Affinity Publisher question about Bleed and using KDP templates

[Wayne Burrows]

Hello All,

I am creating a book cover that includes a border that I wish to not be cut off once it gets printed. My problem is that I am not exactly sure on how to properly position my cover alongside the KDP template so that I will know beforehand, that I have my cover page constructed properly - which will ensure that none of my border gets cut off during the printing process.

Do I have to resize my cover since I will be setting it up with 'Bleed', or adding the Bleed measurements does not mean that resizing/enlarging pages is necessary? I have watched a hefty amount of YT tutorials that goes over this in detail - including KDP's own tutorials as well. For whatever reason the topic of bleed constantly makes me scratch my head.

Could someone take a look at my thinking within the video and help me understand what I am misunderstanding.

WB

[Old Bruce]

You are in for a world of pain because of the Mitred corner created by your Effects. 

 I don't know how you made the layer Stroke Border. I would want a Blue Rectangle with its centre cut out, that way I can keep the middle with the effect applied and then stretch the blue out. Easier said than done.

cover.afpub

That mitred corner you want will look similar to this once the book is printed and the bleed trimmed off.

   

The grey is the table the book is sitting on, or the back of the bookshelf, or a wall far away.

Everything you have said in your video suggests to me that you have grasped 90% + of what the bleed can do, you just have chosen a cover design that will be broken by the way printing presses work.

[Wayne Burrows]

59 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

You are in for a world of pain because of the Mitred corner created by your Effects. 

Everything you have said in your video suggests to me that you have grasped 90% + of what the bleed can do, you just have chosen a cover design that will be broken by the way printing presses work.

So bear with me for a moment because it usually takes me going over something multiple times before it finally sinks in as it should...

Are you saying that due to the type of effect that I have here (the mitered outer edge) that there really isn't a guaranteed way that this type of outer edge will fully remain intact after the bleed has been trimmed? And therefore, it would be best to not bother with trying to move forward with that type of outer edge?

I should go with a mitered inner edge instead, so that it will not make any difference how much is cut off because the outer edge has no detailed effect on it and therefore won't look horrible if the bleed trims off too much or even too little?

Am I even close to what you have just laid out for me or am I off in left field somewhere?

 

 

[Old Bruce]

2 minutes ago, Wayne Burrows said:

Are you saying that due to the type of effect that I have here (the mitered outer edge) that there really isn't a guaranteed way that this type of outer edge will fully remain intact after the bleed has been trimmed? And therefore, it would be best to not bother with trying to move forward with that type of outer edge?

Yes.

5 minutes ago, Wayne Burrows said:

I should go with a mitered inner edge instead, so that it will not make any difference how much is cut off because the outer edge has no detailed effect on it and therefore won't look horrible if the bleed trims off too much or even too little?

Yes.

I think you are on the right track. And you definitely pickup on what I am saying.

I would like to know if the Border you have made is a simple wide stroke with no fill or if it is a rectangle with a hole in it like I made? If it is a stroke then you will have trouble dealing with the effect. A large rectangle going beyond the edge of the page into (and even past) the bleed will have the effect far far away.

Here is another way of doing this. It is how I would build it. I would maybe leave out the layer named Mess about with this

cover 2.afpub

[Wayne Burrows]

24 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

I would like to know if the Border you have made is a simple wide stroke with no fill or if it is a rectangle with a hole in it like I made?

Here is another way of doing this. It is how I would build it. I would maybe leave out the layer named Mess about with this

cover 2.afpub

I like what you did there! I'm definitely going to go that route.

I just had to go over what I did again because I had forgotten. Lol. Yes, I expanded a stroke to create that border - and I see what you mean by, it would be difficult going that route. I am pretty new to Affinity so you have just shown me a different way of pulling off that effect. Using rectangles never crossed my mind.

Once again you've been a Huge help @Old Bruce!

So, just to make sure that I now have a firm grasp on 'Bleed'.

When I hear someone say... 'Add x.xx for bleed', they are actually saying, design your project to >account for< that amount around the edges because that is what will be shaved off? I believe what has been throwing me for a loop all of this time is that, when I hear, 'Add', I'm taking that word literally - But in essence I actually need to subtract.

So in other words, I should create my project in a way so that I am prepared that x.xx will be cut off >from< the edges of my 8.5 by 11. Does that make sense?

I need to just simply fully overlay and follow the template without doing any maneuvering?? 😂

 

 

[Old Bruce]

4 hours ago, Wayne Burrows said:

When I hear someone say... 'Add x.xx for bleed', they are actually saying, design your project to >account for< that amount around the edges because that is what will be shaved off?

That will be sliced off. I use oversized photos sometimes, for an 8 1/2 x 11 magazine cover I will make a photo that is 9 x 12 and  simply place it more or less centred on the page letting the edges get cut off. I also work so the Bleed is on the bottom below all the text. The Text I design to fit on the 8 1/2 x 11 so it is (pulling numbers out of the air here) 8 x 10 or 7 1/2  x 9 1/4. You may also have only one edge of something go into and over the Bleed area.

Here only the photo is going to get sliced on the right, the rest of the bleed is just blank paper.

[Wayne Burrows]

Okay @Old BruceI fully have it now. Appreciate all the info!

WB