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print-designer — playbook

Design and spec a print piece. Output is a print-ready spec a designer can deliver to a printer with confidence — sizes, paper, finish, color, bleed, regulatory content, file delivery format.

When to use

  • "Spec a business card for our Korean fintech."
  • "Design a tri-fold brochure for the new product."
  • "Build a folding carton for our cosmetics line."
  • "Create a subway poster spec."
  • "What paper / finish should we choose?"

Inputs (ask if missing)

  1. Piece type — business card / letterhead / envelope / flyer / brochure / poster / packaging / signage.
  2. Audience — Korean primary / international primary / mixed.
  3. Tier — basic / mid / premium / luxury.
  4. Quantity — affects MOQ + cost.
  5. Budget.
  6. Special requirements — regulatory (food / cosmetics), sustainability, brand-critical color (Pantone match).
  7. Existing brand assets — logo, colors, fonts.
  8. Distribution / use — retail / mailing / hand-out / OOH.

Steps

1. Pick the right piece

Use the type to select primary knowledge:

Piece Read
Business card / letterhead / envelope stationery.md
Flyer / leaflet / brochure / booklet brochures-and-flyers.md
Poster / banner / signage / OOH signage-and-posters.md
Box / carton / label / mailer packaging.md

Always also read print-fundamentals.md. For Korean: korean-print-conventions.md.

2. Spec dimensions

Piece Korean default International default
Business card 90×50mm 85×55mm
Flyer / leaflet A5 (148×210) Letter (216×279)
Brochure A4 / A4 tri-fold Letter
Poster A2 / A1 / A0 Tabloid / Arch
Box per dieline per dieline

Always include bleed: 3mm minimum. State trim AND bleed dimensions.

3. Pick paper / material

For each paper choice, consider: - Weight (gsm) — sets perceived premium. - Finish — matte / glossy / uncoated / soft-touch / linen. - Coating — uncoated / aqueous / UV / lamination. - Color — white / off-white / kraft / colored stock. - Sustainability — FSC / recycled content.

Defaults: - Business card: 300-350gsm matte coated or uncoated. - Brochure: 150-200gsm coated. - Folding carton: 350gsm SBS. - Mailer: 120-200gsm corrugated E-flute. - Poster: 150-200gsm coated for indoor; vinyl for outdoor.

4. Pick color system

Need Use
Standard 4-color CMYK
Brand-critical accent CMYK + 1-2 Pantone spots
Single-color (1-color) 1 Pantone or 100K
Premium metallic Foil stamp (gold/silver/copper/holo)
Neon / day-glo Pantone special inks

State Pantone numbers + CMYK fallback. Don't trust silent conversion.

5. Pick finish + special effects

Common combinations: - Matte + spot UV on logo — premium tactile contrast. - Soft-touch lamination + emboss / deboss — luxury feel. - Glossy + foil stamp — vibrant + metallic. - Uncoated + letterpress — artisanal / wedding.

Each special effect adds 20-100% cost. Cap at 1-2 per piece for restraint.

6. Typography

Pick fonts that: - Print clearly (test small sizes). - Have weights that suit each role (display, body, caption). - Support all required scripts (KR + EN if bilingual). - Are licensed for print use (verify, not just web).

Korean default: Pretendard for sans (free, modern, multi-lingual). 본명조 for serif. Adobe paid families if budget permits.

Sizing: - Body 9-11pt; smaller for Korean than Latin. - Headlines 18-72pt depending on piece. - Captions 6.5-8pt.

7. Regulatory content (if applicable)

  • Food: KFDA — ingredients, allergens, nutrition, manufacturer, country of origin.
  • Cosmetics: KFDA — ingredients (Korean INCI), manufacturer, manufacturing license, expiry.
  • Health-functional foods: KFDA — strict format, approved claims only.
  • Drugs: KFDA — pre-approved copy, regulated formats.
  • Recycling marks (분리배출 표시): required on most consumer packaging.

See korean-print-conventions.md for details.

8. File delivery

Required: - PDF/X-1a export (or PDF/X-4 if printer accepts). - 3mm bleed + crop marks + bleed marks. - Fonts outlined (or licensed for embedding). - All images embedded (no linked external). - CMYK color mode + Pantone spots defined. - ICC profile matching printer (Japan Color 2001 Coated for KR). - Total ink coverage ≤ 300% (some printers say 280%).

Optional: - Source AI / INDD files. - Spec sheet with paper + finish + special-effect details. - Sign-off press proof.

9. Output

Use this structure:

# Print spec: <piece name>

> Brand: <...>
> Audience: <KR / international / mixed>
> Tier: <basic / mid / premium / luxury>
> Quantity: <...>

## Specs
| Spec | Value |
... dimensions, paper, finish, color, file format

## Color tokens
<CMYK + Pantone>

## Typography
<fonts, sizes, weights>

## Layout
<panel-by-panel for multi-panel pieces>

## Regulatory checklist (if applicable)

## Cost estimate

## File delivery

## Pre-press checklist

## Press proof approval

## Don't

Source files this skill reads

Verification phase (run before declaring done)

  • Are dimensions stated AND bleed (3mm min) included?
  • Is color mode CMYK + Pantone explicitly defined (not silent)?
  • Is paper weight + finish specified?
  • Are fonts named with sizes + weights for each role?
  • If regulatory (food / cosmetics): is the regulatory checklist applied?
  • If Korean piece: is 명함 90×50 used (vs international 85×55)?
  • Are recycling marks specified for KR packaging?
  • Is total ink coverage ≤ 300% noted?
  • Is press proof step included for brand-critical color?
  • Does the "Don't" section catch 2-3 specific misuses?

Done when

  • One markdown spec.
  • Dimensions + bleed + safe area.
  • Paper + finish + special effects.
  • Color (CMYK + Pantone).
  • Typography.
  • Layout (per panel for multi-panel pieces).
  • Regulatory checklist if applicable.
  • Cost estimate.
  • File delivery format.
  • Pre-press checklist.
  • Press proof step.
  • "Don't" section.
  • Verification passes.