Help setting up my file for printing (indesign - PDF - print)

Report · Jan 16, 2018

Hi guys,

I'm hoping your infinite knowledge will give me some peace of mind - I'm used to printing 1 or 2-page flyers but I've been given a job of creating and getting printed a 32-page catalogue.

I'm quite nervous as they're wanting to print some 14,000 and I just want to make sure that I've set the PDF up correctly.

Particularly below's red underline at 2.117mm, I changed this to 3mm and my crop marks no longer overlap the final PDF (Which I think they should?) Image 3 is as default 2.117mm

What concerned me the most, is this white space around the outside, I thought my bleed would take this to the edge? particularly the purple colour i thought would be right to the edge.

I'm fairly sure I've set this up right but figured I could show you guys for peace of mind.

Thanks.

Report · Jan 16, 2018

The trim marks you see on the corners of your art indicate where the pages will be cut; your color is far enough outside of those to allow for slight movement during the cutting process.

Unless your project will be wire-bound, you will not need inside bleed. (but since you have not set your document up as facing pages, you cannot choose inside and outside bleed, so will have to leave it as is, unless you re-format your document.

Report · Jan 16, 2018

3 mm is better, no 2,111. This is normal that white is around. You set a bleed of 3 mm, and put crop marks around. This is ok for press.

Report · Jan 16, 2018

Are you communicating with the printer on the PDF preset? Usually you want to setup a bound document as facing pages, with the bleeds and cropmarks set to the printer's specification. A 32 page book will need to be imposed so many printers don't want crop marks and may or may not want an inside bleed included—it can depend on how they handle the imposition.

Report · Jan 17, 2018

I should have mentioned, they’re offering an overprint service on the cover.

The actual 32-page document is set up as facing pages, the covers I’ve just laid out as non-facing pages… I should really change those I guess!

It's going to be Saddle-stitched

Here’s what I get with 3mm as mention above on the 32 page. Do you think this will suffice? I am in contact with the printers

Does that look correct?

Many thanks for your help guys!

Report · Jan 17, 2018

I see possible problem,

in the bottom the page numbers in the circle are too close to the cut when Saddle-stitched is embossed.

If paper is thicker, the problem is bigger. On the inside pages 18-19, these circles will go to cut if the paper is thick.

My suggestion, reduce the circles (this is even big - visual) and put on the white area.

Report · Jan 17, 2018

It's funny you mentioned that - This was one problem I'd noticed from a previous version that was printed and i was also unsure how to rectify it see below;

As you can also see, the blue border is thinner then the green, the circles give this away - Anyway to counter that at all?

So, your suggestion to counter this is to reduce the circle, and by putting into white area do you mean like this;

Dislike the circle personally, so lost it.

Edit: i saved that image you posted - Very helpful!

Report · Jan 17, 2018

That's called 'creep'. Rather than attempting to compensate for it yourself manually, if you're in contact with the printer, ask them if they can deal with it at their end. Good imposition software can can either move or scale content to compensate for creep, and the printer will have a better idea how much of it to expect. That border is on the tight side for a 32-page saddle stitch, though.

They should be able to give you firm specifications for everything else, but if we were printing it, I'd ask for PDF/X-4, no inner bleed, no crops.