Let’s say you’re creating artwork for a business card. As I previously explained, business cards are traditionally 3.5” x 2”, and your printer will probably want to run them “8 up” on an 8.5” x 11” sheet. Let’s also say your design includes a background image that bleeds off all four sides of your document, like the following example:
PLEASE NOTE: The above image is only a hypothetical example. I am not actually in the wig game. If you show up at the corner of 4th St. & 5th Ave. and attempt to buy hair or bait from a man in a van, it will not be me, and I cannot guarantee your safety.
Now, let’s design a business card!
Set your document size at 3.5” x 2” with a .125” bleed area. This can all be set in the new document window in InDesign, Illustrator, Quark, or any other design software program. You’ll also want to set a margin of at least .125”. That will keep you from placing any text (like part of your phone #) too close to the edge. When your document opens, it will look like 3 rectangular boxes, one inside of the other. The outer box is the extent of your bleed area (3.75” x 2.25”). The next smallest box is your actual document size (3.5” x 2”). The smallest box (3.25” x 1.75”) is the area in which it is safe to include text, logos, pictures, or anything else that you don’t want to get cut off during trimming.
Create an image frame 3.75” x 2.25”, center it on your document, and import your background image into it, making sure that it fills the entire frame, extending beyond the document edge. Then create a text frame within the 3.25” x 1.75” margin and enter your pertinent info. After you’re satisfied with your layout, sit back, pat yourself on the head, take a few deep breaths and prepare to export your finished artwork. There are a couple of different ways to do this.
If you trust your printer, or don’t trust yourself, or both...
You’ll want to provide your printer with an editable document. You’ll need to include all the fonts you used, and all the original image files you placed in the document (the background image and any logos etc.). InDesign has a ‘Package’ command in the File menu that is excellent for this purpose, and Quark has a 'Collect for Output' command that works just as well. These options will collect all your files into a new folder which can be given to your printer. By providing your original document and all the files it is linked to, you give your printer the ability to edit your files. This is the way to go if you anticipate a future need to update the text in your document, like changing your phone number, or having new cards printed for future employees. In addition, the prepress guy (me) is now responsible for any bleeds or crop mark issues. This is also the way to go if you just can’t get your head around that wacky bleed concept; having access to your original files makes it much easier for the prepress person to fix any design errors you may have missed.
If you trust yourself, or don’t trust your printer, or both...
You’ll want to send an PDF (Portable Document Format) of your artwork to the print shop. There are a lot of advantages to this method. The PDF will not be editable by most print shops (unless they have a program called PitStop which allows for the editing of PDF’s, but is prohibitively expensive for the average user), so the chances of your document being accidentally changed are pretty non-existent. PDF’s generally don’t use up nearly as much memory as your original document, and are often small enough to be sent to your printer as an email attachment. Exporting a PDF is pretty simple. Under the File Menu, choose “Export”, and then choose PDF. In the PDF window, set the preset to either “Print”, “Press”, or “Highest Quality”, depending on what version of the software you have installed on your computer. Then, clink “Marks and Bleeds” in the menu to your left. This is where you tell Acrobat to include crop marks and bleeds. If you set your document up with bleeds, you can just check the box that says “Use document bleed settings”. If not, just set the bleed to .125”. That’s all there is to it, really; just hit ENTER, sit back, and marvel at the miracle of creation (of your Portable Document Format file).
That’s all for now... the next post will most likely contain some more philosophical musings on crops & bleeds (yes, I do muse about just that sort of thing), or answers to your ensuing questions, or both.
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