Creating print files from Microsoft Publisher 2007

These instructions does not guarantee the correct creation of your print files. Rather they are intended as an assistance. If you are not familiar with how to create print data and use this instruction, we recommend that you order a data check for a surcharge as an extra option to your order. 

As we often receive questions regarding the creation of print files using Microsoft Publisher, we would like to provide you a guide in this matter. We will demonstrate the procedure in Microsoft Publisher 2007 using the example of a standard DIN-Long flyer as you can order at www.onlineprinters.com.

Creating a document

After you have started the program, select the "Blank pages sizes" type from the offered publication types. Subsequently, you can choose from different page formats. Since the desired format is not included, select "Create custom page size".

The following dialog opens next.

The final format of the DIN-Long flyer is specified on the corresponding product page under "Details". It is 10.5 cm x 21.0 cm.

Here you will also find the note on the file format including the 2 mm circumferential bleed. You need this bleed as tolerance for cutting your products. The final file format is thus 10.9 cm x 21.4 cm. Enter these dimensions into the corresponding fields. 

We also recommend using the "Guidelines". Position writing and important information such as logos, addresses, etc. that must not be cut off so that there is sufficient clearance distance to the edge of the final format (10.5 cm x 21.0 cm). We recommend 4 mm margin clearance to the final format on each page. (attention: a different recommendation exists for advertisement systems and brochures. Go to the Details of a product for more information). To this add 2 mm bleed tolerance per page which must not contain any important information as they are cut off. This results in a clearance of 6 mm to the document format margin (10.9 cm x 21.4 cm). We recommend using this measure for the guidelines. 

Elements such as images or backgrounds which should reach beyond the final format edge, such as for instance the logo bar shown below, must reach 2 mm beyond this edge, that is they must reach up to the file format edge.

Then confirm the window by clicking on "OK". The new page format you have created has been added to the list of formats. Click on it to create a new document of the corresponding size. 

The menu "Tools → Commercial printing tools" take you to the two options "Colour print" and "Fonts".

First open the menu item "Colour print", select "Process colours (CMYK)" there and subsequently confirm with "OK".

Now open the item "Fonts" and configure the window that opens as follows.

Placing text and images

You can now begin to configure the actual layout of your document. 

We generally recommend our customers to use the colour mode CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) for image files as these are also the printing colours used later on. If you want to use pictures, which you have e.g. taken with a digital camera, these pictures are usually in the RGB colour mode (red, green, blue). If you do not have any software to convert the pictures from RGB to CMYK (e.g. Adobe Photoshop), you can perform this task in Microsoft Publisher. The settings made above ("Process colours (CMYK)") ensures that all elements you insert into your document are converted to the correct colour mode. 

But since the RGB colour range is much larger (it simply contains more possible colours) than the CMYK colour range, colour shifts can occur. This primarily concerns highly saturated and brilliant colours. The printed colours may therefore appear slightly darker and duller. 

Moreover, your pictures should be in the file formats *.tif or *.jpg and have an effective resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch). You can check this very easily in Publisher. In the "Task" window to the left of the layout area you can open a dropdown menu by clicking on the down arrow tip.

If you select "Graphics Manager", a list opens that shows all graphics you can use in your document. If you move the mouse on a graphic in the list, you can open "Details" to this graphic by clicking on the small arrow on the right side.

The "Effective resolution" is also shown there which should be at least 300 dpi as mentioned above.

If you need help positioning your design elements, you can use the rulers at the left and upper edge of the design area. Click on these rulers, and holding the mouse button down, drag guidelines on the document ("Drag & Drop").

Output as PDF

Click "File → Publish as PDF or XPS" to open the following window. 

If this option is not available, you can download the free "Add-in" from the Microsoft website: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7

Select "PDF" as the file type and next click on the "Edit" button. Select "Commercial press" from the list and click on "Advanced" to show additional options. Make the settings as shown below.

Now click again on "Print options" and make sure that none of the checkmarks under "Printer's marks" are set.

Now confirm the two windows with "OK" to return to the "Publish as PDF or XPS" window. Now click "Publish" to save your PDF. 

We recommend that you review the created PDF visually. For this purpose, we recommend the free Adobe Reader which you can download from http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/. 

Please note that you cannot open and edit a PDF document in Microsoft Publisher. Its sole purpose is to transmit your print data to us. Therefore, you should save your document in Publisher file format *.pub in regular intervals, during and after the layout. You can do this via "File → Save" or "File → Save as". You can open and edit this file again and again. 

We wish you much success with the creation of your print data and promise you that we will process the order you have placed at www.onlineprinters.com in top quality. 

Your Onlineprinters team