InDesign — How to set up a lettehead file for a commercial printing company

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This page explains how to set up an A4 letterhead file for a commercial printing company whan you are using the Adobe InDesign program. Whilst the images are based upon a person using Adobe InDesign on an Apple-Mac, the process is almost the same when using Adobe InDesign on a PC.

Also, whilst this page relates to A4 letterhead, the procedure for A5 letterhead is 'all-but-the-same' (i.e.: only the measurements are different).

 

The first thing to do is open a new file. As you can see below, you choose "File" > "New" > "Document" (and the red arrow on the image shows this).

 

 

Once you have chosen "File" > "New" > "Document", your screen should look something like the screen-shot below. You must now follow the seven steps detailed below (i.e.: steps "A" through to "G").

  • "A" — A4 Letterhead is normally a single page, so make sure that the number "1" is entered in the Number of Pages box. TheOnlinePrinter only prints single-sided A4 letterhead. however, if you are using another printing company, and you are ordering double-sided letterhead, then place the number "2" in this box.
  • "B" — Letterhead is almost always A4-sized (with the exception of the USA and A5 letterhead), so make sure the Page Size drop-down menu is A4 (if you want A5 letterhead, then select A5 from the drop-down menu). Once A4 (or A5) is selected as Page Size, the measurements in the boxes immediatly below the drop-down menu should be 210mm x 297mm (or 148mm x 210mm for A5 letterhead). If this does not occur, then manually place those numbers in the boxes.
  • "C" — Letterhead almost never has more than one column, so make sure Columns is marked "1".
  • "D" — It is vital that any text that you have is not printed too close to the edge of the letterhead. If it is placed too close, then there is a chance that it will be cut off when your letterhead is trimmed to the correct size. Therefore, it is suggested that the Margin be set at 7mm. If you are confident that you know what you are doing, then you might reduce it to 5mm, but NEVER have it less that 5mm.
  • "E" — The Bleed will be explained later, but it is sufficient to know that the Bleed MUST be set at AT LEAST 3mm. You can set the Bleed at greater than 3mm (e.g.: 5mm or even 5 meters), but NEVER less than 3mm.
  • "F" — The Orientation is almost always portrait. In fact, TheOnlinePrinter has yet to print a landscape letterhead. anyway, make sure the Orientation is set at Portrait.
  • "G" — The Gutter is only used if the letterhead file has more than 1 column. given almost every Letterhead file does NOT have more than one column, the Gutter should be set at Zero.

Once this is done, click the blue "OK" button.

 

Your screen will now look a bit like the screen-shot below, and the rules for designing your letterhead file are really very simple.

  • "A" — the black lines — this is where the job is going to be cut when your letterhead is trimmed down to the correct size.
  • "B" — the red lines — this is the Bleed line. If you are going to have a background colour, or an image, or some text, that is going to be printed right to the edge of the page, then you MUST ensure that the image, background colour or text continues all the way to the Bleed line. It can continue past the Bleed line, but it cannot finish before the Bleed line.
  • "C" — the magenta (or purple) line — this is the Safety Margin line. If you have any text or images that are vital (they MUST appear on the page), then that text and those images MUST remain INSIDE the Safety Margin lines. If you are going to have a white (or coloured) border, then that border MUST take up ALL the space between the Safety Margin and Bleed lines.

 

Below is an image of TheOnlinePrinter's letterhead. You will notice that we have been good boys and girls, as we have ensured that all the vital text is within the Safety Margin lines, and the background colours go all the way out to the Bleed lines.

 

Ok, so you have now designed your letterhead file on your Adobe InDesign software, and you now need to make it press-ready for your commercial printing company.

Fonts are almost always a problem. You might have a font, and you might be licenced to use that font, but your commercial priner might not be licenced to use that same font. If your commercial printer tries to correct your file for you (e.g.: some text might be too close to the edge of the page), then your commercial printer might not be able to correct that file because he/she is not licenced to use the fonts that you used. The easiest way to avoid the Font issue is to outline your fonts. This is a quick two-step process. First, choose "Edit" > "Select All" (see the below image).

 

Each an every item on your Adobe InDesign file will be highlighted with a blue line. In the below image, you will notice that the Favcon (the coloured flower) and the "TheOnlinePrinter" text are outlined with blue boxes that also have white 'grab' boxes at each corner an at each side of each item — those blue boxes and 'grab' boxes mean that the Favcon and text have been 'selected'.

 

You then choose "Type" > "Create Outlines" (see below image).

 

You then "Save" your document, BUT "Save" it using a different name.
For instance, if your Adobe InDesign document is called "TheOnlinePrinter Letterhead", then save it as "TheOnlinePrinter Letterhead OUTLINED". The reason for giving the file a newname is simple: if you see an error (e.g.: a spelling mistake), then you can go back to the old file and correct it.

 

Commercial printers almost always prefer press-ready PDFs. These files travel well through the Internet, and the files are normally smaller than files sent in other formats — the smaller size means they upload faster.

To create a press-ready PDF from your Adobe Indesign program for TheOnlinePrinter, you simply choose "File" > "Export" (see below image).

 

You will then be presented with a screen shot similar to what is below. You will need to name the file. TheOnlinePrinter uses the file name to track your job through the printing process, so please give the file a decent name that describes what the file is, and who the file is for (e.g.: TheOnlinePrinter Letterhead.pdf" or "Bob and Ted Self Strorage House Letterhead.pdf"). Do not give it a simple name that is meaningless (e.g.: "Letterhead.pdf"). Also, remember the file where you are going to store the file on your computer — it is not really a good idea to create a 100% press-ready PDF from your Adobe InDesign program, and then forget the place to which it has been saved on your computer.

Click "Save".

 

The next page will be the General Settings page (see below). The main issue here is that the file is "Press Quality". If you do NOT have a "Press Quality" option, then do not worry, as we can fix that later.

Click the "Compression" tag that is directly under the "General" tag.

 

The screen wil alter to the below image. You must make sure that the "Colour Images" and "Greyscale Images" are set at "Bicubic Downsampling to" "300" pixel per inch, and the "for images above" is are set at "450" pixels per inch.The Monochrome Images" settings are 1200 and 1800.

Then click the "Marks and Bleeds" tag that is directly under the "Compression" tag.

 

You will now be presented with an image similar to the below sreen shot. The only marks that TheOnlinePrinter requires are crop marks. So, tick the "Crop Marks" box, and set the bleeds at 3mm on all sides.

Once this is done, click the Export button.

 

You will now have a 100% press-ready PDF that you can send to your commercial printer.