Business Cards how to - workflow question

[Pitersen]

Hi Guys,
I'm new on this forum so please be gentle with me

I would like to speed up my process of printing business cards for small runs. I normally used to design them in CorelDraw x4 as I used Corel since version 2.0 (not x2). But since I opened the print shop we print big orders away and they all want PDF, so I do a business card in Photoshop with the trim lines and printers send them back to me next day.
But if I want to print them inhouse I always do it in Corel and manually duplicate the business cards on the SRA3 or A4 format to print it.
My question is: If I design it in Photoshop and have it in PDF as a single business card, is there a way of automatically fit several business cards on i.e A4 or SRA3. We have Adobe CS2 and I tried to use Acrobat 8 to do it and can't figure it out.
Or maybe there is a software that can automatically distribute design on the sheet of paper?
Please advice.
Regards,
Peter

 

[kansasquaker]

I'm assuming the front end to your output device is unable to step and repeat. If so, the cheapest and easiest thing to do would be:

1. Create an Indesign document the same size as your final output.
2. Place a sample business card sized pdf and lay it out as you would for printing.
3. Save the document as a template.
4. Open it and relink the sample pdf to the the pdf you want to print.
5. Then export or print from Indesign.

Do that over and over again whenever you want to run a job. You'll need a different template for each sheet size you want to run (A4,SRA3 etc).

 

[easiprint]

Imposition soaftware is what you need. We use Cute PDF Professional. Cheap and easy to use.

CutePDF - Create PDF for free, Save PDF Forms, Edit PDF easily;.

 

[Pitersen]

Thanks guys, if CutePDF is up to the job I will certainly buy it. We have been using Cute PDF free for years.
But I will have a look at the other Imposition applications too, as this is some new territory for me!

Saying that how "big printers" deal with it if you would have 100 different business cards to print and every order has different quantity I can't imagine people dealing with every order separately. It should be click "print" tell how many copies and "it" deals with it. Or I'm dreaming?

 

[easiprint]

If you're a big enough company with enough money, anything is possible!

We've been using Cute PDF Pro for a couple of years now, and it suits us fine. But we don't have 100 different business card orders to process in one day! Typical day for us would be maybe 10-15 different business card jobs. We use the merge pdf function on cute pdf to get one pdf file with all the business cards in and then impose. If we have say a couple of orders for 250 cards and some for 500, we just merge two copies of the artwork for the 500 run, giving us two lots of 250 making up the 500.... you get the idea!

Also great is the booklet option. We really could not manage with Cute PDF Pro!

 

[mattbeals]

Thanks guys, if CutePDF is up to the job I will certainly buy it. We have been using Cute PDF free for years.
But I will have a look at the other Imposition applications too, as this is some new territory for me!

Saying that how "big printers" deal with it if you would have 100 different business cards to print and every order has different quantity I can't imagine people dealing with every order separately. It should be click "print" tell how many copies and "it" deals with it. Or I'm dreaming?

Printers will use tools like EFI Metrix to automatically calculate the most efficient way to run a combo of 100 cards like you describe. In a few seconds the whole run is calculated and ready to image.

You certainly can create the business cards in PhotoShop but really it is the least preferable way of doing so. You would have better results by creating the card(s) in CorelDraw and saving out a PDF.

If you would like more information on Metrix or even a quick demo, as fast as 15 minutes, please let me know. I'm just their tech support guy but I think I can handle it.

 

[Pitersen]

Printers will use tools like EFI Metrix to automatically calculate the most efficient way to run a combo of 100 cards like you describe. In a few seconds the whole run is calculated and ready to image.

You certainly can create the business cards in PhotoShop but really it is the least preferable way of doing so. You would have better results by creating the card(s) in CorelDraw and saving out a PDF.

If you would like more information on Metrix or even a quick demo, as fast as 15 minutes, please let me know. I'm just their tech support guy but I think I can handle it.

Did you say, a quick demo? I think not, each time I had a demo I bought the bloody thing
But saying that, I did go to your website, and I do love the idea of automation.
And I'm implementing it every day. I think, in a years time I might actually go for it.
Then I'll have a demo!
Thanks

 

[Pitersen]

OK, going back to Imposition I have re-discovered that CorelDraw actually has an imposition tool build in.
I did use it few years ago to print labels on it and hey eureka it's still there. But if easiprint wouldn't say the word @imposition@ I would not find it. So big thanks to everyone.

 

[mattbeals]

Did you say, a quick demo? I think not, each time I had a demo I bought the bloody thing
But saying that, I did go to your website, and I do love the idea of automation.
And I'm implementing it every day. I think, in a years time I might actually go for it.
Then I'll have a demo!
Thanks

Automation is great but you don't have to have automation to take advantage of what Metrix can do for you. Give it chance. No pressure demo. Just watch. I promise I won't ask for a PO number or credit card.

Any time you want, when you're ready we'll be here.

 

[Pitersen]

Automation is great but you don't have to have automation to take advantage of what Metrix can do for you. Give it chance. No pressure demo. Just watch. I promise I won't ask for a PO number or credit card.

Any time you want, when you're ready we'll be here.

Sure, great, I'll give you a shout next week.
I'm actually looking forward to it.

 

[Craig]

The imposition tool in CorelDraw is pretty robust for the simple stuff. Play with it, if you have a multiple page document you can specify how many of each to put on the page.

 

[Keith]

Imposition soaftware is what you need. We use Cute PDF Professional. Cheap and easy to use.

CutePDF - Create PDF for free, Save PDF Forms, Edit PDF easily;.

I use Cute PDF Professional as well, mainly as a back up to my FusionPro. You can gang up business cards easily with Cute PDF unlike the much more expensive FusionPro.