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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    A wee Hamlet in Scotland
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    430

    Default Saving for professional printing

    Hi,
    My daughter has put in some effort making a poster for her school play. I wondered whether anyone could advise on saving for printing? She is entering it into a school competition and I need to try and get it printed asap at a local printers.Rock of Ages poster 4 A3.xarRock of Ages poster 5 A3.xar

  2. #2

    Default Re: Saving for professional printing

    I only downloaded the A3 poster.

    The background bitmap needs two things. One, it is too low of resolution. It is 15 dpi.

    Second, there is no bleed or not sufficient bleed. Typically you would want 3 mm of bleed that you can set up in Options | Page Size tab, about half way down. Then the elements that need to bleed (the background) needs to extend to the bleed lines you will see (solid red line around the page).

    The shadow of the guitar will be trimmed off at its bottom if that matters (it wouldn't to me for the design).

    As for the amount of bleed, you should check with whomever will be printing it.

    The background gradient would be better off recreated as a vector element versus attempting to increase the low resolution.

    Mike

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    41,489

    Default Re: Saving for professional printing

    Andy - Do a search for "poster size digital printing" or "large format digital printing", and see what comes up in your area. Then look at the prices on their website including shipping and tax. And see what their file submission requirements are. Usually a PDF or PDF/X file will do the trick.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    A wee Hamlet in Scotland
    Posts
    430

    Default Re: Saving for professional printing

    Quote Originally Posted by mwenz View Post
    I only downloaded the A3 poster.

    The background bitmap needs two things. One, it is too low of resolution. It is 15 dpi.

    Second, there is no bleed or not sufficient bleed. Typically you would want 3 mm of bleed that you can set up in Options | Page Size tab, about half way down. Then the elements that need to bleed (the background) needs to extend to the bleed lines you will see (solid red line around the page).

    The shadow of the guitar will be trimmed off at its bottom if that matters (it wouldn't to me for the design).

    As for the amount of bleed, you should check with whomever will be printing it.

    The background gradient would be better off recreated as a vector element versus attempting to increase the low resolution.

    Mike
    She downloaded the background from somewhere. I'll have to try and find a higher resolution of that somewhere for her I guess.
    I'll try setting up the bleed too.
    I'll reposition the guitar and shadow.
    I think trying to set up the background as a vector within Xara would be better. I'll give that a try.
    I also need to see if one of the high street printers can print it off for her for Thursday...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    A wee Hamlet in Scotland
    Posts
    430

    Default Re: Saving for professional printing

    I have found a background image on pexels of a sunrise. Could you advise on what size I should edit to in order to use it as the background? I am trying to get something sorted for my 12yo as she had her heart on posting an entry for the poster competition.
    Code:
    https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-mountains-1323550/
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  6. #6

    Default Re: Saving for professional printing

    Quote Originally Posted by AndyD View Post
    I have found a background image on pexels of a sunrise. Could you advise on what size I should edit to in order to use it as the background? I am trying to get something sorted for my 12yo as she had her heart on posting an entry for the poster competition.
    First, I am assuming that the A4 document size that your file is (at least here when I opening it) is the size you are wanting to produce.

    If you want this image as the background and do not desire the dark foreground mountains, you can download a custom size as shown below.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    This will enable the image to be of about 160 dpi when in-place at a size needed to hide the dark foreground mountains. In the image below, I have added 3mm bleed, created a rectangle to the red bleed lines, then clipped the image into it. This is not technically necessary as the PDF you will be producing will "clip" the image to the bleed amount anyway. I did it this way so the screen shot isn't really wide.

    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	123552

    But if you did want to really do an A3-size poster, the pixel dimensions I showed about would need increased. Basically the formula is longest dimension x the desired final DPI. In your case and with an A4 document, but with that image should the dark mountains want to be excluded, the image needs to be at the above dimensions.

    If the dark mountains are desired, then 1800 pixels in height is sufficient to achieve 150 dpi.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Currently New York State
    Posts
    774

    Default Re: Saving for professional printing

    Andy,

    (Looks like mwenz posted at the same time as me)

    I looked at your two files and I think they are setup for A4 size not A3, if what I googled for sizing was correct. I would double check this because you do not want to have the printer try to blow them up to A3 if you only want the A4 size.

    If you really are looking for the A3 size then you need to set your page up for the proper size, remember the bleed also. The current page is portrait layout and the pexel background is landscape. You will need to crop the new background so it fits to the page. You may have to shrink it in order for it to fit. Play around with it a bit and should not have too much trouble.

    Once every is lined up correct then you are going to export the file in as a PDF. Ask you printer if they have a preference on PDF type.

    Ask on here if you are confused and someone will help.

    Ray
    Last edited by RKissane; 05 March 2019 at 03:50 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    A wee Hamlet in Scotland
    Posts
    430

    Default Re: Saving for professional printing

    I downloaded the original size, cut out an image of 23.14cm by 31.3cm and replaced the original background.
    Attached Files Attached Files

  9. #9

    Default Re: Saving for professional printing

    The Rock of Ages, I just noticed, is 72 dpi. Because of how large format inkjets work, it may be OK. But do be prepared for it to maybe be a bit pixelated.

    The mountains image is now more than enough DPI for a good large format print.

    I see the page is now A3 size.

    Take care, Mike

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    A wee Hamlet in Scotland
    Posts
    430

    Default Re: Saving for professional printing

    Thanks.
    My daughter got the "The Rock of Ages" graphic online. We couldn't find the same font. She had wanted exactly what she had seen online, but not sure where to find that font, although it has most probably been designed for the original marketing. Gary did post an "ACDC" font, I'll need to check.

 

 

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