Illustrator CS2 — How to set up a bookmark file for a commercial printing company

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This page has some information that will assist you in correctly setting up your bookmark file when using Adobe Illustrator. Whilst the images are from an Apple-Mac, the issues and the same when using PCs.

 

Setting up a bookmark file in Adobe Illustrator

It is best if your Adobe illustrator bookmark file is correctly set-up from the very beginning. So, choose, File > New (see below).

 

You will be presented with the below New Document dialogue box.

  1. Name your bookmark file. The name should contain two features:
    • The main feature of the customer — in our example the bookmark is for the Book Grocer, and the Book Grocer's name will appear on the bookmark.
    • The type of product that is being ordered — our example has a standard bookmark being ordered.
  2. Enter the Width and the Height of the bookmark:
    • Standard bookmarks are 50mm wide, and 150mm high.
    • Jumbo bookmarks are 50mm wide, and 200mm high.
  3. Ensure that the Color Mode drop-down menu is set at CMYK.
  4. Ensure that the Raster Effects drop-down menu is set at at least 300ppi. If you have a lower resolution (e.g.: 150ppi or 72ppi), then your job will become bitmapped (i.e.: it will become pixilated).

When the New Document dialogue box is correctly filled-in, click the OK button.

 

You will be presented with a file that is similar to the below image. Do NOT start designing your bookmark file just yet; there are a few things you must do first.

 

 Choose View > Show Rulers (see below).

 

You will notice that there are now rulers at the top and lefthand side of your Adobe Illustrator bookmark file.

 

The Bleed and Safety Margin lines must now be placed in the bookmark file (more about the reason for Bleed and Safety Margin lines later).

Below is an image of the top lefthand corner of the bookmark file:

  • Place your mouse in the top ruler, hold down the mouse, and drag the mouse down until the aqua coloured line is 3mm outside the top black bookmark line. You can measure the 3mm on the left hand ruler. This is the top Bleed line.
  • Place your mouse in the top ruler, hold down the mouse, and drag the mouse down until the aqua coloured line is 5mm inside the top black bookmark line. You can measure the 5mm on the left hand ruler. This is the top Safety Margin line.
  • Place your mouse in the lefthand ruler, hold down the mouse, and drag the mouse across until the aqua coloured line is 3mm outside the lefthand black bookmark line. You can measure the 3mm on the top ruler. This is the lefthand Bleed line.
  • Place your mouse in the lefthand ruler, hold down the mouse, and drag the mouse across until the aqua coloured line is 5mm inside the lefthandblack bookmark line. You can measure the 5mm on the top ruler. This is the left Safety Margin line.

 

Now, go and do the same at the bottom right of the file, and your Adobe Illustrator bookmark file should end up looking like the below image. 

 

Star designing your bookmark file. However:

  • Make sure that all vital text and images are kept inside the Safety Margin lines — you will notice in the below screen shot that all text is within the Safety Margin lines.
  • If you have background colours or images that are to print right to the edge of the finished bookmark, then make sure that those background colours or images continue all the way to the Bleed lines — you will notice that the green background colour in the below file continue all the way to the bleed lines.

You can now save your file, and it is ready to be sent to your commercial printing company.

 

Whilst commercial printing companies, including TheOnlinePrinter, readily accept Adobe Illustrator bookmark files, you should note that Adobe Illustrator bookmark files are not foolproof, and they can present some problems. Specifically:

  • Your commercial printer might not be licensed to use the fonts that you have used, and this can create problems when your commercial printer tries to create a press-ready file from your Adobe Illustrator bookmark file.
  • Adobe Illustrator bookmark files are normally quite stable when they are sent over the Internet or via E-mail to a printing company, but the stability of an Adobe Illustrator bookmark file is not guaranteed.
  • Adobe Illustrator bookmark files can be quite large.

To overcome the above mentioned issues, TheOnlinePrinter suggests that you convert all the text to outlines, and convert your Adobe Illustrator bookmark file to a PDF.

 

Converting text to outlines on an Adobe Illustrator bookmark file

This is just so easy. Choose Select > All (see below).

 

You will notice that your Adobe Illustrator bookmark file will have everything highlighted with light blue lines and little squares (see below).

 

Now choose Type > Create Outlines (see below).

 

All the text will now be outlined with light blue lines, and it will appear quite mottled (see below). You can save your file.  

You now have an Adobe Illustrator bookmark file that contains 100% outlined text.

 

Converting an Adobe Illustrator bookmark file into a press-ready PDF

This is such a simple task. Choose File > Save As (see below).

 

You will be presented with the Save As dialogue box (below). Make sure that the Format drop-down menu is set at Adobe PDF (next to the red arrow), and then click the Save button. 

 

You will be presented with the Save Adobe PDF dialogue box (see below). Make sure the Adobe PDF Preset drop down menu (top red arrow) is set at Press Quality.

Now click the Compression tab in the lefthand list (just below the General tab — the second red arrow).

 

The Save Adobe PDF dialogue box will change to the below screen shot.

  • Ensure that the Color Bitmap Images box is set to 300 ppi and 450 ppi.
  • Ensure that the Greyscale Bitmap Images box is set to 300 ppi and 450 ppi.
  • Ensure that the Monochrome Bitmap Images box is set to 1200 ppi and 1800 ppi.

Now click the Marks and Bleeds tab in the lefthand menu.

 

The Save Adobe PDF dialogue box will change to the below screen shot, and this is the last page you will visit.

  • Click the Trim Marks box.
  • Make sure the Bleeds are set at 3mm on each and every edge.
  • Click the Save PDF button.

You have converted your Adobe Illustrator bookmark file to a press-ready PDF. So, send it to your printer for pressing and be confident that it will print properly.