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Combining Front Cover with Spine Copy for
Final PDF Submission

The following steps illustrate basic practice for combining front cover and spine copy in page layout. Following this procedure will allow you to send only one final combined PDF, rather than sending single PDF´s for both elements, or application files.

Step 1

Layout your front cover as usual to the final trim size.

Step 2

Obtain spine size for each issue from your RR Donnelley Print/Bind CSR. For example, I will use 3/16" for demonstration purposes.

Step 3

For elements on the front cover intended to bleed at the top, bottom, and face, you must pull the left side of the picture box flush with the trim line on the gutter side so that it doesn´t run into the spine copy, unless intended to wrap on to the spine.

Step 4

Using a ruler guide on the cover document, measure out from the left trim line the spine width, and place a guide at that position. For a spine size of 3/16", you would position a guide -.1875" out from the trim (in the paste-board area).

Step 5

Set spine copy and center between guide and the trim line in your document, making sure your text does not touch or extend past guide or the trim line.

Step 6

When writing the Postscript file, in the "Print" window set "Bleed" to 1/8" or spine size, whichever is greater (in this case you would set the bleed to .1875"), and set the "Offset" to 30pt., rather than 12pt. (for the cover/spine file only). Note for spine sizes exceeding 3/8" (.375), it will be necessary to turn off registration to ensure marks do not show in spine area. Evaluate the final PDF in Acrobat to ensure cropmarks are not inside the spine area, and spine copy is not cropped off (verifying descenders are OK).

Examples:

Click to view larger size.

Quark / InDesign layout

Final PDF