Printing to PDF with an object bleed

[kimberli.ringelkane]

Greetings!

I have a word document that has an object on each page, bleeding off.
(Bleed: the object runs off the page.)

The printer area (margins) are not allowing the PDF to show this
object, it gets cut off as though it was actually printed by a
printer.

The object is a word drawing object that is part of the header.

After changing the margins to 0", all of the text on the page runs off
as well.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[TexasBob]

Greetings!

I have a word document that has an object on each page, bleeding off.
(Bleed: the object runs off the page.)

The printer area (margins) are not allowing the PDF to show this
object, it gets cut off as though it was actually printed by a
printer.

The object is a word drawing object that is part of the header.

After changing the margins to 0", all of the text on the page runs off
as well.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Laser printers and ink jet printers all need the margin you described
for the paper feeding. The only solution is make your printing area
smaller then trim the printed page for the bleed. While this is not
satisfactory for a long multiple-page document, it works fine for
several pages as long as you have access to a paper cutter, such as
you might find for customer use at Kinkos, Office Depot or some
similar place. This is actually very similar to the process used by
professional print shops.

 

[Elliott Roper]

I have a word document that has an object on each page, bleeding off.
(Bleed: the object runs off the page.) Intentionally I presume?
The printer area (margins) are not allowing the PDF to show this
object, it gets cut off as though it was actually printed by a
printer.

Yep. Not very intuitive is it? You need to do page set up selecting a
printer that does full bleeds.

The object is a word drawing object that is part of the header.
After changing the margins to 0", all of the text on the page runs off
as well.

Word's margins are the greater distance from the paper edge of its own
margins and the printer's margins.

Any suggestions?

Leave Word's margins where you want them for the text, then trick your
printer driver into printing edge to edge by choosing a custom paper
size in page set up. Make it the same dimensions as you want e.g. the
numerical values for A4 or US letter or whatever. That will enable the
sub-panel underneath where you set all the "printer" margins to 0.
Name your custom paper size e.g. edgetoedgea4
Now when you print to PDF, choose your normal printer, choose your
custom paper size and off you go.

Note that if your graphic is an eps, choose print to pdf as postscript,
then use preview.app to make the real pdf. That works around a printing
bug where Word sends the grotty eps preview to the printing system

It's rubbish innit? But that is the way it is.

 

[Clive Huggan]

On 18/4/07 3:27 AM, in article 170420071827558743%[email protected], "Elliott

Yep. Not very intuitive is it? You need to do page set up selecting a
printer that does full bleeds.

<snip>

Elliott, I wonder if there is a printer driver among those installed by the
OS, and a way of being able to access it without having the printer present?

(You can tell this isn't my territory.)

Cheers,

Clive
======

 

[Elliott Roper]

On 18/4/07 3:27 AM, in article 170420071827558743%[email protected], "Elliott



<snip>

Elliott, I wonder if there is a printer driver among those installed by the
OS, and a way of being able to access it without having the printer present?

(You can tell this isn't my territory.)

I started looking, then realised I had pruned all the printers I'd
never own out of my systems. Then I found the custom paper size trick
and realised that was a more elegant fix.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hello Gang -

Perhaps I'm missing something in the conversation, but I get the impression
that the full bleed issue is something with which one chooses to wrestle
only if welded to the use of the built-in (nice & convenient but quite
restricted) PDF generator provided in OS X.

Full Bleed is no problem with Acro 7, but even if you don't want to go the
bite for it you might try something a little less expensive - like FREE:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/29368

I've not used it extensively, but it seems to do a fine job & has some
excellent ratings/feedback. There are others from which to choose, as well.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Elliott Roper]

Hello Gang -

Perhaps I'm missing something in the conversation, but I get the impression
that the full bleed issue is something with which one chooses to wrestle
only if welded to the use of the built-in (nice & convenient but quite
restricted) PDF generator provided in OS X.

Full Bleed is no problem with Acro 7, but even if you don't want to go the
bite for it you might try something a little less expensive - like FREE:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/29368

I've not used it extensively, but it seems to do a fine job & has some
excellent ratings/feedback. There are others from which to choose, as well.

It looked promising at Versiontracker. So I installed it.
It too requires the custom paper size trick to print to the edge of the
'paper'.
Therefore it is a waste of time for this problem. Furthermore it does
not give you a save dialog, instead throwing all your files into its
own folder on your desktop with a file name it thought of, all littered
with underscore characters.

It's one redeeming feature is that it prints the eps and not the
preview, as happens with the built-in print to PDF.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Elliott -

See In Line

It looked promising at Versiontracker. So I installed it.
It too requires the custom paper size trick to print to the edge of the
'paper'.

I didn't find this to be the case. I went to Page Setup & selected Virtual
Printer as the target Printer. Otherwise the specs are set on whichever
printer has been used for the doc and I believe it observes the minimum
margins of _that_ printer.When I use File>Print t generate the PDF I also
select Virtual Printer there.

Therefore it is a waste of time for this problem. Furthermore it does
not give you a save dialog, instead throwing all your files into its
own folder on your desktop with a file name it thought of, all littered
with underscore characters.

I'm truly sorry you see it that way. Am in *total* agreement that the
default save operation leaves a little something to be desired, but based on
my experience in retaining the full bleed renaming & moving the PDF is a
relatively small sacrifice. I fully respect your "custom paper size trick",
however... just thought I'd offer another option.

It's one redeeming feature is that it prints the eps and not the
preview, as happens with the built-in print to PDF.

.... and the price is right

Regards |:>)
Bob J

 

[Elliott Roper]

Hi Elliott -

See In Line



I didn't find this to be the case. I went to Page Setup & selected Virtual
Printer as the target Printer. Otherwise the specs are set on whichever
printer has been used for the doc and I believe it observes the minimum
margins of _that_ printer.When I use File>Print t generate the PDF I also
select Virtual Printer there.

That's what I saw too. Virtual printer does not have a PPD, so you need
to kid printer set-up utility that the virtual printer is really some
physical printer that prints edge to edge. I played with that for a
bit and gave up. It was still leaving unprinted margins here.

I'm truly sorry you see it that way. Am in *total* agreement that the
default save operation leaves a little something to be desired, but based on
my experience in retaining the full bleed renaming & moving the PDF is a
relatively small sacrifice. I fully respect your "custom paper size trick",
however... just thought I'd offer another option.

In some workflows, the move and rename might be better than a save
dialog box. For me the save dialog is more convenient. I make use of
the recent places part of "Where:" quite a bit.

... and the price is right

Oh yes! No argument about the price. All the CUPS stuff in OS X is
very nice, and this is a little bit of sugar on top.