THE FITZ SHOPS FIELD NOTES

Print one good proof first.

A step-by-step print checklist for wedding signs, printable games and artwork, with an image-fit example.

By Fitz Shops · Updated October 22, 2026

A screen preview can hide the two most common print surprises: the page is scaled to a different physical size, or the image is cropped to fit a different shape. Resolve those choices on one proof before printing a set of table numbers, game sheets or artwork.

1. Match the file to the paper

US Letter is 8.5 × 11 inches; A4 is 210 × 297 mm. They are similar, but their shapes differ. When a product includes both, choose the version matching the paper in your printer. A 5 × 7 inch design can be placed on a larger sheet and trimmed, but enlarging it to fill that sheet changes the finished size.

For Little Meadow, use one of the editor’s supported sizes and check the exported PDF’s page dimensions. For Confetti Badger, choose the supplied Letter or A4 set and print the rules and answer pages you actually need. Keep answers separate from the player copies.

2. Decide whether size or full-page visibility takes priority

Actual size / 100% asks the print workflow to retain the document’s physical size. Fit to page may shrink or enlarge it to the printable area. The labels vary by application and printer. If a sign must fit a purchased frame, check the printed result with a ruler; the print dialog’s small preview is not a measurement.

Home printers often have non-printable margins. A design with color to the edge may acquire white margins, be clipped, or need supported borderless printing. Ask a print shop about bleed and safe areas before exporting. A matching aspect ratio alone does not supply bleed or protect wording near the trim line.

3. Check raster images before enlarging them

Suppose your photograph is 3000 × 2000 pixels and you want a landscape 10 × 8 inch print. The photo is 3:2; the print is 5:4. You have two different results:

Fill the paper: crop the image to 2500 × 2000 pixels. A centered crop removes 250 pixels from each side. The result has 250 pixels per printed inch.
Keep the whole image: print it at 10 × 6.67 inches. Centering it on 10 × 8 paper leaves approximately 0.67 inches above and below. The image has 300 pixels per printed inch.

Neither option is automatically the right one. Borders retain the composition; a crop fills the frame but can remove a person or important detail. Use the free print-fit planner with your own dimensions to compare them. For a vector PDF or SVG, raster-image PPI is not a blanket measure of the entire document; embedded photos may still need attention.

4. Inspect the content at the size people will use

Check names, dates, table numbers, amounts and spelling in the exported file, not only in the editor.
Look for text that wraps or falls outside its box. Test your longest actual name or menu item.
Print one copy on ordinary paper to check scale, spacing, margins and small text.
If color matters, order or print a proof on the intended paper with the intended printer. Screen brightness, paper and printing processes can change the appearance.
For a batch, count the required pages and copies before confirming the job. Keep a copy of the final export so later reprints use the same version.

Before sending files to a print shop

Confirm the accepted file format, final trim size, bleed, color requirements, paper and quantity. Tell the shop whether you want cropping, borders or exact-size output. Pixel Zoodle’s calculations describe geometry; they do not inspect focus, set your printer’s margins or certify a file for professional production.

For more detail, read pixels, PPI and physical size. To recover an editable source or find a backup, use the file-opening and saving guide.