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PRINTING MULITIPLE CARDS ON 1 SHEET 1
- Thread starter yoiyoi
- Start date
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1
- #2
Personally, I don't really like the automatic crop marks Illustrator creates, and if you're sending these business cards to a printer, I would suggest talking to them first to see if you need to arrange your file this way at all. There's nothing worse that designers doing a printer's job, and then the printer having to undo all that work because they have imposition software that does it all anyway!
Anyway, if you do have to create a file like this, here are a few pointers. Try to be as accurate as possible.
First step is to set up one business card correctly, with an even amount of bleed around it (even if it doesn't have any bleed).
1: Create one business card correctly.
2: Create one horizontal and one vertical guideline near the edge of the page, and line up the corner of the business card to that.
3: If your business card bleeds off the edge, make sure that the bleed area crosses the guidelines - the guides represent cuts for now.
4: Draw a rectangle the same size as your business card + the bleed area. For example, if your card is 85mm x 55mm, and you need 2mm bleed on each side, draw the rectangle 89mm x 59mm.
5: Position that rectangle so that it crosses the guides by exactly the bleed amount. It helps to set the origin to the intersection of the guides so you can use the transform palette to position it accurately.
6: Select All, and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
Now you have one business card with bleed. The next step involves duplicating it and adding the cut marks. It's important to realise that you rarely put just one crop mark between two cards. In general, you have a card, a crop mark, bleed from card 1, bleed from card 2, then the second card. If you don't, the cut won't be as clean, and if there is bleed, you might have part of card 2 showing up on card 1. For example, if you're doing 2 across and 5 down:
1. Select All, then go to Object > Transform > Move...
2. Set Horizontal to the width of your card + bleed (eg 85+2+2 = 89mm) and Vertical to 0. Press Copy.
3. Select All again, and go to Object > Transform > Move...
4. Set Vertical to the height of your card + bleed (eg 55+2+2 59mm) and Horizontal to 0. Press Copy.
5. Keep pressing Object > Transform > Transform Again to keep copying until your page is filled. Better still, use the keyboard shortcut.
Now add the crop marks:
1. Create a new layer.
2. Draw a horizontal line along the horizontal guideline, extending from beyond the image area on both sides.
3. Object > Transform > Move... and set Horizontal to 0 and Vertical to the height of the card without bleed. Press Copy.
4. Now select both lines and Object > Transform > Move..., this time setting Vertical to the height of the card with bleed. Press Copy, and using Transform Again until all the rows are marked with lines.
5. Repeat the above process with Vertical lines.
6. Draw a white rectangle starting at the top left bleed area of the top left card, and cover all the cards and bleed completely, so only the cut marks are visible.
7. In the layers palette, drag the layer with the cut marks to the bottom.
That should be it. Sorry if it sounds overly complicated - you'll find shortcuts as you go along. I tend to deal with designers everyday that take the wrong shortcuts, and it does nothing but delay their jobs!
Anyway, if you do have to create a file like this, here are a few pointers. Try to be as accurate as possible.
First step is to set up one business card correctly, with an even amount of bleed around it (even if it doesn't have any bleed).
1: Create one business card correctly.
2: Create one horizontal and one vertical guideline near the edge of the page, and line up the corner of the business card to that.
3: If your business card bleeds off the edge, make sure that the bleed area crosses the guidelines - the guides represent cuts for now.
4: Draw a rectangle the same size as your business card + the bleed area. For example, if your card is 85mm x 55mm, and you need 2mm bleed on each side, draw the rectangle 89mm x 59mm.
5: Position that rectangle so that it crosses the guides by exactly the bleed amount. It helps to set the origin to the intersection of the guides so you can use the transform palette to position it accurately.
6: Select All, and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
Now you have one business card with bleed. The next step involves duplicating it and adding the cut marks. It's important to realise that you rarely put just one crop mark between two cards. In general, you have a card, a crop mark, bleed from card 1, bleed from card 2, then the second card. If you don't, the cut won't be as clean, and if there is bleed, you might have part of card 2 showing up on card 1. For example, if you're doing 2 across and 5 down:
1. Select All, then go to Object > Transform > Move...
2. Set Horizontal to the width of your card + bleed (eg 85+2+2 = 89mm) and Vertical to 0. Press Copy.
3. Select All again, and go to Object > Transform > Move...
4. Set Vertical to the height of your card + bleed (eg 55+2+2 59mm) and Horizontal to 0. Press Copy.
5. Keep pressing Object > Transform > Transform Again to keep copying until your page is filled. Better still, use the keyboard shortcut.
Now add the crop marks:
1. Create a new layer.
2. Draw a horizontal line along the horizontal guideline, extending from beyond the image area on both sides.
3. Object > Transform > Move... and set Horizontal to 0 and Vertical to the height of the card without bleed. Press Copy.
