how to...

PRInt ready pdf

How to: create a print ready pdf

software: InDesign & illustrator

Step 1)
Open your InDesign or Illustrator file 

Step 2)
Make sure your Document contains no errors, such as missing or modified links

Step 3)
Set up your document with 5 mm bleeds, and make sure you cover your bleed area with your background colour or image. Please do not add any relevant information, such as text or logos, to this bleed section, as it’ll be cropped off after being printed.

Step 4)
Go to ‘File’ > ‘Export’ on the top menu bar. Export your PDF as a ‘[High Quality Print]’, as individual pages*, with Crop Marks & 5 mm Bleeds.

*Most files should be exported as individual pages, and not as spreads, apart from a few exceptions (e.g. tri-fold leaflets), as it makes the whole printing process much simpler and trouble-free, even if the final product is a double-sided brochure composed of spreads of two pages.

Step 5)
Send us your print-ready file to city@abcimaginguk.com or quotes@abcimaginguk.com, via normal mail or via WeTransfer link (if the file is larger than 25MB).

If you are wondering why Photoshop is not included in this tutorial, the reason is, unlike InDesign and Illustrator which work with vector graphics, Photoshop is raster-based and uses pixels to create images, and therefore it is not suited to create print-ready PDF files.

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
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Check for any missing links by clicking on the 'links' button
Set up your document 5 mm bleeds
Export pdf as a High Quality Print

double sided brochure

How to:
create a double sided brochure

software:
indesign

Step 1)
Create a New Document in InDesign; with ‘Facing Pages’ and a number of pages that is a multiple of 4, and set up your document with 5 mm bleeds.

Step 2)
Design your document, making sure you cover your bleed area with your background colour or image. Please do not add any relevant information, such as text or logos, to this bleed section, as it’ll be cropped off after being printed.

Step 3)
Go to ‘File’ > ‘Export’ on the top menu bar. Export your PDF as a ‘[High Quality Print]’, as individual pages*, with Crop Marks & 5 mm Bleeds.

*Most files should be exported as individual pages, and not as spreads, apart from a few exceptions (e.g. tri-fold leaflets), as it makes the whole printing process much simpler and trouble-free, even if the final product is a double-sided brochure composed of spreads of two pages.

Step 4)
Send us your print-ready file to city@abcimaginguk.com or quotes@abcimaginguk.com, via normal mail or via WeTransfer link (if the file is larger than 25MB).

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
DOWNLOAD ThE PDF pack
Create a new document in InDesign; with 'facing pages'
Make sure there is a multiple of 4 pages
Export pdf as a High Quality Print

combine pdf files

how to:
combine PDF Files

software:
acrobat

Step 1)
Open Adobe Acrobat.

Step 2)
Go to ‘Tools’, at the top of the screen and then ‘Combine Files’.

Step 3)
Select ‘Add Files’, which will open a window to your desktop. Find and select all the files that you wish to merge into one single PDF file.

Step 4)
Once they’re imported in, click on the blue button that reads ‘Combine’, on the top right side.

Step 5)
If you’re happy with the order of the pages you can export it to PDF (please see Step 6).

If you wish to tweak the page order, go to ‘Tools’ and select ‘Organise Pages’, drag the pages around accordingly until you're happy with their organisation. This setting also allows you to delete, duplicate or rotate each page if needed.

Step 6)
Finally, export your PDF by going to the top menu bar and selecting ‘File’ > ‘Save As’;In the new window that'll pop up, choose the folder that you want to save your files to, and rename your file.

Although Acrobat, in terms of software, is not as good as InDesign or Illustrator to edit content, you can make small tweaks to your document’s text (in case you have any typos) or even move some images or text boxes around. In order to do this, simply go back to ‘Tools’ and select ‘Edit PDF’. Once you’re happy with the changes, click on the grey button that reads ‘Close’, and save your document as mentioned above, in step 6

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
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Go to 'Tools' at the top of the screen and then 'Combine Files'
Select 'Add Files'
Once the files have been imported click 'Combine' and then 'File' 'Save As'

convert text to outlines

how to:
convert text to outlines

software:
indesign or
illustrator

Step 1)
Open the File in InDesign or Illustrator.

Step 2)
Make sure that all the Text in your document is Unlocked.

Step 3)
Select all of your Text elements.

Step 4)
Go to the top menu bar, and select ‘Type’> ‘Create Outlines

Step 5)
Export your PDF as a ‘[High Quality Print]’, as individual pages, with crop marks & 5 mm bleed.

Step 6)
Send us your print-ready file to city@abcimaginguk.com or quotes@abcimaginguk.com, via normal mail or via WeTransfer link (if the file is larger than 25MB).

