Hopefully a simple layout question - but I'm stuck...

[geekysteve]

I've been asked to design some simple business cards for a non-profit organization (local animal shelter) and they have supplied me with some of those "tear out" business card sheets (8 cards to a sheet).

I'm not exactly a Quark master, but I thought it would be easy to figure out how to layout the 8 cards side-by-side in Quark, but I'm having a heck of a time with it.

Can anyone give me a few ideas or "leads" on how to go about laying out the 8 cards (3.5" wide x 2" tall) on a sheet? I created a document that's 3.5" x 2" and that only prints a single card... I tried the "tiling" options in the print menu, but didn't have any luck. I tried creating an 8.5" x 11" document, but I can't get everything lined-up consistently when I layout 8 cards.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance.

 

[dabob]

1st lets assume that the sheet your 8 up cards are on is 8.5 x 11 overall then measure where the perfs are and transfer them to the quark layout so that the layout sheet matches the perfed sheet . . . then design one card in the upper left hand card position . . . use the step and repeat feature to step the basic card around the sheet and modify the information on the remaining seven cards. . . have fun

dabob

 

[jimoblak]

Are we using rulers and pulling guidelines from them?

- - picklefish - -
Why is everyone in this forum responding to me as picklefish?

 

[27dmac]

jimoblak makes a good point - if these are the "template" variety tear-outs, measure the areas for one and step/repeat for the offset dimensions on the physical sheet - OR and you have MS Word, they have Avery and some other brand set-up guides - write down the measurements and draw the guides that way.

 

[pobajo]

Yes, make one business card, step and repeat to fill the page and set up the perf margins in Quark. Select all and group them. Once you have this done, print on plain paper, hold up behind the cardstock in the light, and see how they fit. Since every printer is a bit different, you may have to bump the whole thing up/down or right/left until they fit perfectly behind the cardstock.

 

[GeorgeMack]

It's also true that most desktop laser or inkjet printers aren't as consistent in positioning as printing presses, and you may want to avoid printing elements too close to your margins in case your paper shifts a little from sheet to sheet.

Hope this helps

G