Exporting printer ready files from Publisher

[clearnew]

Hello all!

The company I work for uses Microsoft Publisher (barf) and when you’re ready to print or save to PDF with the software, you’re able to customize your print. A good example—and what I’m trying to do with Affinity Publisher—is print a single (or double) sided business card, multiple times on an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper with the cards placed on the paper so they will run through our business card cutter properly.

I need to have 10 business cards per sheet with 2 columns and 5 rows. I need to be able to set the space on the top, left, bottom and right as well as between the two columns.

It would be incredibly handy to create preset of this for printing, or save as PDF.

Thanks in advance,

Lawrence

[h_d]

One way would be to create a single-page Publisher document to the size of your final printed sheet. Set the top, left, right and bottom margins as required for the overall print area of the cards.

Then use the Data Merge Layout tool to create a 2x5 grid aligned to your margins. Set the spacing between the cards (the 'gutter') as required for your cutter:

 

Now create your business card in the top left cell, using the standard layout tools. It will be automagically replicated in the remaining nine cells:

 

 

You can then output the document to pdf ready for printing. You don't need to do an actual data merge - just take advantage of the self-replicating layout. 

(One possible downside would be if you needed different horizontal and vertical spacing between the rows and columns. This doesn't seem to be possible with the Data Merge tool.)

Another option would be to print a single card to PDF and use n-up settings in the print dialog to create multiple copies. This works for me on a Mac and a very basic printer driver, not sure if it's possible on PC.

 

 

 

[clearnew]

Hi @h_d!

This is an excellent solution! I'll be honest though and say that I'd rather design in the size I'm designing for then have the software do the multiplying, spacing etc but not being a print professional, I'm wondering if that's more so settings at the printer than in MS Publisher.

With designing for the size, I can easily choose to export a single copy of the card (single or double sided) as a PDF to send to the client as a proof which I prefer to sending the print ready piece.

Having said that, this is a brilliant solution though. One that I will use if I can't do it the way I'd like to.

Thanks for the input!

Lawrence

[h_d]

You could always design to size, get client approval on the single card/pdf, then place the pdf in the first cell of the Data Merge Layout...

[clearnew]

8 hours ago, h_d said:

You could always design to size, get client approval on the single card/pdf, then place the pdf in the first cell of the Data Merge Layout...

That's a pretty darn good idea too!