Tag: tutorials-body

Page Count: Saddle Stitch Binding

Saddle stitching is the same binding that the catalogs and magazines you get in the mail tend to have. It is two staples nested in the spine of the folded piece, securing the sheets together. It can go along the left edge or on top depending on how the project is planned out. Saddle stitching is great for booklets, calendars, photo-books and programs.

Number of Pages Accepted

We can print saddle-stitch orders that have 8 pages – 92 pages, though we require them be in 4 page increments. In other words, your document (counting front and back cover) should be one of the following page counts:
8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 40 | 44 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92

Page Creep

When saddle stitching, there is a term called “page creep,” which is when the inner pages stick out farther than the pages closer to the outer cover. This usually happens when there is a large number of pages or thicker paper. A booklet with fewer pages will most likely not have to worry about creep because the trimming may not be as noticeable as with higher page numbers.

Diagram C below shows how the pages stick out (creep) from the book and Diagram D shows how the pages are trimmed after being stitched.

Upload Pages in this Order

To calculate Page Count in a Document:
Set up numbered pages as single pages

• In the image above, Page 1 is the Front Cover
• Page 2 is Inside the Front Cover
• Pages 3-6 are all inside pages
• Page 7 is the Inside of the Back Cover
• Page 8 is the Back Cover

Page Count: Overview

We require that any booklet files be sent as single pages, not spreads. In your files, page 1 should be the front cover and the last page should be the back cover (see below).

Upload Pages in this Order

To calculate Page Count in a Document:
Set up numbered pages as single pages

• In the image above, Page 1 is the Front Cover
• Page 2 is Inside the Front Cover
• Pages 3-6 are all inside pages
• Page 7 is the Inside of the Back Cover
• Page 8 is the Back Cover

PrintingCenterUSA’s prepress department will personally arrange the single pages from your PDF onto front and back sheets. For this reason, we do not accept spreads. Learn more about spreads here.

For a step-by-step tutorial on page count, select from one of the following bindings:
Saddle Stitch, Perfect Bound, Spiral, and Wire-O

Resolution: Word

There is no way to check the resolution of your images once they are in Word. Be sure to check that your images are 300 ppi or more before placing them in your document. If your imported images appear pixelated (like the image below does), then you should attempt to find a new image.

To ensure your document itself is saving as a high-resolution PDF, please refer to our File Saving guide for Word here.

Resolution: Publisher

There is no way to check the resolution of your images once they are in Publisher. Be sure to check that your images are 300 ppi or more before placing them in your document.

To ensure your document itself is saving as a high-resolution PDF, please refer to our File Saving guide for Publisher here.

Resolution: Canva

Unfortunately, there is no option for seeing your image resolution when it is uploaded to Canva. We recommend viewing your images at 100% zoom to see if they are of acceptable quality.

Resolution: Illustrator

Checklist (Document Resolution)

1. Open Raster Effects Settings
2. Change Resolution

1. Open Raster Effects Settings

From the top menu Click: Effect > Document Raster Effect Settings

2. Change Resolution

Change the resolution to High (300 ppi). Click OK.

Checklist (Image Resolution)

1. Open the Document Info
2. Select Linked or Embedded File
3. Check Resolution

1. Open Document Info

In the top menu Click: Window > Document Info. This will prompt a small window to open.

2. Select Linked or Embedded File

In the Document Info window, click the list icon in the top right corner, then select either Linked or Embedded.

3. Check Resolution

Check the resolution of your linked or embedded images. If your image is lower than 300 pixels per inch, then you will need to replace your image with one that has a higher resolution.

Resolution: Photoshop

Checklist (Image Resolution)

1. Open Image Size
2. Change Resolution
3. Warnings

1. Open Image Size

From the top menu Click: Image > Image Size

2. Change Resolution

Input 300 for your image resolution. Click OK.

3. Warnings

• You cannot add pixels to an image.
• If you change the resolution to 300, click OK, and the image gets larger in Photoshop, then you have just made the image larger than it actually is. This will make the image just as pixelated as before and you may need to find a new image.
• Please note that in Photoshop, your document itself is treated like an image. Because of this, your image size and document size will be the same.

Click here for more questions on Resolution.

Resolution: InDesign

Checklist (Image Resolution)

1. Open Info Pane
2. Check Image Resolution

1. Open Info Pane

From the top menu Click: Window > Info

2. Check Image Resolution

With the info window open, click on the image you are wanting to check. The info panel will showcase your:

• Actual PPI: resolution at 100%
• Effective PPI: resolution after scaling
  What you need to pay the closest attention to is the Effective PPI. This accounts for any scaling of your image within the document. As long as the Effective PPI Remains above 300, your images will print perfectly!

Please note that in InDesign, there is no document ppi setting until you choose your exportation file type. To ensure you are saving your InDesign document at a high enough resolution, refer to our File Saving tutorial here.

Resolution: Overview

PrintingCenterUSA recommends that the file and/or image resolution should be set at 300 dpi to ensure that the final document is not pixelated (fuzzy) when printed. However, some customers find 180 dpi (or better) to be an acceptable resolution. You must closely review the resolution during the proofing process to determine if there are any issues.

Enlarging an image will lower the resolution while reducing an image will increase the resolution. Enlarging an image in a layout is NOT recommended. Images that are less than 300 dpi could reproduce poorly looking fuzzy or pixelated.

Images from the internet are not recommended, as most images are only 72 dpi.

An unfavorable image cannot be resaved as a different type of file. For example, you cannot place a gif file in Photoshop and resave it as an EPS file. This does not change the compatibility of the file. If you have to use low-resolution images we will print only after you consent to the quality.

For a step-by-step tutorial on setting up your resolution, select from one of the following programs:
InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva, Publisher, and Word

Have more questions? Check our Resolution FAQ.

Bleeds: Word

Checklist

1. Open Page Setup
2. Add Bleed
3. Warnings

1. Open Page Setup

From the top menu, Click File > Page Setup. This will prompt the Page Setup window to open.

2. Add Bleeds and Margins (Safety Lines)

a. In the Page Setup window, select the Paper Size dropdown and click Manage Custom Sizes. This will prompt another window where you will set a bleed preset.

b. At the bottom left of this window, click the “+” button.
c. Double click the Untitled and type a descriptive name, such as “Add Bleed” so you have it for next time.
d. Adjust the paper size by adding .25 inches to both the width and height of your final trim size.
e. In the Non-Printable Area section, enter “0” for all margin values. Click OK.

3. Warnings

• Although you can extend the document size to accommodate for bleeds, you will not be able to set any graphics or images all the way to this line. This means that you will end up with a white border around your final product. If this is not what you want, try using our free Online Design Tool.

* There is no way to set up a safety line in Word.