and you call yourself a graphic designer.....pshhhhhh, hehe j/k.

1. to align something you have it right, draw a box around your artboard, make it not have a stroke or a fill, then select watever else you have that you want centered, go to align>horizontal, or vertical whichever you are trying to do....you can find the 'align' box in windows. Once you align it, it will make the outer box shift (with watever else you wanted to align) just drag the box back to the outside edges of the artboard and you should be centered.

2. Yes transparencies are a bitch when it comes to printing, but you shouldn't have to worry about it to much, thats more for the pressman to work out, it shouldn't cause problems in pdf's but dont quote me on that. Just watch how much you use them in logo designs, other then that its free reign.



digitalcamwhore

Another easy way to center something on the page is to select the object you wish to center. Then hit Command/Ctrl + 0, this will adjust your view to full page centered. Then cut and paste the object. The paste will place it in the center of the artboard as long as the artboard/page is centered in your view.

I love children but I don't think I could eat a whole one.

Artboard alignments are accessed through the 'LBT' (Little Black Triangle) on the top of the Alignment palette. It's an option there.

Transparencies? D-Frag's got most of it on, though there are quite a few 'good practice' procedures you can adapt to your workflow to minimize the risks. The most basic and practical is probably to keep type on a top layer wherever possible. And remember that drop shadow and feathering are transparency effects-- especially when working with spot colours and transparency.

Thank you Broacher. You don't KNOW how helpful it is when a designer knows those little facts about transparency.
One more would be to never flatten a file that uses transparency. Leave that to the tech. Flattening can make digital printing a nightmare. (again, read my sig. This may not apply to 4-color/offset/web). This includes backsaving to a version that may not support transparency (don't do it). Happens with Illy a lot.

PrintDriver is a grande format digital print dude (bigger than a proofer, LOL). His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

Post Edited (PrintDriver) : 11/9/2004 1:23:40 AM GMT