How you construct your document will often detemine how well it moves through our Prepress Department. In fact, some things that are done to documents that are intended to help actually take longer for us to process. Fortunately, the best way to create a document is usually the easiest.

Recommended Applications top of page

Use the right program for the job. Typing a newsletter in Photoshop (don't laugh—it's happened!) may win points for ingenuity, but it will cause much grief when the document is processed. Consult the examples below for recommendations:

Document Type	QuarkXPress	PageMaker	Illustrator	FreeHand	CorelDraw
Business card
Letterhead
Envelope
Flyer
2-sided brochure
4-page invitation
8-page newsletter
Book or report cover
16-page catalog
Annual report

Page Size top of page

Always make the page size in your document match the final trimmed size of the printed piece. (This is one reason why word processors are not recommended). For example, if you are making a book that measures 5-1/2 x 8-1/2" when finished, set the page size to exactly 5-1/2 x 8-1/2".

Business cards, post cards, envelopes and other flat pieces are sometimes created on an oversize page, with boxes or crop marks indicating the trim size. This is acceptable, provided that the box or crop marks are the correct size.

If you build the document to the correct size, you should not add crop marks (except for Illustrator). The program will automatically generate the crop marks. If you use Illustrator, you will need to draw a rectangle equal to the trim size and create crop marks (consult your Illustrator User Manual for more information about crop marks).

Bleed top of page

Any object--photo, graphic, solid box--that prints to the edge of the page must be extended 1/8" beyond the edge of the page. Pages that bleed are trimmed in the bindery after they are printed. If there is no bleed, either the entire document has to be trimmed smaller, or some pieces will have a "sliver" of unprinted paper on the edge.

You are responsible for creating images that have enough extra bleed. There is no automatic solution for adding bleed; it must be accounted for during document creation. Our only remedy for fixing missing bleeds is to enlarge or move images, which can affect the layout.

Pagination top of page

If you are making a book (from hereon a "book" is any document with 8 or more pages printing on the same stock), use single pages placed side-by-side. Do not attempt to make "printer spreads." Our pagination system will automatically position the pages correctly. Documents that come to us as printer spreads only add to our production time. If you want to show laser proofs in book form and do not want to tape pages together in book form, use a print utility such as PrintChef from Mindgate, available for Macintosh and soon for Windows.

If you send a publication with a large number of pages as printer spreads, we cannot allow for "creep" or shingling unless we reconstruct the publication. Similarly, if additional pages are needed, we will have to do a lot of extra manual work.

Some exceptions: 4-page documents may be set as printer spreads (4 & 1; 2 & 3). Also, you can create covers as spreads in a separate document, if artwork wraps around the fold.

Do not gang business cards, post cards or other flat pieces unless we have provided a diagram of the press sheet. We almost always have to undo ganging because of problems with gutters, bleeds, number-up or other press considerations.

Folds top of page

Documents with multiple folds may need special handling. For instance, a trifold brochure, folded down from an 8-1/2" x 11" sheet, requires that the inside folded panel is slightly smaller than the outside panels. This is to ensure that the brochure doesn't buckle. If the artwork is not positioned to stop at the fold, our bindery department can adjust the folding machine. However, if there are critical line-ups with folds, the artwork may have to be adjusted before film is output. In this case, the artwork for the front and back of the inside panel is moved or resized.

The precision of folded panels becomes more complicated as the number of panels increases. To be sure that you are creating the document correctly, you may ask us for a folding template. We can even provide you with an QuarkXPress, PageMaker, or EPS file with guides showing you where to place the panels.

Die Cuts top of page

Grunwald Printing provides standard as well as custom die cuts for your projects. Standard die cuts are available for:

• Rolodex® cards
• 9" x 12" Pocket folders with business card slits on either pocket

We will create the die lines for custom die cuts upon request. Your artwork will be used a guide, but keep in mind that any image at the edge of the cut must have bleed. Die cutting lacks the precision to cut exactly on an image edge.

If you want us to make a die template to which you can match your artwork, send us a provisional copy of your file using our FTP Forms software. We will create the die outline and send you an EPS file. You must approve the die template before we have the die manufactured.

If you wish, you may create your own die diagrams in FreeHand, Illustrator or CorelDraw. There are four basic types of die:

• Cut goes all the way through the paper
• Score on folds to reduce paper cracking
• Perforate for tear-away forms
• Emboss to produce a relief of an image, with or without ink

Create 1-point, solid black lines for cuts; solid 1-point red lines for scores; dashed 1-point black lines for perforations. Embossing dies require a different manufacturing process, so call us for instructions for your embossed artwork.

Be sure to provide us with the original, editable file. We will probably have to make adjustments, depending on the press sheet.

Note: Once a die has been manufactured, it may not be possible to modify it. Dies can be very expensive, so please be very specific about your die cutting requirements to avoid having to pay for an additional die.