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
DOWNLOAD ThE PDF Pack
Select text and 'Right Click' and click 'Turn text to outlines'
Go to 'File' 'Save As'
Export pdf as a High Quality Print

roller banners

how to:
Set up Roller Banners artwork

software:
InDesign or Illustrator

Step 1)
Open one of our Roller Banner templates or create a new Document in InDesign or Illustrator. Remember to set your document up with 5 mm bleed.

Roller Banners usually have the following measurements:

Width:
800, 850 or 1000 mm

Height:
This needs to be 2100 mm.

*Please note that your visible area will only be 2000 mm; however, you must add an extra 100 mm section, at the bottom, which will be placed inside the Roller Banner mechanism.

Step 2)
Design your document, making sure you cover your bleed area and the extra 100 mm section, at the bottom, with your background colour or image. 

Please do not add any relevant information, such as text or logos, to any of these sections, as the bleed area will be cropped off after being printed, and the 100 mm section will be hidden inside the mechanism.

Step 3)
Go to ‘File’ > ‘Export’ on the top menu bar.Export your PDF as a ‘[High Quality Print]’, as individual pages, with Crop Marks&5 mm Bleeds.

Step 4)
Send us your print-ready file to city@abcimaginguk.com or quotes@abcimaginguk.com, via normal mail or via WeTransfer link (if the file is larger than 25MB). 

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
DOWNLOAD ThE PDF pack

business cards

how to:
Set up Business Cards artwork

software:
InDesign or Illustrator

Step 1)
Create a new Document in InDesign or Illustrator. When the ‘New Document’ window pops up, edit your page size to the desired measurements.

Business cards are usually 85 mm (W) and 55 mm (H), but these sizes can vary in accordance to your personal preference.

Set your document up with at least 5 mm margins and 5 mm bleed.

Step 2)
Make sure you cover your bleed area with your background colour or image, if you have any.

Please do not add any relevant information, such as text or logos, to this bleed section, as it’ll be cropped off after being printed. 

Step 3)
Go to ‘File’ > ‘Export’ on the top menu bar. Export your PDF as a ‘[High Quality Print]’, as individual pages, with Crop Marks&5 mm Bleeds.

Step 4)
Send us your print-ready file to city@abcimaginguk.com or quotes@abcimaginguk.com, via normal mail or via WeTransfer link (if the file is larger than 25MB).

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
DOWNLOAD ThE PDF pack

cut files

how to:
Set up Cut Files

software: Illustrator

Step 1)
Open your Illustrator file

Step 2)
Make sure you cover your bleed area with your background colour or image, if you have any. Open your “Layers” panel, by going to “Window”, at the top, and then selecting “Layers.”.Create three layers in your “Layers” panel (please see image below), by clicking on the little square icon with a plus sign in the middle (at the bottom of this panel). 

The top layer will have an outline of your artwork, which you’ll set up as a cutter guide (please see step 4).

The middle layer will contain your artwork, as you’ve originally designed it.

And the bottom layer will also contain an outline of your artwork, but this will be set up as a solid colour, to create your bleeds (please see step 6).

Step 4)
On the top layer, create a vector shape that corresponds to the outline of your artwork. Turn this shape into a stroke (i.e. a line, not a solid colour), and set it up with the following details:

Step 5)
Copy your cut file shape, and lock this layer.

Step 6)
Paste the cutter shape on the bottom layer, and change it to the background colour of your design.Then, go to “Object”, at the top, and then select “Path” and “Offset Path”. In the “Offset” field, type in 3 mm (or more), and press “OK”.You might need to increase the size of your Artboard in order to include the bleed within the page.

Step 7)
Once this is done, go to “File”, then “SaveAs”, and from the “Format” drop-down menu select the “Adobe PDF (pdf)” option, and make it a ‘[High Quality Print]’.

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
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Crease lines
If you’re working on templates that require folding lines, such as boxes or folders, you’ll need to set these lines up as creases. Similarly to “CutContour” lines, your crease line colour also needs to be a Spot Colour, and all the CMYK levels should be 0% apart from one, which should be 100%. However, instead of calling it “CutContour”, you should name it “Crease” (with a capital C).

Using InDesign
In theory, you can set up your artwork with cut files and bleeds in InDesign, because InDesign much like Illustrator is a vector-based software, and the steps are very similar to the ones we have listed above for Illustrator. You’ll also need three layers; the top one should have an outline of your design that will become your cutter guide; the middle one will have your artwork; and the bottom layer will contain the background colours of your design, which will become your bleeds. However, the reason we recommend using Illustrator is because this software has better tools for this sort of work than InDesign.