4. Now select both lines and Object > Transform > Move..., this time setting Vertical to the height of the card with bleed. Press Copy, and using Transform Again until all the rows are marked with lines.
5. Repeat the above process with Vertical lines.
6. Draw a white rectangle starting at the top left bleed area of the top left card, and cover all the cards and bleed completely, so only the cut marks are visible.
7. In the layers palette, drag the layer with the cut marks to the bottom.
That should be it. Sorry if it sounds overly complicated - you'll find shortcuts as you go along. I tend to deal with designers everyday that take the wrong shortcuts, and it does nothing but delay their jobs!
As a designer, who will eventually be printing business cards for my future furniture design business... is this what you are talking about?
(Easier than words for me...)
I didn't follow the 'clip mask' part...could the art/bleed rectangle just as easily have been grouped together and dupped (as I did)? or do you suggest for your clients to clip the Card art to the finished 'look,' with the smaller, finished, cut-size rect.?
I take it the critical part is 2 cuts between cards to prevent overlap... correct?
Thanks for your input... and feel free to do what you will with the template.
Sef.
(Easier than words for me...)
I didn't follow the 'clip mask' part...could the art/bleed rectangle just as easily have been grouped together and dupped (as I did)? or do you suggest for your clients to clip the Card art to the finished 'look,' with the smaller, finished, cut-size rect.?
I take it the critical part is 2 cuts between cards to prevent overlap... correct?
Thanks for your input... and feel free to do what you will with the template.
Sef.
Nice template! The only thing I'd change is that the bleed areas can touch up against each other - it might give you some extra space on some paper sizes.
The clip mask part is just a precaution in case the bleed was too big. If you're careful enough, it's not necessary.
2 cuts are necessary to prevent overlap, but also because it results in a cleaner cut. Generally, the cards are cut on one side, then grouped together, turned around, and cut again. With single cuts, it's done in one go, but one side of the blade will leave a rough edge.
BUT! I would stress that it's often easy for the printer if you just plan one card up, as they often prefer to use their own imposition software for planning. However, each printer is different, so please check with them first.
The clip mask part is just a precaution in case the bleed was too big. If you're careful enough, it's not necessary.
2 cuts are necessary to prevent overlap, but also because it results in a cleaner cut. Generally, the cards are cut on one side, then grouped together, turned around, and cut again. With single cuts, it's done in one go, but one side of the blade will leave a rough edge.
BUT! I would stress that it's often easy for the printer if you just plan one card up, as they often prefer to use their own imposition software for planning. However, each printer is different, so please check with them first.
Thanks for the tips.
Sef.
It is alright to decorate construction, but never construct decoration. - Pugin, on Arch.
Sef.
It is alright to decorate construction, but never construct decoration. - Pugin, on Arch.
Anything that exceeds the limits defined by the crop marks can be considered bleed. Just make sure anything important is well within the cropped area.
In other words, imagine the area within the cropmarks is your page, and anything larger than that will be bleed. Usually this will just be the background, but sometimes other elements may bleed off too, such as rules or other graphic elements. Have a look at Sef's template above to see a graphic representation of a bleed area. The exact amount depends on your printer, but usually around 3mm is ok.
In other words, imagine the area within the cropmarks is your page, and anything larger than that will be bleed. Usually this will just be the background, but sometimes other elements may bleed off too, such as rules or other graphic elements. Have a look at Sef's template above to see a graphic representation of a bleed area. The exact amount depends on your printer, but usually around 3mm is ok.
This is from my forthcoming FAQ...
1. Get Adobe SVG viewer, if for some reason it's not already installed.
2. Check out my templates:
Standard (for printer.)
For Personal use, Laser/Inkjet.
And/Or, if you dislike ridiculous suggestions by strangers that you install software on your computer...download these files instead.
3. Download my templates as .AI to get started right away.
Standard, for professional printer. 3.5" x 2"
For Personal use, Laser/Inkjet. Efficient paper use.
If the .AI files try to save as .ps (postscript), rename their extension .ai as you are saving them... weird.
4. Boogie like stu.
Sef.
It is alright to decorate construction, but never construct decoration. - Pugin, on Arch.
1. Get Adobe SVG viewer, if for some reason it's not already installed.
2. Check out my templates:
Standard (for printer.)
For Personal use, Laser/Inkjet.
And/Or, if you dislike ridiculous suggestions by strangers that you install software on your computer...download these files instead.
3. Download my templates as .AI to get started right away.
Standard, for professional printer. 3.5" x 2"
For Personal use, Laser/Inkjet. Efficient paper use.
If the .AI files try to save as .ps (postscript), rename their extension .ai as you are saving them... weird.
4. Boogie like stu.
Sef.
It is alright to decorate construction, but never construct decoration. - Pugin, on Arch.
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