How do I export to PDF (for print) of a very large job?

[Nizestuff]

Version of Affinity Designer is 1.5.2.58

 

I needed to create a very simple artwork that is large in size (8100mm x 4300mm) and export it to a print-ready PDF. The vendor will use it to die-cut the artwork into 20 different pieces. Certainly easier than for me to create 20 different files and ensure each print out assembles correctly into one art-piece.

 

I tried to export the finished work using PDF for print. It took a few hours but it finally completed. The pdf file was over 200Mb. Tried to open it using Adobe Reader, it shows a blank white page  :huh:

 

I have done this several times before with smaller jobs and I did not face any problems or issues. But this is my first try with such a large size.

 

Hope someone can advise if Affinity Designer can handle such a size or if there is something I can do to make this work (vendor waiting for my file :( ).

 

Attached is the affinity file in question.

 

Thanks for your kind attention!

 

David

 

Panel_clouds.afdesign

[MEB]

Hi Nizestuff,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

You've reached the Acrobat Reader page size limit (200 x 200 inches) and so Acrobat Reader displays a blank page. If you open it in other PDF readers you will see that some of them are able to open the file correctly.

Check this page on Adobe Forums for more info.

[Nizestuff]

Thanks MEB! That's helpful.

 

So what do you think is the best file type to export to for large sized jobs? I am most willing to try out each type but each attempt for this case unfortunately may mean an hour :(

 

Cheers

David

[MikeW]

There are means of getting Acrobat to display an over-sized PDF out of nearly any application, AD included. But that's a different topic...

 

AD export is slower than any application I know of.

 

I hope you have talked with the people who will be printing this job. If not, definitely do so. If you have, you likely can skip the following. Talk about scale--like doing this job at 50% scale and they double the size for output. Ask about target resolution for bitmaps/bitmap effects. Whatever their recommendation is for bitmap effect resolution, double it if you scale the design to 50% of its present size. Ask about the grid you have placed on the design. They likely cannot hold to those lines on whatever material this is being output onto. It should be unnecessary to have them. And ask about the desired file format and profile to use.

 

If this were mine to get printed, there are some things I would change in order for it to image as well as possible. And it would always be a PDF I send.

 

The background. It's got a gradient overlay. This makes the entire background a bitmap. Cannot you achieve the same coloring with a normal gradient? I did on a modified version of your file...close enough anyway.

 

The Butterflies. They are presently 19 dpi at the size you have them scaled. They are simple objects. Consider redrawing one, then duplicate and recolor to match the instances you have. Then delete the bitmap versions and add the drop shadows back on the vector butterflies. Took me a few minutes to draw one and size/position them. 

 

The Clouds. The clouds all have a red outline. Intentional? You have covered a couple gaps on some of the clouds with an ellipse. Consider just combining those with the underlying shape. In a PDF those are still distinct objects. The simpler the file the better it should reproduce without overwhelming the RIP. And besides, its just tidier.

 

And here's my best tip for keeping your sanity while AD exports. Start the export before your morning routine. Yeah, it breaks the routine, but it helps the frustration.

 

Mike