Printing DVD cover on A4 paper

Question

I've recently created a DVD cover case and sent a print ready PDF to my printers. They say that they are going to print each version on A4 paper, and therefore that I need to create the file as an A4 size (297mm x 210mm) with the DVD case (286mm x 183mm) sized on that proof.

I would have thought they could have printed it to size on an A4, so not sure why they need me to do this. But I'm thinking there should be an easy way to convert it.

Can anyone help me please?

winterm · Accepted Answer

emmab87472117 wrote
I would have thought they could have printed it to size on an A4, so not sure why they need me to do this.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand it either. It’s their job and their business to care. I would avoid such a *strange* printer.

Well, so you have a print ready PDF done already, don’t you? With all required Printer’s Marks added?

Then: create a new InDesign document of A4 size, place your PDF, center it on a page (you may use built-in script AlignToPage.jsx for that), and export your artwork on A4, using exactly the same PDF Export settings as you used earlier (except adding Printer’s Marks*).

That’s it, you just did your printer’s job, now send it to printer

* if you need to add Printer’s Marks to your artwork, try another built-in script CropMarks.jsx.

Randy Hagan · Answer

I think I understand your question. But I'd ask them a couple more questions about it before you continue down this road:

1) Do they want you to include crop marks/(and if needed) bleed marks for the finished job? And

2) Do they want you to center the job on the page and leave it to them to trim four dimensions to the final trim size?

I think it's safe to assume that they want to put responsibility for alignment for your DVD cover on you. Which means you've got responsibility to make the job foolproof from them fooling around with it. They're telling you what size sheet they're going to be running the job on, and putting you on the hook for making the call easy on them for the final trim size.

If they just want it centered, all you need to do is "print" your PDF. To illustrate the example, I created the sample file below as an A5 - 210mm wide by 148 mm deep sheet size:

To "print" your PDF, Select the File>Print menu command and change your Printer: options box from whatever printer you normally use to Adobe PDF as shown below:

Then, click on the Setup option to the left side of the dialog box as shown below. Change the Paper Size: options box to A4, and change the Page Position: options box from its default of Upper Left to Centered. the page proxy at the bottom-left of the dialog box should show your designed DVD cover as the light blue box centered on the larger A4 sheet, like the following screenshot:

If you need crop marks/bleed marks, just click on the Marks and Bleed option at left, then choose those Printer Marks check boxes as shown below:

"Print" your PDF and save it to the job folder you're using on your system, then submit it to your printer. Make sure to ask them to call you if there are any problems before they run your job, so you get the opportunity to fix the job they're going to run but give you responsibility to get it right. You need to be pleasant but clear that if they run the job without giving you opportunity to fix it, they get to eat it and now it's on them to make it right.

Hope this helps,

Randy

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