Blossom Hollow » Design

Aeri’s Kitchen Cookbook

Tracy — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:53:37 +0000

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven’t been keeping up with my blog I have been very busy and am pleased to give you a sneak peak at the cookbook for my wonderful sister-in-law, Aeri. Keep in mind, this is just a taste of things to come. It is still a work in progress and the layout might change by the time it is printed. It will take a while to have the cookbook ready to publish but hopefully you will be seeing it soon on aeriskitchen.com.

Creating a File With Bleed

Tracy — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:55:52 +0000

Any time you create a document that has image area that you want to print all the way to the edge of the page, you need to allow enough bleed so that when the document is cut, you will not run the risk of having white space showing due to the paper shifting during the printing/cutting process. Any document that requires bleed will actually be printed on a larger piece of paper and then will be cut down to the final size. So when you create your document the image area needs to extend beyond the edge of the page.
Again, using a business card as an example: the final cut size of the business card will be 3.5” x 2” but because the business card bleeds, the size – using .125” (1/8”) bleeds will be 3.75” x 2.25”. I prefer using InDesign to create layouts, not that I don’t use Illustrator and Photoshop, but in your initial file set up, you give 3.5” x 2” as the document size and .125” for bleed size and the document will easily show you where your bleed area and regular image is located. Then when you create your pdf just be sure to include crop marks and use the document bleed settings.
Here is a business card showing crop marks but no bleeds.

And here is a business card showing crop marks with bleeds.

Depending on the printing company and the type of job, you may have to pay extra for a document with bleeds so it is always good to specify whether your document bleeds.

Submitting Camera Ready Artwork

Tracy — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Often there is a misconception about what it means to submit camera ready artwork to a printing company. If a file is camera ready it means that basically no manipulation will be required to print your file. Lets say you are submitting a business card. Providing you are going with a standard business card size, your document needs to be set at 3.5” x 2”, not 6.25” x 5”.
You will save yourself a headache and possibly money, if you know ahead of time what print requirements you need to follow when setting your document. What works for one printer will not necessarily work for the next.
Many companies include templates on their websites that can be downloaded or detailed art submission specifications will be listed under a “help/file submission” section and if you can’t find what you are looking for you can always call and ask.
You want to be sure that your file uses the proper margins, bleed settings, color setting (RGB, CMYK, Spot Color) and will be submitted in the correct file format and version – such as Illustrator CS2 and not Illustrator CS4. When you submit your file using the proper settings you are avoiding possible delays in print time which can be costly if you have a client that is expecting their job by a certain date.