package Without the Vendor

A proof package should verify offline with openssl and a root you fetch yourself. Anchoring runs daily at 03:00; proof retention defaults to twenty years.

Daan van Tongeren

Aug 07, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Microsoft Publisher Ends in October 2026: How to Print Business Cards and Labels Without It

Publisher stops on 1 October 2026 — and what happens to your .pub files depends on your licence. Microsoft's own advice is to save everything as PDF. Here's how to keep printing business cards and Avery labels without learning a design program.

Daan van Tongeren

Jul 20, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Compare Two PDFs and Find Every Difference (Content, Visual & Metadata)

Comparing two PDFs means answering two questions: are they the same document, and where did the pixels change? Learn when to use a four-layer content check versus a visual pixel diff — and how to export the result as evidence.

Daan van Tongeren

Jul 15, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Prove Two PDFs Are Identical (or That One Wasn't Altered): Fingerprints and Hashes

Two identical-looking PDFs can have different SHA-256 hashes — and that isn't tampering. Learn which hash actually settles whether a document was altered, and how to get a defensible result without a command line.

Daan van Tongeren

Jul 15, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Remove Hidden Metadata From a PDF (and Anonymize a Document Before You Share It)

A clean-looking PDF still carries the author name, the last editor's username, the producer software and the dates. Here's how to see that hidden layer and wipe it before you share — and why that's a different job from redacting visible text.

Daan van Tongeren

Jul 15, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to View Hidden Metadata in Emails and Their Attachments (.eml and .msg)

An email hides two layers of data: the transport headers, and the file metadata baked into every attachment. Here's how to open an .eml or .msg as one tree and read the author, software and real creation dates inside — no Outlook needed.

Daan van Tongeren

Jul 15, 2026 Read More

general

How to Convert OST to PDF: A Practical Guide for Archiving and Compliance

Learn how to convert OST to PDF without losing mailbox context, attachments, or folder structure when you need a portable archive.

PDFengine Team

Jul 01, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Multi-Page TIFF Only Shows Page 1? How to Convert TIFF to PDF

A multi-page TIFF from your scanner holds every page, but most viewers show only the first. Convert TIFF to PDF to get every page, in order, opening anywhere.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 26, 2026 Read More

tutorials

WEBP Files Won't Open? Here's Why — and How to Convert WEBP to PDF

WEBP images from the web often won't open in Windows Photos or email. Here's why, and how to convert WEBP to a PDF that opens on any device.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 26, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Open HEIC Files on Windows (and Turn iPhone Photos Into a PDF)

Windows can't open your iPhone's HEIC photos by default. Here's why, how to view them, and how to convert HEIC to a PDF that opens on any device.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 26, 2026 Read More

tutorials

What DPI Should You Use to Convert a PDF to JPG? (Print vs. Web)

150 DPI is the safe default for PDF to JPG; use 72-96 for web and 300 for print. Here's what DPI really controls and how to pick the right one.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 26, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Can ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini Convert Email to PDF? What AI Can (and Can't) Do

No AI assistant can natively convert .eml or .msg to PDF. But Claude + MCP bridges the gap — here's what each AI can do, what it can't, and how to set up AI-powered email conversion.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 24, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Forward Email to PDF: The Zero-Setup Way to Archive Emails Automatically

Forward an email to a special address and get a complete PDF back — body, headers, and every attachment. No extension, no add-in, no flow. Here's how it works and how it compares to every other method.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 24, 2026 Read More

tutorials

Where Did 'Save as PDF' Go in the New Outlook? (And How to Get a PDF With Attachments)

The new Outlook removed the easy Save as PDF — Microsoft's only built-in route is Print to PDF, which drops your attachments. Here's why it happened and how to get a complete PDF back.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 24, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Convert Outlook & Office 365 Email to PDF: 8 Methods Compared

Save, convert, or merge Outlook and Office 365 emails to PDF — with attachments intact. Eight methods compared: built-in Print to PDF, upload, forward, add-in, API, and even ChatGPT or Claude.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 23, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Convert an S/MIME Encrypted Email to PDF (Without Handing Over Your Keys)

Can't convert an S/MIME encrypted email to PDF? You can't upload it as-is. The safe fix is to make an unencrypted copy first, without ever sharing your private key.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 09, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Convert Email to PDF With Headers (for Archiving & Records)

Convert email to PDF while keeping headers, attachments, and transport data intact, for single files, bulk mailbox archives, and PDF/A.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 06, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Convert a PDF to Grayscale (Without Adobe Acrobat)

Convert a color PDF to true grayscale online without Acrobat. Learn why "Print in Grayscale" fails and how to avoid color print charges.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 06, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Prove an Email Was Sent: Headers, Hashes, and Court-Ready Evidence

A screenshot proves nothing. Learn what actually proves an email was sent: headers, SPF/DKIM/DMARC results, and a SHA-256 integrity anchor.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 06, 2026 Read More

tutorials

How to Make a Print-Ready PDF: The Complete Guide (CMYK, Bleed, Fonts & PDF/X)

What print-ready means, the four things every printer checks, which color profile to use, and how to verify and fix your PDF online, no Acrobat required.

