Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

I am planning on reproducing some of my wifes and customers art as greeting cards and would like to set up a template (if possible),to print them on roll paper on my Epson 7900 since individual sheet feeding is slow.
Since the folded over back page is essentially blank is there a way to include registration marks for cutting the cards apart with a trimmer.
Can this be done in QI, or can I or should I do it in CS5 and just print through QI?

Create a white image of the same size and set it in between the images. With crop marks there will be two short lines left in the fold. You can reduce their visibility by selecting a lighter color for the crop marks but I find the way you have to do that a bit tricky in Qimage. It would be nice if there was a permanent crop mark color selection possible in preferences that doesn't interfere with border colors.

The other way is creating a template where the images get exactly the distance in between them that you need for the blank page and use the conventional cut marks that fall outside the image.

met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst


Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

Thanks Ernst!
 "The conventional cut marks" are what I need.how does one go about doing that?
I plan on making a jig to register the score and fold, so do not need a center mark for the fold per say.
 David

I think I just figuerd it out.
I'm fairly new at CS5 but watched a new Tutorial on PS User TV last night by Corey at 12 minutes in http://kelbytv.com/photoshopusertv/2011/03/15/episode-260/   that gave me an idea.
I could size the paper(document), to slightly larger than the overall size of the full card (bleed), then use the single one pixel row and column selection tools and guides in CS5 to make the lines (the exact dimentions of the card),then fill them with a very light gray. Then I just flip the copyright and text on the back page 180 in a new layer, and free transform it to the top (which would be the bottom of the back page after folding),of my card and print the art on the bottom(face of the card) ....WHEW  ::)
When printing all I should need to do is place as many pages on the sheet as I can fit using the Optimal spacing and everything should automatically line up for cutting.
I'll have to experiment
Does this sound about right, or is there an even easier way ?

Under edges. Sorry, I didn't check the right terms in Qimage. Crop Marks are the conventional ones (the ones used in the printing industry), Mark Corners are the ones that fall within the image edges. I usually take the last as you waste less paper and the mark lines stay till the last cut is done. With 0.5 mm border added I cut just within them so they are cut off too. To waste less time and paper I select a lighter color for the Corner Marks and cut once between stacked images exactly on the lines, they hardly show then. Saves 50% of cutting time. It all depends a bit on the work I do, I have a smaller rotary cutter, a 5 feet board cutter that is quite accurate and a 3.5' wide quillotine for paper reams etc, 50's model made in the DDR . Hardly use it anymore though.

Yes a rig with some tabs on it for the sheet and the ruler, a ruler and a flat bone for the crease is what I use for things like that. There is always transparent polycarbonate around here (leftover from silkscreen jobs) for making more sophisticated rigs.

I didn't read the PS workflow thoroughly. Bit late for that here and in the end everyone gets it done one way or another :-)


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst



New: Spectral plots of +250 inkjet papers:

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

Thank you so much Ernst!
I did some experimentation in CS5 last night and used the method I described.It seems ok as long as I will be able to see the 1 pixel lines with fill set at 50% grayscale for the cut lines . I may eliminate that step since it will actually use ink to print the cut lines, and use the "Edges" marks in QI instead.
I knew I had seen something about them in QI but could not remember how to do it or find it.
I had to hunt for where it was but finally found the "Edges" checkbox (duh), and that should work very nicely!.
Thanks again!!
David

A follow up...
 I finally finished the layouts for 4 of my wifes art cards using the 1 pixel lines layout I described.Sized a 24" by 36" page in QU
and loaded 16 cards in 'compact placement', and printed on Epson Enhanced Matte.  Worked a charm!
I was able to cut the rows apart first on my Mat cutter, and using a bone burnisher to score the fold across 4 cards at a time before I cut them apart.
I found an online supplier for clear card presentation boxes, (http://www.theboxdepot.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?search=action&searchstart=55&keywords=clear1pc&template=Templates/clear1pc.html) and purchased the envelopes at Office Max.Total cost to print and package a set of 4 cards and envelopes about $2.60.
Wound up with a very professionally finished product to sell at our store, or market elsewhere.
I have the 16 card page setup saved as a job, and all I have to do is recall it to print more on demand almost instantly.



I saved the card template as a PSD doc and all I have to do for new cards is load a new pic and text, save, and load into QU to print ;D

I produce similar items (photo note cards, that is).  Thanks for the link to The Box Depot.  Uline is also a good source for stationery boxes and other packaging supplies.