How to Use Print for Figma: Complete Tutorial

This step-by-step guide shows you how to use Print for Figma to export professional print-ready PDFs with CMYK color conversion, bleed, crop marks, and 300 DPI verification.

Time required: Under 2 minutes from design to print-ready file.

Skill level: Beginner-friendly. No print expertise required.

Before You Start

Install Print for Figma Plugin

Open Figma (desktop app or browser)
Click Resources in the toolbar
Go to Plugins → Find more plugins
Search for "Print for Figma"
Click Install

Direct link: Install Print for Figma →

What You'll Need

Figma account (free or paid)
Your design in a Figma frame
Basic knowledge of your print requirements (size, bleed)

Step 1: Design Your Project in Figma

Print for Figma works with any Figma design. Create your frame using standard Figma tools.

Choose Your Frame Size

Create a frame matching your final print size:

Common print sizes:

Business card: 89×51mm (3.5×2")
Flyer (US): 215.9×279.4mm (8.5×11")
Flyer (A4): 210×297mm
Poster: 609.6×914.4mm (24×36")

Quick tip: Use Figma's frame presets or enter custom dimensions in the frame properties panel.

Design Your Content

Use any Figma features (Auto Layout, components, text, images)
Design in RGB colors (Print for Figma converts to CMYK automatically)
Don't worry about bleed yet (plugin adds it automatically)
Keep important content inside the safe area (not near edges)

Important Design Considerations

Resolution for 300 DPI:

For best print quality, ensure your images are large enough:

Business card (3.5×2"): Minimum 1050×600 pixels
Flyer (8.5×11"): Minimum 2550×3300 pixels
Poster (24×36"): Minimum 7200×10800 pixels

Use our Pixels to MM Calculator → to verify dimensions.

Color mode:

Design normally in RGB (Figma's default)
Print for Figma converts to CMYK during export
Preview CMYK conversion in the plugin before exporting

Safe area:

Keep critical content (text, logos) at least 3-5mm from frame edges to avoid cropping issues.

Step 2: Open Print for Figma Plugin

Launch the Plugin

Method 1: From plugins menu

Right-click on your frame
Select Plugins → Print for Figma

Method 2: From resources panel

Click Resources in toolbar
Go to Plugins tab
Click Print for Figma (in "Recents" or search for it)

Method 3: Quick Run (⌘/)

Press ⌘/ (Mac) or Ctrl/ (Windows)
Type "print for figma"
Press Enter

Plugin Interface Overview

The Print for Figma interface has four main sections:

Frame Selection - Choose which frames to export
Print Settings - Configure size, bleed, crop marks
Color Mode - Select RGB or CMYK conversion
Export Button - Generate your print-ready PDF

Step 3: Configure Print Settings

Select Your Frames

Single frame:

Click the frame you want to export
It will be highlighted in the plugin

Multiple frames:

Hold Shift and click multiple frames
All selected frames will export as separate PDFs

Multi-page document:

Select all frames in order
Enable "Multi-page PDF" in plugin settings
Exports as single PDF (requires Pro plan)

Choose Print Size

The plugin shows your frame's current size. You can:

Option 1: Use frame size

Keep current frame dimensions
Plugin uses these as final print size

Option 2: Scale to standard size

Select preset (A4, Letter, A3, etc.)
Plugin scales your design proportionally

Common presets:

A4: 210×297mm
US Letter: 8.5×11"
Tabloid: 11×17"
A3: 297×420mm
Custom: Enter any dimensions

Add Bleed

Bleed is extra content beyond your final cut size. Most printers require bleed to prevent white edges.

Standard bleed settings:

3mm bleed - For A4/A5/international printing
0.125" bleed - For US Letter/Tabloid printing
Custom - Enter specific bleed value if required

Bleed modes:

Extend - Stretches edge content (default, safest)
Mirror - Mirrors edge content outward
Blur - Blurs edge content
Solid Color - Fills bleed with chosen color

Our recommendation: Use "Extend" mode with 3mm bleed for most projects.

Learn more: Understanding Bleed Modes →

Enable Crop Marks

Crop marks (registration marks) show printers where to cut your design.

