"Print and Cut" workflow. Or force-mirror pages/masters. Or onion skin.

[Konstantin Davidenko]

Hello,

I am doing a lot of "Print and Cut" preparations in Affinity Publisher. Which means I am making design to duplex print on both sides of the page, and then cut out correct zones. Usually it is rectangulars of different sizes (like printing custom playing cards), but sometimes more complex shapes.

And this requires a lot of mirroring of one page design to the next page. And it is always really confusing, since front of the card on the top-left of the first page will correspond to the back of the card of top-right of second page (see screenshot 1). And if you have any complex silhouette of object (see screenshot 2), it is really easy to mess-up its position on the page, and didn't notice till you print it and already start cutting.

Is there any solution which can help with this workflow (except guidelines and rulers)? Or maybe there can be implemented something like automatic mirroring? Or how it is done in animation — onion skin, to see, what will be on the second side of current page?

Thank you in advance.

Edited November 8, 2024 by Konstantin Davidenko
Grammar and scrinshot order