Trim Marks on pdf settings for print

[Vernon @ M&M]

Hi All,

 

When i create trim marks with the standard 3mm bleed and take the pdf into Indesign to layout for print, I find that that trim marks don't show on "import bleed" settings.

 

They're on the pdf but are too far away in the make-up of the pdf to show on a 3mm bleed import - the actual trim marks are 3.3mm and 3.3mmm (x, y) when measured from the Doc boundaries.

 

So, you're left with trim marks when you impose a 20-up business card spread - quite important when you put the sheets under the guillotine. I don't want to go back to the days of ruling up a job.

When a job is sent out to print, you'll find that printers generally ask for trim marks and 3mm bleed as standard

 

Am I doing something wrong in my original pdf set-up?

 

Thanks in advance for any feedback

 

Frustrated printer

 

Vernon

[MikeW]

You're not missing anything. The trim marks are not standard--at least as per Adobe products.

 

However, a couple other applications I use daily also place the marks either a tad away from the bled objects or against them. Which also is not correct for what you are wanting to accomplish.

 

This is one reason I use imposition software. I have far more control over, in this case, business card layout on the sheet. But there are other reasons too. In fact, I generally never export out jobs with any marks, just a bleed limit. Using imposition software, there is no reason for the marks in the PDF (though if there that's fine too as the imposition software removes them).

 

That all said, there's no reason that this isn't a wonderfully valid request for Serif to rethink how trim and even crop marks are presented in a PDF. Not everyone is going to spring for imposition software though I think every print establishment should consider either an imposition plug-in for Acrobat or a stand-alone imposition software rather than use ID or QXP for imposition of even biz cards.

 

Mike

[Vernon @ M&M]

Hi Mike

 

Thanks for the confirmation that I'm not missing something. Unfortunately we're not in the position to use Imposition software yet and are a bit old school.

 

One of the uses is when we're laying out spreads to farm out - so it's a visual thing for us when we get spreads back to finish.

 

As you say it's a valid request for Serif and maybe a Moderator might have an answer - or do we need put it forward as feature request?

 

Vernon

[Dave Harris]

I've moved this to Feature Requests. The bleed area exists to ensure that there is no white paper visible at the edges after cropping. To have crop marks overlap the bleed area would give black marks instead, so crop marks should go outside the bleed. However, we could certainly provide more control over where crop marks are placed.

[MikeW]

InDesign and QuarkXpress both do/can place trim marks into the bleed area (unless there is very little bleed in the file, but assume 3 mm / 0.125" bleed).

 

The marks themselves are set into a knocked out area so even with a black element that bleeds, they are viewable.

 

In the images below, I generated a PDF from QXP with marks that intrude into the bled item, then am importing into ID. Note that if ID is set to import the bleed area, the trim marks are still viewable. This is what I think the OP is desiring to do with an AD --> ID workflow.