When to use crop marks:

✅ Professional printing (recommended)
✅ Print shops require them
✅ Business cards, flyers, posters
❌ Home printing (not needed)
❌ Digital-only PDFs

Toggle crop marks:

Check "Add crop marks" checkbox
Plugin adds corner registration marks automatically

Step 4: Choose Color Mode

Print for Figma supports two color export modes:

CMYK Mode (Recommended for Print)

When to use:

Professional printing
Commercial print shops
Offset printing
Large print runs

What happens:

RGB colors convert to CMYK automatically
Uses industry-standard ICC profiles
Embedded color profile in PDF
Accurate color representation

Color accuracy:

Uses ISO Coated v2 (Europe) or US Web Coated SWOP (US)
Matches Adobe's CMYK conversion
Some bright RGB colors may appear slightly duller in CMYK (this is normal)

RGB Mode

When to use:

Digital printing
Home inkjet printers
Screen viewing
Proof copies

What happens:

Keeps original RGB colors
No conversion
Brighter colors preserved

Our recommendation: Use CMYK for professional printing, RGB for proofs or digital-only PDFs.

Learn more: CMYK Export Complete Guide →

Step 5: Verify DPI Quality

Print for Figma includes an automatic DPI checker.

Understanding the DPI Indicator

Green checkmark (✓):

Your design meets 300 DPI at print size
Ready for professional printing
No action needed

Yellow warning (⚠):

DPI is between 150-299
Acceptable for draft printing
May show slight quality loss
Consider increasing frame size

Red error (✗):

DPI is below 150
Not suitable for professional printing
Will appear pixelated when printed
Must increase frame size

How to Fix Low DPI Warnings

Problem: Yellow or red DPI warning

Solution 1: Increase frame size

Close the plugin
Select your frame
Resize to larger dimensions (proportionally)
Re-run Print for Figma
Check DPI indicator again

Solution 2: Export at smaller physical size

Reduce print size in plugin settings
Higher DPI at smaller size

Example:

Frame: 1200×1600 pixels
Print size 8×10": 150 DPI (⚠ yellow)
Print size 4×5": 300 DPI (✓ green)

Use our DPI Calculator → to find correct dimensions.

Learn more: How to Export 300 DPI from Figma →

Step 6: Export Your Print-Ready PDF

Export Process

Review settings - Check size, bleed, color mode, crop marks
Click "Export PDF" button
Choose save location - Select folder on your computer
Name your file - Use descriptive name (e.g., "business-card-cmyk-bleed.pdf")
Save - Plugin generates PDF (takes 2-5 seconds)

✅ PDF/X-4 format - Industry standard for printing ✅ CMYK color space - If CMYK mode selected ✅ Embedded ICC profile - For accurate color ✅ Bleed area - Extended content beyond cut line ✅ Crop marks - If enabled ✅ 300 DPI resolution - Verified during export ✅ Print-ready file - No further processing needed

File Naming Convention

Use clear, descriptive names:

Good examples:

flyer-8.5x11-cmyk-bleed-3mm.pdf
business-card-front-cmyk.pdf
poster-24x36-300dpi-final.pdf

Avoid:

design.pdf
untitled-1.pdf
final-final-v3-FINAL.pdf

Step 7: Verify Your PDF

Before sending to printer, verify your PDF is correct.

How to Check Your PDF

Open in PDF viewer:

Adobe Acrobat (best)
Preview (Mac)
Any PDF reader

Check these elements:

Page size - Should include bleed (larger than design size)
Crop marks - Should appear at corners
Content - All elements visible and correctly positioned
Colors - Check color accuracy (may look slightly different in CMYK)
Resolution - Zoom to 200-300% to check sharpness

Common Issues and Fixes

Issue: Colors look different

Cause: CMYK conversion (RGB to CMYK shift)
Solution: This is normal. RGB screens can't display CMYK accurately. Trust the conversion.

Issue: PDF is huge (>50MB)

Cause: Large images or complex effects
Solution: Flatten complex layers, optimize images before export

Issue: Crop marks missing

Cause: Crop marks option not enabled
Solution: Re-export with "Add crop marks" checked

Issue: Content cut off

Cause: Content too close to edge, bleed not accounted for
Solution: Keep important content 3-5mm from trim edge

Advanced Tips & Tricks

Multi-Page Documents (Pro Feature)

Export brochures, catalogs, and magazines as single PDF files.

