Need assistance setting up a Template for a tri-fold brochure

[annew]

Hello,

I am using QUARK 5 and was hoping someone could assist me in creating a tri-fold brochure template. Each of the 3 pages needs to be 8.5x11 once finalized. If you can walk me through the set up process, I would be grateful. I have been struggling with this one for a while today.

Thank you in advance,

Anne

 

[Pixelchik]

Hi Anne,

It's really just simple math. Multiply 8½ by 3 = 25.5 inches. That's your width of your document. The height will remain 11 inches. So you will open a new document set the size to Custom, 25.5" width and 11" height in Landscape Orientation. (Make sure your unit of measure is in inches). Then you can drag out guides for each 8½ x 11 page fold. Hope this is what you needed.

 

[MyFavoriteLetterIsB]

Place guides where you would like your grid to be. Place Text boxes and pictures boxes according to your design. Set your style sheets with any formatting that will be used. Create colors. Once you have all the pieces, then do a save as, under type, select template. Each time you open the document it will be a new Untitled document so you dont accidently save over a previous brochure (but will retain all the same elements). Then just import the new text and pictures, save as a different name with type document and you will be able to edit this brochure and still have a clean template for the next time.

B

 

[thombathe]

You can dounload templates on the net

http://graphicdesign.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.morrcom.com/mpc/template.html

thom

The longest jounney starts with the first step.

http://www.thombathe.com

 

[annew]

Thank you all for your help. When I try and set up the document, I am getting an error on the size. I have it set up at 11" height, 25.5" width, facing pages, Landscape...it tells me that the value must be between 0.112" and 24"?

Anne

 

[Pixelchik]

Not sure about that error Anne, but try to set up your document without Facing Pages. I never use facing pages unless I am creating a multipage document where I need art or text to spread over both pages.

 

[blueark]

Yes, it's a facing pages problem. Quark has a limit of 48" x 48". With facing pages, you need to be able to fit two pages in this space, which means each page has to be a maximum of 24" x 48". In this case, you don't actually need facing pages, so just turn it off in the 'New...' dialog box. That will give you up to 48" to work with.

 

[PixelMasher]

I disagree with creating a width of 25.5, you have to consider that one of your panels must be shorter for proper folding. Your width should be at least 25.4375

your panels size should be for the outside of your trifold

8.4375 + 8.5 + 8.5 - - - Pages 5-6-1

Inside panels the oposite 8.5 + 8.5 +8.4375 - - Pages 2-3-4

I work in a Desktop Department for a printing company, and if a job is printed 25.5 our bindery will trim off a 1/16 for proper folding and with documents built at 25.5 after they trim off that 1/16 you could have type to close to trim and panels not folding correct - - images overlapping or short of the folds.

prepress-online.com

 

[blueark]

I find that advising designers in that way causes too much confusion. Many forget which panel is shorter, others don't match front and back correctly, and so on. It's probably better to keep things simple, and advise them not to put anything important too close to the edge of the page.

 

[PixelMasher]

I would never tell any of my clients that they shouldn't put anything close to the edge. I think most designers can handle creating a document 25.4375 x 8.5 and placing guides where each panel size ends and they can design their work around these guides.

If you do it your way with a width of 25.5 they take a chance of getting a printed piece where the work is being off centered in the panels and type being too close to the trims and folds. Because a job desined to fit into 3 panels at 8.5. which is 25.5, will be trimmed at 25.4375 to accomodate folding.

We tell all our client to set up their files to incorporate the short panel and none have had a problem with matching up fronts and backs or find it totally confusing. They actually thank us, it saves them money because their files are set up correctly which means less system time in prepress and their jobs run much smoother through our shop.

prepress-online.com

 

[blueark]

Maybe I should get some of your clients! True, good designers will take that into account, and it's worth checking with your printer. Other factors also come into consideration, such as the stock, the quantity, and the folding equipment being used (believe it or not, some short run digital printers still use hand creasers!).

But about telling them to keep away from the edge, that's as basic as telling them to add bleed. Regardless of whether a job is being folded, you have to leave some margin for error.

 

[ch4ncy]

As I designer i am laughing at those comments, yes sometimes we do get confused about measurements, but only because you printer departments tend to overcomplicate simple matters of printing what i have made. anyway I tend to create my templates along the process of knowing that the outer folds need to be bigger as i do like to know exactly how my design will look, so go with that option, then you know just how it foilds, if in doubt print yourself out a proof and fold it yourself to see how it shapes up.