8.5 x 11 Tri-Fold Brochure

[Meg24]

I need to design a tri-fold brochure, and I'm not sure how to set this up in Photoshop. I know I should probably be using a different program like Quark, but I don't know Quark very well. Can anyone tell me how I could set this up in Photoshop? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[tviman]

Adobe Pagemaker, Illustrator, or any other Desktop Publishing program would probly be better than Photoshop, although it CAN be done.

When you create your document/image, set the size to 11" wide x 8.5" high and use CMYK for the color mode. Set the resolution to at least 300 dpi if you're going to have it printed by a print house. However, you should contact your printer and ask them what their requirements are.

There's always a better way. The fun is trying to find it!

 

[Meg24]

Hi tviman,

Thanks for your information. What I really need to know about setting up the brochure in Photoshop is how do I set the columns and gutter width? Also, if I want a full bleed, don't I have to make the document a larger size as most printers add a 1/4 white border?

Thanks!

 

[Pixelchik]

If you need a full bleed then yes you would have to make the document size larger than the size of the brochure unfolded. Then you would add crop marks to show where the trim should be and how much of a bleed you need to ad. I think you would have to use Photoshop's guides to indicate where you want the colums of text and gutter to be, since PS paragraph text does not really function like Quark or Indesign (as far as I know). It really would be better for you to use either Quark, PageMaker or InDesign for your layout for prepress projects. Also make sure you print out a sample for your printer indicating how the final brochure should look. I am assuming you will be making this a 2-sided trifold brochure?

 

[Meg24]

Hi Pixelchik,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the brochure is a 2-sided brochure. Since I posted my original message, I have been experimenting with Quark because like you said, that is really the way to go with this project. I know we are in a Photoshop forum, but maybe you can anwer a quick Quark question! I understand that when you send a Quark file to the printer, you also have to save all of the fonts and pictures that you used in the document separately, correct? When I pull some images from photoshop to use in Quark, I fit the photoshop image to my picture box in Quark. But when I save the photoshop images separately, do I have to save them at a certain size, or will Quark just know what size they should be from the picture box?

Thanks!

 

[Pixelchik]

Hi Meg24,

After you finish your document in Quark, you do need to "collect" all the files used for your printer. There is a "Collect For Output" function you find under the File Menu. That is used to collect the fonts, photos, profiles etc that your printer needs. What I usually do is create another Folder on my hard drive that I use to collect those files and then burn that folder to CD to give to my printer. It's easy to do, just make sure the boxes for those items (fonts, pictures, profiles, embedded pictures etc) are selected when you collect. That's it. You probably should make sure that your photos or artwork is in the correct colour format (i.e. CMYK) before finalizing your documents. Your printer will not like it if you send RGB files.

 

[barehug]

Oh and Meg24, when you send all the files to the printer, make sure you send every fonts used, even Helvetica or Arial, don't assume that the printer will have it.
The quark document will retain all the info about the printing dimensions and layout of the brochure.

The image (depending on the detail required) should be 300 dpi or higher for printing purposes - higher for art prints etc.

Best to save the final image(as eps, tif or psd) before you import & complete the layout in Quark, then collect for output.

Oh and congrats for using Quark, even I wouldn't like to make the brochure in Photoshop alone!

Moe: It could have been a real ugly situation, but luckily I managed to shoot him in the spine.

 

[Meg24]

Thanks for the information you guys, I really appreciate it. I have one more question... I downloaded a free Quark template for the brochure that I need, same dimensions, etc. I am confused on how to do the full bleed.... What I mean is I know in Photshop you make the document larger then it is trimmed, but how does it work in Quark? I see the guides that are set 1/4 inch in from the 8.5 x 11, so do I just go past those on my cover page to the full 8.5 x 11? If this is the case, why can you do a Quark document true size but have to do the photoshop document a larger size for a full bleed? I know I haven't worded this the best, I hope you have an idea of what I am trying to figure out. Thanks much!!!

 

[Pixelchik]

Hi Meg24 again,
In applications like Quark, Pagemaker and InDesign, to make a full bleed, all you have to do is extend your bleed colour (or object) beyond the document boundaries (not the margin guides). Some printhouses will request the bleed to be of a specific amount, but I usually create a minimum of 1/8" bleed or more. Photoshop does not work in the the same manner as those apps I mentioned.

 

[Meg24]

I really appreciate the information you guys have provided me. This forum is wonderful. One more question for you.... I need to be able to e-mail my brochure to my client so he can proof it. And I understand saving a Quark file is no picnic compared to saving it in Photoshop. I have done some research, and have seen something about "Distiller" but would like some more information on how I go about saving it to a pdf.

Thanks!!!

 

[Pixelchik]

You will need Adobe Acrobat to Distill a PDF of your document to from Quark to email. If you don't have it there is a workaround. You could save your document as an eps file using the File>Save as EPS. Then open your eps file in Photoshop and Save As, and select the Photoshop PDF format. Then you can email that to your client and they will be able to view the PDF in their Adobe Reader application.

 

[Meg24]

Pixelchik,

Is the EPS way just as good as the Distiller way? If not, can you give me more information to distill a PDF? I have Adobe Acrobat.... I'm just not sure the steps I take to save it that way.....

thanks for your quick response by the way!

 

[Pixelchik]

Well...it's quicker...but using Distiller is better as it gives you more control as to how you want to distill the document and you can distill all the pages of your document. There is a couple of ways to distill to PDF. Are you on a Quark for PC or MAC?

 

[Meg24]

I'm on a PC.

Thanks for all of your help-

 

[Pixelchik]

It's a little hard to explain, but I suggest you read the info on the website below, it gives detailed instructions on creating PDFs using Distiller. I would give you step by step now, but I'm at work and I'm on a MAC, but I do have a PC at my home and I could go over it later if you are having problems.

http://www.performancegraphics.com/Pages/howtof.html

 

[Meg24]

Thanks for the web site, Pixelchik, I will check that out tonight. Hopefully that will clear it up for me, because I don't want to take any more of your time! Thanks again for all of your help, I really do appreciate it.