How to:

Create multiple frames in Figma (in order)
Select all frames
Enable "Multi-page PDF" in plugin
Export once → Get single PDF

Best practices:

Name frames in order (Page 1, Page 2, etc.)
Use consistent frame sizes
Add bleed to all pages

Spot Color Support (Pro Feature)

Preserve Pantone or custom spot colors for specialty printing.

How to:

Use Figma's color picker to set specific color values
Tag colors as "Spot" in plugin settings
Export PDF with spot color channels
Printer uses specialty inks for those colors

Use cases:

Brand color matching
Metallic or fluorescent inks
Premium packaging

Batch Export Workflow

Export multiple designs efficiently.

Method:

Organize frames on one page
Name frames clearly
Select all frames
Export → Plugin creates separate PDFs for each frame
All PDFs saved to same folder

Time saver: Export 10 business card variations in one click.

Print Presets

Save frequently used settings for quick exports.

Pro tip:

Set up CMYK + 3mm bleed + crop marks as default
One-click export for recurring projects
Consistent output every time

Sending Files to Printers

Your Print for Figma PDFs are ready to send to commercial printers without modification.

What to Include When Ordering Prints

1. Your PDF file

Named descriptively
Includes bleed and crop marks

2. Print specifications document

Quantity: How many copies
Paper stock: Type and weight
Finish: Glossy, matte, uncoated
Color: CMYK 4-color process
Binding: Stapled, folded, etc. (if applicable)

3. Special instructions

"PDF includes 3mm bleed"
"Cut on crop marks"
"CMYK color space, ISO Coated v2 profile"

Questions Printers May Ask

"What's the bleed?"

3mm or 0.125" (check your export settings)

"What color space?"

CMYK, ISO Coated v2 (ECI) or US Web Coated SWOP

"What's the final trim size?"

Your original frame dimensions (before bleed)

"Do you have crop marks?"

Yes, included in PDF

"What resolution?"

300 DPI, verified at export

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Plugin Won't Load

Solutions:

Refresh Figma (⌘R / Ctrl+R)
Restart Figma app
Reinstall plugin
Check internet connection

Export Takes Long Time

Causes:

Very large frames (>20,000 pixels)
Complex effects (shadows, blurs)
Many layers

Solutions:

Flatten complex layers
Rasterize effects before export
Export smaller regions separately

Colors Don't Match Screen

This is normal!

Screens display RGB (millions of colors)
Print uses CMYK (fewer colors)
CMYK can't reproduce all RGB colors
Bright blues, greens often shift slightly

Solution: Request a printed proof from your printer to see actual colors.

DPI Warning Won't Clear

Cause: Frame is too small for desired print size at 300 DPI

Solution:

Calculate required pixels: (inches) × 300 = pixels
Resize Figma frame to calculated size
Re-export

Example:

Want: 8×10" poster at 300 DPI
Need: 2400×3000 pixel frame
Current frame too small? Resize in Figma

Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your workflow with these shortcuts:

Quick Run Plugin:

Mac: ⌘/ then type "print"
Windows: Ctrl/ then type "print"

Re-run Last Plugin:

Mac: ⌘Option P
Windows: Ctrl Alt P

Select All Frames:

Mac: ⌘A
Windows: Ctrl A

Comparison: Print for Figma vs Manual Export

Task	Manual Method	Print for Figma
Add bleed	Manually extend design	Automatic
CMYK conversion	External software needed	Built-in
DPI calculation	Manual math	Automatic checker
Crop marks	Not possible	One checkbox
PDF/X compliance	Manual settings	Automatic
Multi-page PDF	Merge in Acrobat	One export
Time per file	15-30 minutes	Under 2 minutes

Related Articles

How to Export Print-Ready PDFs from Figma (Complete 2025 Guide)

24×36 Poster Dimensions for Figma: Exact Pixels + Setup Guide

How to Export Images at 300 DPI from Figma for Print (2025 Guide)