Create a border on each A4 page from a large file - Dress making pattern

[georgie_7126]

hi,  Im creating an A4 pdf dress pattern, that will go over many A4 pages. I know how to print and tile etc, however, i need each A4 page to have a 1.5 cm border. Can you please advise how to do this? 

Thanks, Georgie

[Ton Frederiks]

Hi Georgie, it is not simple, but once you have it all setup, it is easy to repeat next time.

I saw in your screenshot that you created 72 A4 pages, so I started with that.

You also said that you needed 1,5 cm overlap on each side, so I deducted 30 mm from both width and height of the A4 (page becomes then 180 x 267 mm) and added 1,5 cm bleed on all sides to get the full A4 again.

In the New Document dialog, I created a document based on a Print profile.

72 Artboards

Width 180 mm

Height 267 mm

Bleed 15 mm on all sides.

Click the More Settings to enter

Spacing -15 mm

Colums 9

Click Create Document

If you paste your design on the resulting artboards you should be able to use Export for Screens to export them all as  PDFs with bleed.

I used a part of your screendump as example.

Before you export as PDF, you need to create a PDF Preset that does not include the entire Illustrator file in each PDF page and includes the bleed and shows trim marks.

Go to Edit > Adobe PDF Presets

Select High Quality Print, click the + button and give it a name.

Uncheck: Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities

At Marks and Bleeds check the Trim Marks, Offset 0 mm and Use Document Bleed Settings

Save the Preset.

In the Export for Screens window, check the little Cog Wheel for the PDF Settings and use the preset that you just created.

Let me know if you have further questions.

[georgie_7126]

hi Tom, thank you so much for such a thorough answer.  It seems to make sense and you have laid out instructions clearly so I should be able follow it. Will report back.  Thank you so much again! =))))))

[Ton Frederiks]

Thanks, good to hear that, curious to hear how it goes.