Free Prepress PDF Checker for Affinity Studio & Other Design Apps

Mangoprint Prepress PDF is a free desktop app for checking print-ready PDFs before they go to press. It's ideal if you design in Affinity Studio (or the older Affinity Publisher, Designer and Photo) and want to check overprint, separations and ink values in your exported PDF — without a paid subscription. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, and it's free and open source.

Version 0.1.1 beta · Free · No account needed · Ghostscript built in, nothing else to install.

Watch the walkthrough

What it checks in your print PDF

• Overprint preview — see exactly what an overprint-aware press will print, and catch black text that knocks out or white objects that will vanish.
• Separations preview — switch individual CMYK and spot colour plates on and off to check trapping and knockouts.
• CMYK ink values — hover anywhere on the page to read the C, M, Y, K and spot colour percentages, plus total ink coverage.
• White overprint warning — an automatic alert when anything white is set to overprint.
• Trim and bleed — see the trim and bleed boxes on the page and set them in millimetres, for one page or every page.
• RGB and spot colour checks — find RGB objects and convert RGB or spot colours to CMYK.
• Convert text to outlines — and check which text is still live with the text selection tool.
• Image resolution — shows the effective DPI of the images placed on each page.
• Sharp vector preview — vectors and text stay crisp at any zoom, with page thumbnails and page rotation.

Your original PDF is never changed: edits go to a working copy, and you choose when to export a new file.

Why Affinity users need a prepress checker

Affinity Studio exports excellent print-ready PDFs, but it pays to check the exported file itself before it goes to press, because that's what the printer actually receives. Mangoprint Prepress PDF lets you open the PDF you exported from Affinity and check overprint, separations, ink coverage, bleed and colour before you send it to print. It works just as well with PDFs from any other design app.

All downloads

Older versions and the source code are on GitHub.

Installing

The app isn't code-signed yet (that needs a paid developer certificate), so your computer will warn you the first time. That's normal for free beta software:

• Windows: when "Windows protected your PC" appears, click More info, then Run anyway.
• Mac: open the .dmg and drag the app into Applications. Then run this once in Terminal before opening it:

  xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Mangoprint Prepress PDF.app"

  Or try to open it once, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
• Linux: make the AppImage executable and run it:

  chmod +x Mangoprint-Prepress-PDF_0.1.1_amd64.AppImage
  ./Mangoprint-Prepress-PDF_0.1.1_amd64.AppImage

  Or install the .deb or .rpm for your distro.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mangoprint Prepress PDF really free?

Yes. It's free to download and use, with no account, trial or watermark. It's open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence.

How do I check overprint in a PDF exported from Affinity Studio?

Open the exported PDF in Mangoprint Prepress PDF and tick Simulate overprinting. The page shows exactly how overprinting objects will print. Untick plates in the Separations list to see what's on each ink.

Can I see CMYK separations of my PDF?

Yes. Every CMYK and spot colour plate is listed with its own tick box, and hovering over the page shows the ink percentage on each plate at that point.

Does it work on Mac and Linux?

Yes — there are versions for Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Linux, all with the same features.

Is it an alternative to Acrobat's Output Preview?

It covers the essentials print designers use most — overprint preview, separations, ink values and page boxes — for free, on any platform.

Will it change my PDF?

No. Checking never touches your file. If you make fixes (trim and bleed, rotation, colour conversions or outlines), they're saved only when you click Export PDF, as a new file.

Developed and maintained by Chris Cork from Mangoprint.co.uk. If it saves you time, buy Chris a coffee 😊
Affinity is a trademark of its respective owner and Acrobat is a trademark of Adobe; Mangoprint Prepress PDF is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by either.