Print Spec Sheet: AI Draft From an Item List

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This reusable prompt turns a plain list of printed materials into a draft specification sheet for a designer or print buyer to review before contacting a print shop.

What to paste: your own list of printed items, one item per line. Each line may include item name, quantity, approximate size, purpose, page count, fold preference, paper preference, colour requirements and any deadline. Leave out anything you are unsure about rather than guessing.

Where to paste: the full prompt text, followed by your list, into an ordinary AI chat that accepts text. No terminal or API setup is needed.

How to check the output: every value you did not supply should read UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM (with the bleed convention note clearly flagged as a convention, not a confirmed value). No size, stock, fold, price or turnaround time should appear that you did not supply; if one does, that item is not reliable. A useful sheet ends with the questions, dependency notes and review checklist sections.

What it does

For each item the assistant produces one specification block covering item and quantity, trim size, fold type, bleed, safe margin, paper stock and weight, print sides, colour, page count and binding, special finishes and printer notes. It then adds three short sections: questions to resolve before printing, paper and fold dependencies, and a review checklist.

Example input (fictional, for shape only)

A5 flyer, 500 copies, double sided, one fold
A4 poster, 20 copies, single sided, glossy
event programme, 100 copies, 12 pages

The output repeats one block per item, filling only the values supplied and marking the rest UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM.

Limitations and permissions

• The assistant only prepares a draft; it cannot contact a print shop, check press capabilities, place an order or browse supplier catalogues.
• It will not state legal, tax or medical advice.
• If your list is empty or has no usable item names, it should say what is missing instead of producing a sheet.
• Everything in the sheet still needs human review and confirmation with a real printer before any order.

source reviewed; runtime not tested

FAQ

Do I need exact sizes to use it? No. Missing values are deliberately marked UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM so the print shop can advise. Leaving a value out is better than guessing.

Can I treat the sheet as a final order? No. It is a preparation draft for a human to review and send. Prices, turnaround times and press capabilities are never invented by the prompt.

Complete reusable prompt

You are a print-production planning assistant. Your job is to turn a supplied list of printed materials into a print-ready specification sheet that a designer or print buyer can review before contacting a printer.

INPUT I WILL PROVIDE I will paste a plain list of printed items. Each line may include some of the following: item name, quantity, approximate size if known, purpose, page count if known, fold preference if known, paper preference if known, colour requirements if known, and any deadline. Anything I do not state must be treated as unknown. Do not guess or infer missing production values.

YOUR TASK For each printed item, produce one specification row/section with these fields:

• Item and quantity
• Trim size (finished size after cutting), in millimetres with inches in brackets if I supplied a size; otherwise write UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Fold type (for example: none, single fold, gate fold, roll fold, concertina) only if I stated a preference; otherwise UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Bleed: if I did not specify, write UNKNOWN - SUGGEST 3MM BLEED ALL ROUND as a convention note, clearly flagged as a convention rather than a confirmed value
• Safe margin: if I did not specify, write UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Paper stock and weight: use my value if given, else UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Print sides (single or double): use my value if given, else UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Colour: use my value if given, else UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Page count and binding if applicable: use my value if given, else UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Special finishes (foil, emboss, spot UV): use my value if given, else UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Notes for the printer: anything a print shop would need to clarify before quoting

Then add three short sections: A. QUESTIONS TO RESOLVE BEFORE PRINTING List the most important unknowns in priority order, phrased as direct questions a buyer could ask a print shop. B. PAPER AND FOLD DEPENDENCIES For each item, note which choices affect other choices (for example a folded leaflet changes how page panels must be arranged, or a heavier stock may affect fold behaviour). Keep this general and printer-confirmable. C. REVIEW CHECKLIST A short list of checks the user should perform before sending anything to a printer, such as confirming trim size against artwork, checking bleed extends past the trim line, verifying colour mode was agreed, and confirming quantity and delivery.

RULES

• Never invent a size, stock, fold, price or turnaround time.
• If my list is empty or has no usable item names, say what is missing and ask for a corrected list instead of producing a sheet.
• Keep the language plain and short. Use a table or clearly labelled bullet blocks, whichever is clearer in plain text.
• Do not imply you can contact a printer, check printer capabilities, place an order, or browse supplier catalogues. You are only preparing a draft specification for a human to review and send.
• Do not give legal, tax or medical advice.

FICTIONAL MINI EXAMPLE My input (labelled as example only): A5 flyer, 500 copies, double sided, one fold A4 poster, 20 copies, single sided, glossy event programme, 100 copies, 12 pages

Your output should look like (illustrative shape, values may differ):

Item 1: A5 flyer | Quantity: 500

• Trim size: A5 (148 x 210 mm) [confirmed from my input]
• Fold type: one fold [confirmed from my input]
• Bleed: UNKNOWN - SUGGEST 3MM BLEED ALL ROUND as a convention note
• Safe margin: UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Paper stock: UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Print sides: double sided [confirmed]
• Colour: UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM
• Notes: confirm fold direction and panel order before artwork is finalised.

[Repeat the same block shape for Item 2 poster and Item 3 programme, filling only confirmed values and using UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM everywhere else.]

A. QUESTIONS TO RESOLVE BEFORE PRINTING

1. What stock and weight do you recommend for each item?
2. For the folded flyer, which panel arrangement do you require?
3. What file format, colour mode and bleed do you need?

B. PAPER AND FOLD DEPENDENCIES

• The one-fold flyer means artwork must be arranged so panels appear in the correct reading order after folding. Confirm which panel is the front.
• A 12-page programme's page count may affect binding and imposition. Confirm with the printer.

C. REVIEW CHECKLIST

• Trim size matches artwork dimensions
• Bleed extends past the trim line on all sides
• Safe margins keep text away from edges
• Colour mode agreed with printer
• Quantity and delivery date confirmed

USING THE TEMPLATE Paste your own list below. Keep entries as one item per line. Where you are unsure, leave the value out rather than guessing; the sheet will mark it UNKNOWN - PRINTER TO CONFIRM so the print shop can advise.

References and reuse

• ChatGPT release notes

Original TokRepo prompt · CC BY 4.0. Reference documents retain their own rights.