Thanks to everyone who took part in Debate #1 – ‘If you had to give up all but one application, which one would you keep?’. It was very successful with 28 comments in total, and I think it’s safe to say Firefox was the most chosen application due to the quality of the free web-based applications that are available today!
So here is Debate number two! This week we have a Christmas and Print Design related question:
You’re designing a Christmas Card, how would you set it up ready for print?
Be sure to answer the question in detail. Which software would you use? How would you export it as a PDF? Are there any particular settings you would use? Remember to include details on bleed and fold lines. I want you to pretend this is a real project that you’re about to prepare for print! The card is standard 4-color CMYK.
Looking forward to hear your answers! Be sure to come back, this is going to be interesting!
Set up in InDesign. Open new doc set up bleed to .125 uniform. Make card size .25 smaller than envelope when folded. Set-up to folded size. Uncheck facing pages box.
Set pages up as two spreads. pg 1 is card back, 2 is cover 3 & 4 are inside spread. Make beautiful. Export as hi-quality print pdf with crops and bleed (fold will show up as crop marks). Check spreads box. Only use 300 dpi art.
Photoshop, open new file and choose cmyk colors import only high resolution pics(300dpis) or vectors, (be sure u are using cmyk swatches), once u got ur design ready save as pdf (high quality print)with crops and, i d discard layers and edit capabilities.
I would use InDesign. 1/8″ bleed. I would probably set it up as a two-page layout, with the front/back on one page and the inside/outside on the other. I’d use a guide for the center fold to keep it straight.
I’d also probably have the color/image from the front bleed onto the back by 1/16″ or so, ’cause it’ll look better to have a little wrap on the back than to have blank space on the front if the printing is off.
Artwork would be 300dpi minimum. If it was a photo background, I’d do any touchups with Photoshop before importing it to InDesign (as a TIFF). Touchups on other types of artwork would be done the same, if necessary.
Export with PDF/X1-a specs unless specified otherwise by the printer.
Using Illustrator open new document at a size larger than my overall design including crop marks.Make sure raster elements are set to High (300ppi).
Any Photo, or solid image elements would be embedded *.Tif’s from Photoshop.
Crop marks on the artboard to designate cut lines. Bleed one eighth of an inch outside the cut line. Make sure all important text is in a safe zone one eighth of an inch inside the cut line.
Outline all text.
save as adobe standard *.pdf
If the card has an inside layout it would be set up the same as a seperate *.pdf
The outside graphic labeled Outside, and the inside graphic labeled inside.