How do I make a margin guide for a printer to reduce the pdf size?

Question

I'm sending a book to press that has already been published as a Royal Hardback. This is edition will be a B Format. We don't want to change anything in the indesign files because we want to avoid any text reflowing - which would need proofreading/editorial involvement. I know that book printers can reduce the pdf size themselves, but they often ask for a margin guide. Does anyone know what they need and how to make this? Thanks very much.

Abambo · Accepted Answer

You can reduce the pdf page size by using the preflight tool of Acrobat.

You can also import the PDF or the Indesign into a new Indesign (page by page...there is a script to do that for you). That new file can have a completely different page format (rectangle to square for example). The placed pages are like graphics. That means that you can scale to a convenient size. It is clear that changing the page size will change the margins and that there are limits that you can do with that technique.

I use that from time to time to fit an advert to a different format. If there is enough bleed, this works even with over the border designs.

As for the margin guide you probably need to ask an printer knowing the printer jargon as used in English. I would however guess that the margin guide are marks on the page showing the printer what fits in the page like trim marks.

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