Daan van Tongeren

Jun 06, 2026 Read More

general

Convert MSG to PDF Without Outlook

Learn how to convert MSG to PDF without Outlook while keeping email headers, attachments, and searchable content intact.

PDFengine Team

Apr 01, 2026 Read More

General

Email-Supported Conversion: A Quicker Way to Convert Your Files

Converting, merging, or compressing your files has just become even more efficient with Email supported conversion. Simply attach your files, click the 'send' button in your favorite email provider, and your files are converted!

Jip Oomen

Feb 20, 2026 Read More

General

The 5 Best Ways to Share Your PDF (Fast, Secure, and Hassle-Free)

Discover the five best ways to share your PDF, from download links to QR codes. Learn when each method works best and how PDFengine lets you share your documents quickly and effortlessly.

Jip Oomen

Feb 20, 2026 Read More

General

Email Archive File Formats Explained: OLM, PST, OST & MBOX

Bundling and saving your emails correctly is crucial; for legal compliance, organization continuity, and system resilience. Your emails are best exported and archived using OLM, PST, OST or MBOX file formats.

Jip Oomen

Feb 05, 2026 Read More

General

Why You Should Add a Cover Page to Your PDF

Cover pages form great additions to structure and professionalize your PDF output. Find out how to use this handy PDF add-on

Jip Oomen

Jan 27, 2026 Read More

General

Your PDF Doesn’t Work? 8 Common Reasons Why a PDF Won’t Open (and How to Fix It)

Your PDF not opening is one of the most common errors with PDF documents. Luckily, 99% of the time, this is easy to solve. Downloading the file again, or asking others to re-send your PDF document will fix any error most of the time. Still doesn’t work? Look at these 8 malfunctioning causes and how to quickly fix them:

Jip Oomen

Dec 15, 2025 Read More

General

Compressing and repairing: How to optimize your PDFs

Professionalize your PDFs by using 5 essential PDF optimization tools. Learn when and how to repair, compress, rasterize, OCR, or archive your PDF now.

Jip Oomen

Nov 26, 2025 Read More

General

How to organize your PDFs: 5 tools you should know about

When working with any digital file, you'll always encounter some kind of impracticality: the pages are rotated, the file is locked, etc. Luckily, with PDF organization tools these can be easily overcome. Learn how and when to use PDFengine organization tools.

Jip Oomen

Nov 26, 2025 Read More

General

Organize, Store & Share: Easily Merge Your Documents

To manage and organize all kinds of documents within your organization, being able to merge them is ideal. Explore our 9 supported file formats to merge now.

Jip Oomen

Nov 26, 2025 Read More

General

PDF/A Explained: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Convert Your Files with PDFengine

If you're storing your PDF files you have better heard of PDF/A files. They can safely and reliably store your files for years to come. We explain what PDF/A is all about and how to work with it.

Jip Oomen

Nov 26, 2025 Read More

General

Email Archiving and Email to PDF/A Conversion: How and Why It Matters

Archiving your emails is vital for reasons of legal compliance, safety, and efficiency. With PDFengine, you can seamlessly bulk convert countless email files, its details and attachments into reliable PDF documents, the gold standard for (email) archiving.

Jip Oomen

Oct 25, 2025 Read More

General

What Is OCR and Why Should You Use It?

With OCR (Optical Character Recognition) you can make your files editable, copyable and searchable. OCR recognizes and analyzes text and images in your document, and streamlines its conversion into PDF or Word output, meaning you obtain clear, organized and reliable documents by using OCR

Jip Oomen

Oct 25, 2025 Read More

General

Top 3 PDF platforms compared

PDFengine, IlovePDF and Freeconvert.com all offer well-functioning and quick tools to convert documents from and to PDFs. PDFengine is ideal for its PDF/a, email, and bulk PDF coverage, IlovePDF for watermark and signature tools, and freeconvert.com for the large file type offering.

Jip Oomen

Oct 15, 2025 Read More