Run a free preflight →
CATCH ERRORS BEFORE PRESS

The AI preflight for
packaging artwork.

Upload your artwork and get a clear, press-ready report your whole team can act on. Spot colors, dielines, bleed and barcodes. Every issue flagged and paired with a plain-language fix. Catch the problems that cause reprints, before your file reaches the press.

5 free preflights · no account · no card
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For packaging artwork across
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See it in action

A complete preflight, automatically.

A preflight checks your packaging artwork for the problems that stop a print run, before it ever reaches the press. Here's what your team sees.

STEP 01

Upload & pick a profile

PDF, AI, or EPS up to 75 MB. Choose digital labels, flexo, flexible packaging, or folding carton.

STEP 02

It reads your artwork

It checks your file against real packaging rules like dielines, bleed, spot colors and barcodes, and catches the issues that would stop a print run.

STEP 03

Prioritized report

Findings sorted by what matters (critical, warning, info), each explained in plain terms with a clear fix, so anyone on the team can act on it.

Who it's for

One engine. Every role that touches the file.

From a plant processing thousands of files to a designer checking a handful, every role works from the same checks and the same plain-language report.

Converters & manufacturers

Verify every incoming customer file automatically on arrival, at volume, connected to your MIS, with no change to how your team works.

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Prepress, production & CSR

A consistent first-pass check your team can run on every incoming file, before it reaches a trained operator.

Start a seat →

Designers & brands

Confirm your artwork is production-ready before you hand it off. Preflight catches the issues a prepress operator would, and explains how to fix each one.

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For converters & production teams

The whole platform, built into your workflow.

Every file a customer sends, checked automatically the moment it lands, before it reaches a press operator. Full API access, deep reporting and Quick Check, and a white-labeled portal branded as your own, connected to your MIS and prepress systems. Delivered as a subscription with guided setup, not a multi-month deployment.

Talk to us about Enterprise →
What's included

Automatic, on arrival.

Full API access Deep reports + Quick Check MIS / prepress integration Files checked automatically White-labeled customer portal Branded customer-facing reports Company-wide access Guided setup & support
Built from the inside out
"After years in packaging sales, one thing always stood out: the knowledge in pre-press is deep, but it almost never reaches the customer in a way they can use. We built Preflight to close that gap. The tools to catch these problems always existed. They just weren't built for the people who need them most: the sales reps, the CSRs, the small shops without a dedicated preflight operator."
Michael BollandFounder, Preflight.art · Former Packaging Sales Rep
Smarter than a checklist

The findings basic checks miss.

A preflight is only as good as what it catches, and how well it explains the fix.

Plain-language fixes

No cryptic error codes. Every finding tells you exactly what to change, and where.

Catches what rules miss

A stray RGB image, a mislabeled dieline, a likely typo: the things a checklist walks right past.

Prioritized for you

Critical vs. nice-to-fix, sorted, so you know what actually stops the run.

Reads like your best operator

It understands packaging structure, not just PDF syntax: dielines, seals, finished size.

What it catches

Packaging-native checks, not a PDF lint.

Every check is written for packaging production and tuned to your print method, packaging type, and substrate. Every finding comes with a clear fix.

RGB vs CMYK Spelling & typos Spot colors & suffixes Dieline detection Bleed & safe zone Seal & gusset zones Fonts & min. text Resolution / DPI Ink coverage & trapping Barcodes (GS1) White ink layer
See a real report

One file, start to finish.

A production label, exactly as a customer would send it. Here's the full report: every finding paired with a clear fix, plus the key specs it could pull from the file.

Findings & fixes

Meridian Facial Oil · front label

Front-panel logo is RGBCRITICAL

Fix: convert the logo to CMYK. RGB art shifts unpredictably on press and won't match your other panels.

Fonts not outlined or embeddedWARNING

Fix: outline or embed every font so type can't reflow or substitute on the printer's system.

Possible typo: “Botancial”WARNING

Fix: reads like it should be “Botanical.” Confirm the spelling before the plates are cut.

Reverse type below 5 pt (4.2 pt)WARNING

Fix: bump reverse text to at least 5 pt, or set it in a single ink, so it holds cleanly on press.

Bleed 0.125" on all sidesPASS
Barcode scans clean (EAN-13, grade A)PASS
4 to review before pressADVISORY
Less re-measuring

Specs, read from the file.

When the specs are in the artwork, the report pulls them out (finished size, bleed, dieline) so there's less to measure by hand off a proof.

Finished size 3.75 × 5.25 in Bleed 0.125 in, all sides Safe zone 0.125 in Dieline detected (spot: Dieline) Barcode EAN-13, 82% mag Colors: CMYK + 1 spot
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What we check

Every check, explained in plain terms.

Preflight is built for packaging production, so every check maps to something that can stop a print run. Here is what each one looks for, and why it matters across labels, flexible packaging and folding cartons.