Don’t use Photoshop
Photoshop should be avoided as it’s a pixel-based programme, and won’t produce the best results. Not only it might pixelate your artwork, especially the text, but it might also convert your cut files to pixels, which might result in the cut lines getting printed on top of your artwork, as if they were part of the design, instead of simply functioning as cutter guides.

files with white ink

howto:
set up your files with white ink

software:
illustrator

Step 1)
Open your Illustrator file.

Step 2)
Open your “Layers” panel, by going to “Window”, at the top menu bar, and then selecting “Layers.”.Create two layers in your “Layers” panel by clicking on the little square icon with a plus sign in the middle (at the bottom of the “Layers” panel).

The bottom layer will contain your artwork, as you’ve originally designed it.

Then, you’ll create a new layer on top of that, which will have a vector outline of your artwork. This shape will become your “White Ink” layer (please see step 4).

Step 3)
Lock your artwork layer, so you don’t accidentally change it.

Step 4)
As mentioned, this top layer will have a vector shape that corresponds to the outline of your artwork. This shape needs to be set up with a swatch / colour with the following details:

Swatch name: Spot1 (with this exact spelling: capital S, and no space between the word “Spot” and the number “1”).

Colour type: Spot Colour

Colour Mode: CMYK

All the CMYK levels should be 0% apart from one, which should be 100%; (e.g. C0; M0; Y100; K0).

Step 5)
Go to “Window”, at the top menu bar, and select “Attributes”. Tick the box that reads “Overprint Fill”.

The final result should be a solid colour shape sitting on top of your design; this shape is your “White Ink” layer, that our printer will pick up on and back your artwork with white ink as a result.

On the file preview, your design won’t be visible because it’ll be hidden behind this “White Ink” layer, however, we can confirm that your artwork will be fully visible when printed.

If you wish to tweak the page order, go to ‘Tools’ and select ‘Organise Pages’, drag the pages around accordingly until you're happy with their organisation. This setting also allows you to delete, duplicate or rotate each page if needed.

Step 6) Optional
If you wish for your design to be visible through this “white ink” layer, on the file preview, all you need to do is go to the top, click on the word “Opacity”, and from the drop-down menu (which usually has “Normal” as the default option), select “Multiply”.

This option will make your “White Ink” layer transparent / see-through, so the design can be visible underneath it on the file preview.

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
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pdf to word

how to:
edit or convert pdf files to word docs

software:
microsoft word or equivalent software

A PDF converter is built into the most recent versions of Word, such as Word 2013 and the newer versions released after that, including the one that comes with Office 365.

Step 1)
Open Word 

Step 2)
Go to “Browse” and select the desired PDF file from your folders.

Step 3)
Once you’ve selected the PDF, click on “Open”.A warning message will pop up saying that Word is going to do ‘its best’ to open the PDF document, and warns you that things might not look exactly like the original, especially if the original file contains lots of graphics. It will also tell you that it will take a while to perform this conversion.

Step 4) Click 'OK'
Once the conversion is done, Word will open your PDF file as an editable document.

Step 5)
Some layout changes might have occurred, therefore you will have to adjust them in Word with the tools at hand.

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
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Note:
If you’re working on a Word document, please always export it as PDF when sending it to us, even if we need to tweak it at our end. PDF files are just easier and quicker to edit, and working with them will avoid any layout corruption or distortion during the editing process.

export adobe packages

how to:
export working files as adobe packages

software:
indesign, illustrator & photoshop

Step 1)
Open your InDesign / Illustrator / Photoshop file. 

Step 2)
Make sure your Document contains no errors, such as Missing or Modified Links.

Step 3)
Go to “File” and then “Package…”, on your top menu bar. If your document hasn’t been saved yet, InDesign will ask you to save it. Click on the button that reads “Save”.

Step 4)
On the popup window, click on ‘Package’, on the bottom right. 

Step 5)
A new popup window will appear. Select the folder on your Desktop in which you want to save your package to.

Step 6)
Make sure you tick all boxes at the bottom of the popup window, so the ABC Studio has access to all the Fonts and Linked Graphics used in your document.

Step 7)
When you’re ready, click on the button that reads “Package”, at the bottom right.

Step 8)
Compress / zip your Packaged Folder up, and send it to ABC.

Give us a call on: 020 7253 4311
city@abcimaginguk.com
DOWNLOAD ThE PDF pack
We hope these short tutorials have helped you. However, if any other errors are present in your files or something else needs to be changed, the ABC Design Studio can give you further instructions and will help you in every step along the way.If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at designhelp@abcimaginguk.com.

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