Bleed and safe zone. Build your file with a 0.125" bleed on every side, and keep anything you don't want trimmed at least that far inside the trim line.
Color mode. Submit CMYK, not RGB. An unconverted RGB file will print, but the color shift on press is rarely what the screen showed you.
Image resolution. 300 dpi at final size is the safe floor for anything a reader will look at closely — covers, portraits, product photography.
PDF format and fonts. Embed and outline all fonts before export. A missing font substitution is one of the most common causes of a reprint.
Paper considerations. Uncoated stock renders color slightly duller than the same file on gloss — proof on the stock you're actually printing on.
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