Dieline & structure

We detect the dieline and read the finished size, safe zone, and cut and fold marks, so your artwork lines up with the structure it will be die-cut into.

Bleed & safe zone

We confirm artwork runs past the trim on every side and that critical copy sits inside the safe zone, so nothing important gets trimmed off or cut too close.

Spot colors & separations

We check spot names and suffixes against your print method and flag stray or duplicate separations, so your plates and inks match what the press expects.

Barcodes (GS1)

We grade barcodes for scannability and check quiet zones and magnification against GS1 guidance, so codes scan cleanly at retail the first time.

Resolution & color

We flag low-resolution images that would look soft on press, plus RGB art that needs converting to CMYK before it shifts color.

Fonts & minimum text

We confirm fonts are outlined or embedded and flag type set too small or reversed too thin to hold cleanly on your substrate.

Built for every format

A profile for how you actually print.

Every print method and substrate has its own rules. Preflight ships purpose-built profiles, not averaged guesses.

LIVE

Digital Labels

Pressure-sensitive on HP Indigo, Xeikon or inkjet. Spot colors, bleed, dieline, resolution, barcodes.

BETA

Flexo Labels

Pressure-sensitive on flexo presses. Spot plates, trapping, dieline and barcodes.

BETA

Flexible Packaging

Stand-up pouches, flat pouches, roll stock. Reverse-printed flexo on BOPP / PET / foil.

BETA

Folding Cartons

Paperboard on SBS, CCNB or FBB. Dieline, bleed, ink coverage and structural checks.

Why it pays off

Catch one reprint and it's more than paid for.

A missed error doesn't just trigger a $500 to $5,000 reprint. It pushes back your delivery date and ties up press time you've already booked. Catching it upfront, for $79.99 a seat per month, keeps the job on schedule and the budget intact.

$500-5K
cost of one reprinted job
$79.99
per seat, per month
~2 min
from upload to a full report
4
packaging profiles
How we compare

Packaging-native, browser-based, AI-checked.

Run us alongside your existing prepress software as the fast first-pass anyone can use, or on your own.

vs Enfocus PitStop

An Acrobat plug-in for general PDFs.

We're packaging-native and browser-based, and add an AI read no rule engine can match.

vs callas pdfToolbox

A developer-grade rule engine.

We ship packaging-tuned profiles out of the box and explain every fix in plain language.

vs Esko

The enterprise standard for the giants.

We're the mid-market alternative, focused on preflight and live in your browser today.

Pricing

Try it free. Scale when you're ready.

Start with 5 free preflights on your real files. No account, no card. Run one now →
Most popular
Self-serve
$79.99 /mo per seat
Subscribe, pause, or cancel anytime.
  • Unlimited preflights
  • Every packaging profile
  • Customer-ready PDF reports
  • Prioritized findings with how-to-fix
Get started
Enterprise
Let's talk
Company-wide, built into your workflow.
  • Everything in Self-serve, company-wide
  • Full API access + MIS / prepress integration
  • Deep reports + Quick Check on arrival
  • Guided setup & support
Talk to us
Questions

Good to know.

What is a preflight?

A preflight checks your packaging artwork for the problems that stop a print run: bleed, spot colors, dielines, resolution, barcodes and more, before the file goes to press. Preflight.art does it automatically and explains every fix in plain language.

Do I need an account or a credit card?

No. Your first 5 preflights run on real files with no account and no payment details. You only create an account when you're ready to subscribe.

What files can I upload?

PDF, Adobe Illustrator (.ai) and EPS files up to 75 MB, including artwork exported from Illustrator, InDesign and most prepress tools.

Which packaging formats does it support?

Digital and flexo labels, flexible packaging like stand-up and flat pouches and roll stock, and folding cartons. Each format gets its own purpose-built profile rather than one averaged set of rules.

Do you check barcodes to GS1 standards?

Yes. Barcodes are graded for scannability, with quiet zones and magnification checked against GS1 guidance, so codes scan cleanly at retail.

Do I need design software to use it?

No. Preflight runs in your browser. Upload a PDF, AI or EPS file and get a report you can act on, with no plugin or install.

How does this fit into my existing prepress workflow?

It slots in as a fast first pass. Upload a file and get a plain-language report anyone can act on before it reaches a trained operator or goes to press, with no plugin or install. If you already run prepress software, Preflight flags problems earlier and lets more of the team check a file; if you don't, it stands on its own. And for higher-volume teams, our Enterprise tier integrates directly into your production workflow via API, so files are preflighted automatically as they move through your pipeline.

How accurate is it?

Preflight catches the vast majority of press-stopping issues early and pairs each with a clear fix. Think of it as an expert first pass, a second set of eyes on every file before it leaves your hands, not a replacement for your printer's final check. Confirm anything critical with your print provider before the job ships.

Run your real file. Free.

Five full preflights on your actual production artwork. No account, no card. See exactly what a prepress check would catch, before it costs a reprint.