Adobe Illustrator - bleed question

Author

bleed question

Dave B

2005-10-04, 3:14 am

If I'm laying out, say, a business card which is 3.5" x 2", but I need a 1/8
bleed - do I make my document size 3.75 x 2.25 and create crop marks at the
actual card size, or do I leave the document size at 3.5 x 2, and then set
my bleeds in the print dialog box? Or both?

I guess I'm not exacly sure what the bleed setting in the print options does
for me if there's no image extending into the bleed area (which there would
be if I made my document oversized in the first place)

thanks...

DB

Alexgirl

2005-10-04, 3:14 am

I layout 8 cards on 8 1/2 x 11 for the printer, indicating the crop marks at
the actual card size, and have the bleed extend beyond that. If you use the
effects/transform menu, you can make copies of the card and then any changes
made to the first one will automatically be reflected in the remaining 7.

If you are not laying out a full page, then I would suggest making the
document 3.75 x 2.25 with crop marks at 3.5 and 2, but be sure that the
printer understands what you have provided him with. I don't know how to set
the bleeds in the print dialog box so I can't answer that one.

"Dave B" <davegnbNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Bxn0f.6712$oc.6340@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> If I'm laying out, say, a business card which is 3.5" x 2", but I need a
> 1/8 bleed - do I make my document size 3.75 x 2.25 and create crop marks
> at the actual card size, or do I leave the document size at 3.5 x 2, and
> then set my bleeds in the print dialog box? Or both?
>
> I guess I'm not exacly sure what the bleed setting in the print options
> does for me if there's no image extending into the bleed area (which there
> would be if I made my document oversized in the first place)
>
> thanks...
>
> DB
>

Jim Webb

2005-10-04, 10:14 pm

This question might have been better asked in the comp.publish.prepress
newsgroup.

Having worked in prepress for several years before joining an ad firm, I
ALWAYS size my document to the finished size, 1-up, because:

1. your business cards will be laid out in prepress in the most
efficient layout they need -- maybe 4-up, maybe 10-up, maybe laid out
4-up for work-and-turn....

2. The printer will ALWAYS output film with all crop marks in the print
dialog so they get all the marks needed to line up colours. If you start
providing manual crop marks on an oversize document the prepress will
just strip them off, or more likely copy-and-paste your card into the
size document they want for 4-up, 10-up etc.

So the long and short of it, make your BC 3.5" x 2" with bleeds outside
the document. Same for brochures, folders etc. - always make your
document size the expected final trim size.

Jim

Dave B wrote:
> If I'm laying out, say, a business card which is 3.5" x 2", but I need a 1/8
> bleed - do I make my document size 3.75 x 2.25 and create crop marks at the
> actual card size, or do I leave the document size at 3.5 x 2, and then set
> my bleeds in the print dialog box? Or both?
>
> I guess I'm not exacly sure what the bleed setting in the print options does
> for me if there's no image extending into the bleed area (which there would
> be if I made my document oversized in the first place)
>
> thanks...
>
> DB

mike

2005-10-04, 10:14 pm

Sometimes printers will attach your small print job to another larger print
job. Your business card may be printed along with other cards or other
printed jobs on the same sheet.

in article 11k4vn7bpttvu5b@corp.supernews.com, Jim Webb at
jayaruuNOSPAM@netscape.net wrote on 10/04/2005 6:09 AM:
[color=darkred]
> This question might have been better asked in the comp.publish.prepress
> newsgroup.
>
> Having worked in prepress for several years before joining an ad firm, I
> ALWAYS size my document to the finished size, 1-up, because:
>
> 1. your business cards will be laid out in prepress in the most
> efficient layout they need -- maybe 4-up, maybe 10-up, maybe laid out
> 4-up for work-and-turn....
>
> 2. The printer will ALWAYS output film with all crop marks in the print
> dialog so they get all the marks needed to line up colours. If you start
> providing manual crop marks on an oversize document the prepress will
> just strip them off, or more likely copy-and-paste your card into the
> size document they want for 4-up, 10-up etc.
>
> So the long and short of it, make your BC 3.5" x 2" with bleeds outside
> the document. Same for brochures, folders etc. - always make your
> document size the expected final trim size.
>
> Jim
>
> Dave B wrote:

iehsmith

2005-10-04, 10:14 pm

On 10/4/05 12:04 AM, Alexgirl uttered:

> If you are not laying out a full page, then I would suggest making the
> document 3.75 x 2.25 with crop marks at 3.5 and 2, but be sure that the
> printer understands what you have provided him with. I don't know how to set
> the bleeds in the print dialog box so I can't answer that one.

It sounds to me as though DB is outputting directly to his own printer.
[color=darkred]

steggy

2005-10-04, 10:14 pm

Alexgirl wrote:
>
> I layout 8 cards on 8 1/2 x 11 for the printer, indicating the crop marks at
> the actual card size, and have the bleed extend beyond that. If you use the
> effects/transform menu, you can make copies of the card and then any changes
> made to the first one will automatically be reflected in the remaining 7.

I saved this one, a beautiful "trick" (although a bit OT):

You can do this with the Transform effect. _Create one
business card in
the upper left corner. _Put it on a layer. _Target the layer
by clicking
on its circle in the Layers palette.

Then do Effects->Distort and Transform->Transform... and
translate the
layer 3.5" horizontally. _Enter 1 into the number of copies.

Then do Effects->Distort and Transform->Transform... again
and translate
the layer -2" vertically. _Enter 4 into the number of
copies.

Voila. _You have one editable card in the upper left corner,
and any
changes you make will be automatically done to the other 9.

Thanks to Paul

==============
>
> If you are not laying out a full page, then I would suggest making the
> document 3.75 x 2.25 with crop marks at 3.5 and 2, but be sure that the
> printer understands what you have provided him with. I don't know how to set
> the bleeds in the print dialog box so I can't answer that one.

Seeing InDesign (CS2) I think the handiest way is to use
that (if you use off set)
You can set the bleed in the Document Settings.

But your descriptions work also. Although even for a inkjet-
or laserprint I would make 8 on a page with trimmarks.
Make one and use Transform to copy them exactly where you
want them. Print and cut.

--
steg

Brian

2005-10-05, 6:15 pm

Jim Webb wrote:
> This question might have been better asked in the comp.publish.prepress
> newsgroup.
>
> Having worked in prepress for several years before joining an ad firm, I
> ALWAYS size my document to the finished size, 1-up, because:
>
> 1. your business cards will be laid out in prepress in the most
> efficient layout they need -- maybe 4-up, maybe 10-up, maybe laid out
> 4-up for work-and-turn....
>
> 2. The printer will ALWAYS output film with all crop marks in the print
> dialog so they get all the marks needed to line up colours. If you start
> providing manual crop marks on an oversize document the prepress will
> just strip them off, or more likely copy-and-paste your card into the
> size document they want for 4-up, 10-up etc.
>
> So the long and short of it, make your BC 3.5" x 2" with bleeds outside
> the document. Same for brochures, folders etc. - always make your
> document size the expected final trim size.
>
> Jim
>

I work in a printshop and this is EXACTLY right! The way we run one job
may not be how we run the next so we prefer to have a 1-up artwork w/
document sized to the final trim and the bleeds (.1250") extend beyond
that. It makes it much easier to work with.

B