Friday, December 18, 2009

I want to include my photograph on my business card. How can I get the best result?

Begin by remembering that the size of the photograph, when printed on the business card, will be thumbnail size in order to fit pleasingly on the business card. A standard business card measures 2 x 3.5 inches, and by convention there is a 1/8th inch "border" of white space on all four sides. This means the live area of the card is 1 3/4 x 3 1/4 inches so the maximum height of the photograph is 1 3/4 inches.

For best results, give us a photograph that is as close to the final size as possible. If submitting the photograph as a digital file, use 300 dpi resolution, again in a size as close to the final size as possible. Acceptable file formats are Encapsulated Postcript (eps); Tagged Image File Format(.tif) or JPEG (.jpeg) if the resolution is high enough.

Monday, December 14, 2009

For a Multi page document such as a booklet or newsletter made up of more that two press sheets, you will need to adjust the outer margins on each page to account for shingling or page creep. To illustrate page creep, fold 10 sheets of paper in half. Gather them into a booklet and examine the booklet's outer, right hand edge. Notice that the pages are uneven (shingled). This is the result of page creep.

To make the booklet edges even, we trim off the excess as the final step in booklet making. If you have not adjusted the margins of your pages to account for this final trim, the outside margins on each page will vary and we may even trim away part of the copy.

Adjust for page creep by gradually increasing the outside margin of each page as signatures move toward the middle of the book.

Monday, December 7, 2009

When creating a brochure or booklet that will be folded and assembled after printing, it is use full to make a folding dummy to assist in correctly positioning individual pages on the panels. Here is how it's done;

1. Using a sheet of paper the same size and basis weight of the printed piece, fold the paper exactly as the brochure or booklet will be folded.

2. Number each page of the brochure or booklet, or write a short description of the page (i.e. front cover, inside front cover,etc.). Also note the top and bottom of the page.

3. Unfold the sheet of paper and notice where each page fits on its panel as well as how the page is oriented.

4. Use the folding dummy as a guide when you are creating the page layout.

If the printed piece is a booklet sufficiently long to require more that one sheet of paper, then the folding dummy, when flattened out will also serve as the imposition guide. It will show precisely where each page must be oriented.

The Term for this type of layout is a printer spread. If you submit your document to us laid out in reader spread, we will need to rearrange the pages into a printer spread prior to printing.