OT: A3 page size + bleed area = ?
Moderators: Peter Thomsen, miker
-
- Posts: 432
- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:43 pm
- Finale Version: Finale 26
- Operating System: Mac
Hi all,
Sorry that this is a little off-topic, but....
I just wanted to mention that I am trying to make a cover for a score. If this is no interest to you, don't read on...
So, first I made a finale score into a booklet. I used wiggy's pdf booklet-making application to make it. My first attempt worked very well. I printed the booklet onto A3 sheets, then I folded them, then I saddlestitched (staple) them with a long staple, then I trimmed it all.
For my next trick, I am trying to design a full colour cover to be used with the above booklet making activity. My priority is to have a colour printed cover with no white margin. So, I am experimenting with Scribus (open source) design software. So far, I have set my document to A3, then set the margin and bleed to be 0.124in (that's what my local print shop suggests on its website). I set the colour to be CMYK. I entered the required text, colour etc to make a quick test score cover, then exported it as a PDF in the necessary version (PDF1.5). The PDF inspector says that the outputted PDF's page size is 44.05cm x 31.75cm. So far so good.... because A3 size is 42cm x 29.7cm, so this extra amount will be what gets trimmed off eventually....
I plan to speak to the print shop person in a few days. Anyone on the forum with helpful hints? In the meantime, I will continue on with my experimenting....
Cheers,
Hector.
Sorry that this is a little off-topic, but....
I just wanted to mention that I am trying to make a cover for a score. If this is no interest to you, don't read on...
So, first I made a finale score into a booklet. I used wiggy's pdf booklet-making application to make it. My first attempt worked very well. I printed the booklet onto A3 sheets, then I folded them, then I saddlestitched (staple) them with a long staple, then I trimmed it all.
For my next trick, I am trying to design a full colour cover to be used with the above booklet making activity. My priority is to have a colour printed cover with no white margin. So, I am experimenting with Scribus (open source) design software. So far, I have set my document to A3, then set the margin and bleed to be 0.124in (that's what my local print shop suggests on its website). I set the colour to be CMYK. I entered the required text, colour etc to make a quick test score cover, then exported it as a PDF in the necessary version (PDF1.5). The PDF inspector says that the outputted PDF's page size is 44.05cm x 31.75cm. So far so good.... because A3 size is 42cm x 29.7cm, so this extra amount will be what gets trimmed off eventually....
I plan to speak to the print shop person in a few days. Anyone on the forum with helpful hints? In the meantime, I will continue on with my experimenting....
Cheers,
Hector.
-
- Posts: 1307
- Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 8:59 am
- Finale Version: Finale 27
- Operating System: Mac
Welcome to the exciting world of print production! Have you included crop marks in your PDF?
Bleed is usually around 3mm, because you can only rely on a printer trimming to within 1.5mm of your intended mark.
If you've already got an A3 printer, it will be considerably cheaper to find some coloured A3 card and print a mono design on top. Big printers usually have a "pass-through" flatter path for thick card that doesn't take it round the rollers.
Glad the booklet maker worked for you.
Bleed is usually around 3mm, because you can only rely on a printer trimming to within 1.5mm of your intended mark.
If you've already got an A3 printer, it will be considerably cheaper to find some coloured A3 card and print a mono design on top. Big printers usually have a "pass-through" flatter path for thick card that doesn't take it round the rollers.
Glad the booklet maker worked for you.
-
- Posts: 432
- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:43 pm
- Finale Version: Finale 26
- Operating System: Mac
Hi Buontempi,
Yes, I am discovering print production is an exciting world!
I have ticked boxes in Scribus to allow for crop marks in the pdf, as well as bleed marks, registration marks, colour bars and page info...
What I have saved on not using subscription-based design software I plan to spend on colour printing covers for my scores. I will keep the coloured A3 card stock in mind for when I hit my budget limit... I am yet to locate A3 coloured glossy card stock, but it must be out there somewhere.
Thanks, too, for the booklet making software. It was quite an exciting thing when I saw the first Finale score booklet produced as if by magic, complete with creep and everything. I need some more time to fully understand all of its settings.
In other news, I am also on the lookout for an open source equivalent to Photoshop, as I think an upgrade to Mojave is probably going to finally break my antique PS Elements.
Best wishes and thanks,
Hector.
Yes, I am discovering print production is an exciting world!
I have ticked boxes in Scribus to allow for crop marks in the pdf, as well as bleed marks, registration marks, colour bars and page info...
What I have saved on not using subscription-based design software I plan to spend on colour printing covers for my scores. I will keep the coloured A3 card stock in mind for when I hit my budget limit... I am yet to locate A3 coloured glossy card stock, but it must be out there somewhere.
Thanks, too, for the booklet making software. It was quite an exciting thing when I saw the first Finale score booklet produced as if by magic, complete with creep and everything. I need some more time to fully understand all of its settings.
In other news, I am also on the lookout for an open source equivalent to Photoshop, as I think an upgrade to Mojave is probably going to finally break my antique PS Elements.
Best wishes and thanks,
Hector.
-
- Posts: 1307
- Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 8:59 am
- Finale Version: Finale 27
- Operating System: Mac
Not free, though very cheap, and an excellent professional alternative to Photoshop is Affinity Photo. There's also Affinity Design, which is a similarly excellent professional alternative to Illustrator. And they have Affinity Publisher in Beta, soon to be released.Hector Pascal wrote:What I have saved on not using subscription-based design software
In other news, I am also on the lookout for an open source equivalent to Photoshop,
https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/
The leading open source free Photo package is called GIMP. The vector drawing package is Inkscape.
Do send me an email if you need any help with the booklet script.
-
- Posts: 432
- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:43 pm
- Finale Version: Finale 26
- Operating System: Mac
Thanks, everyone! These applications that you mention are very interesting. I will investigate them all.
I also have my ISMNs ready to go, and am entertaining the thought of using a barcode with the score ISMNs, though i am yet to settle on a particular program to produce that. (This is an interesting website regarding barcode generation:
https://www.online-qrcode-generator.com/ismn It is another source of some excitement in between composing dots:)
Cheers,
Hector Pascal.
I also have my ISMNs ready to go, and am entertaining the thought of using a barcode with the score ISMNs, though i am yet to settle on a particular program to produce that. (This is an interesting website regarding barcode generation:
https://www.online-qrcode-generator.com/ismn It is another source of some excitement in between composing dots:)
Cheers,
Hector Pascal.