Confirmation on print-file (Illustrator)

[joshier]

Hello

I've finished a DVD cover, the client sent me the template to work from.

Here's the file link (http://exsub.com/check.ai).

Can someone check if everything is correct?

The blue box represents where my design resides on the original project file (with bleed).

A few questions;

1. How does the printer know where the cut is?

2. My client says he needs me to export it to .PDF when done - Is this going to ruin the bleed or anything?

3. From the PDF, do I need any special settings?.. any settings I should be aware of?

Thanks a lot.

[steve2112]

i download the linked file and it was a .ps(postscript) file. I tried to run it through distiller to make a pdfx1a and it wouldnt do it. I opened it in illy and its just a blue box with the trim marks and such. what should it be. what was it made in?

steve

[joshier]

i download the linked file and it was a .ps(postscript) file. I tried to run it through distiller to make a pdfx1a and it wouldnt do it. I opened it in illy and its just a blue box with the trim marks and such. what should it be. what was it made in?

steve

Yes, it's an illustrator file, it was made in illustrator and as I said in my first post 'the blue represents my design' as in, that represents my design that I would include but my design is over 10mb because it's 300dpi, so I replaced it with a blue box showing where my design is held within the document to see if any of you guys know that *that* document will print properly.

I don't know an awful lot about the printing process. I've done it before, but never in illustrator and I'm not sure how illustrator deals with the cutting .. for example. - especially when I export it to .PDF

[PrintDriver]

You can set your crop marks and bleed when creating your pdf.
The printer knows where to cut by the crop marks. Or not. Why aren't they already in the template?

[joshier]

You can set your crop marks and bleed when creating your pdf.
The printer knows where to cut by the crop marks. Or not. Why aren't they already in the template?

That's just it, I have no idea if they are or not.

Where do you set the bleed marks in illustrator?

The template is un-touched so I shouldn't have any trouble with it, but this DVD is going to be mass produced, and once it's done, it's done.

Thanks

[urstwile]

Can you post the template?

[joshier]

Can you post the template?

Sure

Template (http://exsub.com/check.ai)

[urstwile]

The inner red lines are the trim area. What sits outside of that would be the bleed.

You can create crop marks by selecting the inner red lines, and going to Filter>Create>Crop Marks.

Then just make sure your artwork extends 1/8" outside of that area and you should be fine.

Here's a screenshot of what that would look like.
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/4081/picture1yo5.png

[joshier]

The inner red lines are the trim area. What sits outside of that would be the bleed.

You can create crop marks by selecting the inner red lines, and going to Filter>Create>Crop Marks.

Then just make sure your artwork extends 1/8" outside of that area and you should be fine.

Here's a screenshot of what that would look like.


Thanks a lot, your effort is very appreciated.

[budafist]

If you make the inner red line the document size in illustrator, then when you export pdf, check crop marks and the crop marks will be added to your pdf.

Setting up a document at correct size is a good idea. I get so many jobs that come in that are set up near the middle of a much bigger sheet. Eg. the amount of business cards set in the middle of an A4 page is astounding. What's wrong with setting up a business card on a business card size document?

[urstwile]

Holy smokes! I didn't know you could save a PDF file out of Illustrator with crop marks!

[joshier]

Holy smokes! I didn't know you could save a PDF file out of Illustrator with crop marks!

Yep.

[urstwile]

Very good to know. Although I rarely do entire layouts in Illustrator, but nevertheless, that's pretty cool.

[joshier]

Very good to know. Although I rarely do entire layouts in Illustrator, but nevertheless, that's pretty cool.

my whole design is done in photoshop/fireworks, and I've put it in as a tiff image in illustrator.

Personally, I can't stand illustrator.

[budafist]

I love illustrator, but I do most things in Indesign since most things end up on multipage
documents.

[joshier]

I love illustrator, but I do most things in Indesign since most things end up on multipage
documents.

Yeah, I got on better with InDesign when I was back at college.

[joshier]

If you make the inner red line the document size in illustrator, then when you export pdf, check crop marks and the crop marks will be added to your pdf.

Setting up a document at correct size is a good idea. I get so many jobs that come in that are set up near the middle of a much bigger sheet. Eg. the amount of business cards set in the middle of an A4 page is astounding. What's wrong with setting up a business card on a business card size document?
How do I make the document size the inner-red line representing the cut?

[budafist]

Make your document size the same measurement as the inner red line. It's a simple as that...