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Advice: creating proper bleed/trim in a Photoshop file
Hello!
I’m working on some book cover designs to go to press. I’m familar with how to prepare bleeds using Indesign. But since this project is 100% PS, I don’t want to be embarased if I don’t deliver the prope file.
Example. The finished size is 6×9″ with a 0.125 bleed. My Doc is 6.25×9.25.
I’m delivering in PDF. At the moment I am choosing PDF X/1a:2001 and to not convert the color space from sRGB to CMYK. Is that a good option?
(I do not have any specs from the printer as to CMYK conversion etc. so I am trying to deliver the best generic file for them to convert and RIP)
So, my main question. In indesign the “canvas” would be the final 6×9″ but I would have the artwork atleast .125″ past the edge for the bleed. On output, I’d select a bleed for the file as .125″ – Done.
Now, in PS, is my only option to generate a PDF with the Canvas size as 6.25×9.25″. The printer is obviously expecting some bleed. But, is there anything within PS or during the output as of the PDF, I should do to set-up the bleed/trim?
Or finally, Should I bring the PDF or PSD file into Illustrator or InDesign, and place it on a 6×9 canvas, and let InDesign output the file with the bleed settings.
Thanks
Maxi
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9 Replies
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g’day Max
your safest bet is to take the psd into indesign and then export to a cmyk pdf using whatever export profile is appropriate for that printer.
definitely DO NOT supply an rgb file to a printer unless you are not at all concerned about what the final printed file looks like.
there’s a series of three posts at macgrunt which gives a basic demonstration of this.
d.
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Thanks for the advice!
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I’ll ask in InDesign, but if you know.
My PS doc, has Type layers. I converted to CMYK anbd saved as a PSD. brought into ID. Created my trim and bleeds.
I followed the printers specs for the PDF options.
Do the type layers from PS in the PSD, remain as type (non rastered) within ID?
Also when the file is exported as a PDF do the live text remain type or get flattened/rastered?
I ask because the preview in ID does not look great? If I zoom in the text looks bitmapped rather than postscript?
I just have no way to tell until hearing back from the publisher.
I don’t really want to rebuild the text layers in ID.
Thanks
Max
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My experience has been that type and other vectors remain as vectors through the export process (unless you’ve rasterised them in Photoshop). You will not need to recreate the text in InDesign.
You don’t need to convert the PSD file to CMYK — the export to PDF will take care of that as long as you specify CMYK as your output color destination (which it will be since you’re using PDF/X-1a).
It may look rough in InDesign until you change your preview to high quality (view menu > display performance) — high res image previews slow InDesign down, so the default display is a proxy.
For high quality print you need to make sure the psd file comes into InDesign at an eppi (effective pixels per inch) of not less than 300. So, if your psd is 300ppi, and you import it at 100% actual size, it will be fine. If you have to enlarge it to 200%, the eppi will be 150, which is too low. If you created it at 100% size at 100ppi, it will be too low, etc, etc.
When you export the PDF, set the output compression to bicubic downsampling to 300ppi. The text should look crisp in acrobat and on your proof.
One trick to see what gets rasterised and what stays as vectors is to drag the PDF into Illustrator. It’s easy to see your vectors by going into preview mode (Cmnd-Y on the mac). Don’t panic if things look ‘sliced up’ it’s just part of the flattening process.
hope this helps dude — good luck with it.
d.
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sorry — probably should have also pointed out that with PDF/X-1a, Transparency Flattener under advanced pdf export settings should be set to high resolution (although I don’t think this affects vectors)
d. -
Hi Dwayne!
First, I really appreciate the very detailed and knowledgable response you gave me. Very much appreciated.
I have been experementing. interestingly there does not seem to be an ADVANCED tab when exporting PDF x/1a 2001, as there is with ID.
But after saving my version of X/1a as a preset in ID, I see that it is available in PS PDF settings.
I wonder, even if the ADVANCED tab is not available, if those setting “tick” the boxes when writing the PDF?
An example from Sheridan Press’s PDF requirements:
The “*” settings don’t appear in PS CS6 PDF Export?
X/1a-2001
Compression : zip, CCITT Group 4
No Profile assigned
Convert to Destination: U.S. Web Coat CMYK SWOP v.2
* Crop Marks only, weight: .5pt; Offset .125 on.
* Use Document Bleed Settings checked (0.125″)
* ADVANCED: Enter 1% for Subset Fonts when percent of Characters used is less then:
* Transparanancy Flattener: Select (High Res) from drop down menu
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Yes, that’s why you bring the PSD into InDesign and export from there.
Photoshop isn’t a prepress tool — it’s an image editor. It doesn’t understand crops and bleeds, etc.
PDFs from photoshop are fine for use on screen, or even a laser printer, or whatever.
But for export for offset printing you need a proper prepress workflow.
You CAN export from Photoshop — but you’re not doing yourself or your printer any favours.d.
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I having difficulty bringing a PSD file into InDesign so I can create a PDF with bleed/trim lines.
I am fluent in PS but not InDesign.
Can you help me please? -
Hi. I’m having the same issues
I am fluent in PS but not InDesign and i am having trouble bringing a PSD file into InDesign.
How do I do this as I need to create a PDF with bleed/trim lines.
Hoping you can help.
Cheers
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