Check a Book PDF Before Printing: A Preflight Routine

Where to start

Inspect the PDF you will upload, not only the editor that produced it. Export settings can change fonts, image quality and page breaks. Keep a clear filename and release record so the checked file is the one that reaches the printer.

Use both technical checks and a reader review. A file can pass submission validation while containing an omitted paragraph, an awkward page break or a diagram too small to understand.

Review the release file in layers

• Confirm dimensions, page count and the intended bleed setup.
• Check font embedding and look for substituted glyphs or missing symbols.
• Inspect images at actual size and zoom in on suspicious edges.
• Review page order, blanks, chapter openings, headers and page numbers.
• Compare contents against the approved manuscript, then review the printer preview and a physical proof.

Catch the correct file with the wrong content

A PDF may have perfect dimensions but lack a table's final row because the source overflowed a fixed box. Pick the longest table, longest heading and last page of each chapter for close inspection. Then compare the final paragraph of the book with the master manuscript.

If you fix one defect, export a new version and check the affected page plus nearby pages. Reflow may move the problem. Record the filename and review date; ‘final-final.pdf’ is not a reliable version history when several similar files exist.

Check your result

• The file has no accidental password or editing marks.
• No content is clipped, missing or replaced by unsupported characters.
• Proof corrections are present in the final upload.
• The cover uses the same final page count.

References and scope

Reference material checked October 28, 2026. The exercises and examples are editorial guidance, not results from a comparative product test. EarnDraft publishes this guide and sells book-creation software.

KDP paperback submission guidelines