Spreads and Perfect Binding - HELP!

prepressdork

Well-known member
How do you handle a job that will perfect bind but your customer provided a file in readers spreads?

If and when breaking the file into single pages, do you shift page content away from the binding side trim to improve the appearance of crossover content? What about crossover text?

Thanks,
pd
 
Last edited:
Having spent the last 2 years working at a book printer, I would not split the spreads apart. I would drop it into my impo app (Preps) and apply offsets as necessary (each page will be dropped in twice, with one instance being offset [negative] 1/2 the spread width). This is assuming you have received a PDF of readers' spreads. If you have native files, you can just re-export the PDF as single pages.

We had bleeds in the bind turned off in the Preps templates, so I didn't worry about any bleed showing up in the grind-off area. If your vendor wants bleed in the grindoff, then the only places it will need attention is pages that have an element that touches, but DOES NOT CROSS the center. Crossovers can be left alone since the image continues into the bleed/grindoff.

As for crossover text, I would try to make sure that no letters get cut in half. Sometimes you need to pull each half of the word a little bit away from the bind, since you'll never open the book all the way and some of the letters could get lost in the middle.
 
Hi Dan, thank you for the information. Do you by chance have a "magic" measurement as to how much letters should be pulled away from the bind so that they at least look somewhat "crossover continuous" when flipping pages?
 
Sorry, no magic because it was so rare that we had dummies made using the same stock and page count. 1/4" is probably safe. If in doubt, go to the library and find a book with similar page count, binding style and paper weight to get an idea.
 
We always pullout images from the bind edge a total of 1/4 inch. Some images lend themselves to 1/8" L and 1/8" R, but we evaluate the subject and in some cases we will pull out one side more than the other depending on content and how it will interact with other page elements. Our front and back cover spreads also take into consideration the 1/4" hinge score so we pullout out 1/4" both ways with a 3/16" hold back of all ink and coatings for the glue binding on the spine.
 

PressWise

A 30-day Fix for Managed Chaos

As any print professional knows, printing can be managed chaos. Software that solves multiple problems and provides measurable and monetizable value has a direct impact on the bottom-line.

“We reduced order entry costs by about 40%.” Significant savings in a shop that turns about 500 jobs a month.


Learn how…….

   
Back
Top