Printing Calculator
Templates
The following Templates are available for download to help you in properly preparing your files:
In addition, we are happy to create Custom Size Templates for books of any dimension from 5x5" (our minimum size) to 8x10.5" (our Zine size). Simply email your request to prepress(at)comixpress(dot)com and include the trim size of the custom book you would like a template for, as well as what program you would like it prepared in and we'll put one together for you to work from at no charge.
The following Templates are available for download to help you in properly preparing your files:
Standard Comic Page -
MiniComic Page -
Zine Page -
Digest Page -
In addition, we are happy to create Custom Size Templates for books of any dimension from 5x5" (our minimum size) to 8x10.5" (our Zine size). Simply email your request to prepress(at)comixpress(dot)com and include the trim size of the custom book you would like a template for, as well as what program you would like it prepared in and we'll put one together for you to work from at no charge.
ComiXpress Technical Specifications
Page Sizes
Explanation of Terms
Templates
File Resolution & Color Mode
File Types & Preparation
Preparing a PDF File
While we have tried to address as much here as we could, we encourage you to contact us at prepress(at)comixpress(dot)com if you have any additional questions while preparing your files. Incorrectly prepared files will be returned to the creator for corrections or can be corrected by ComiXpress for a fee based on our hourly PrePress rates ($60 per hour, billable in 15 minute increments). We will always contact you with an estimate of how long we expect the work to take for your approval before proceeding to do any billable PrePress work on your files.
Explanation of Terms
Templates
File Resolution & Color Mode
File Types & Preparation
Preparing a PDF File
While we have tried to address as much here as we could, we encourage you to contact us at prepress(at)comixpress(dot)com if you have any additional questions while preparing your files. Incorrectly prepared files will be returned to the creator for corrections or can be corrected by ComiXpress for a fee based on our hourly PrePress rates ($60 per hour, billable in 15 minute increments). We will always contact you with an estimate of how long we expect the work to take for your approval before proceeding to do any billable PrePress work on your files.
Page Sizes
ComiXpress traditional comic page size
Trim: 6.625x10.25"
Bleed: 6.875x10.5"
Live Area: 6x9"
Margins: Top: .5", Bottom: .75", Sides: .3125"
ComiXpress minicomic page size
Trim: 5x8"
Bleed: 5.25x8.25"
Live Area: 4.375x7.375"
Margins: Top: .3125", Bottom: .3125", Sides: .3125"
ComiXpress Zine page size
Trim: 8x10.5"
Bleed: 8.25x10.75"
Live Area: 7.375x9.5"
Margins: Top: .5", Bottom: .5", Sides: .3125"
ComiXpress digest comic page size
Trim: 6x9"
Bleed: 6.25x9.25"
Live Area: 5.375x8"
Margins: Top: .375", Bottom: .625", Sides: .3125"
ComiXpress traditional comic page size
Trim: 6.625x10.25"
Bleed: 6.875x10.5"
Live Area: 6x9"
Margins: Top: .5", Bottom: .75", Sides: .3125"
ComiXpress minicomic page size
Trim: 5x8"
Bleed: 5.25x8.25"
Live Area: 4.375x7.375"
Margins: Top: .3125", Bottom: .3125", Sides: .3125"
ComiXpress Zine page size
Trim: 8x10.5"
Bleed: 8.25x10.75"
Live Area: 7.375x9.5"
Margins: Top: .5", Bottom: .5", Sides: .3125"
ComiXpress digest comic page size
Trim: 6x9"
Bleed: 6.25x9.25"
Live Area: 5.375x8"
Margins: Top: .375", Bottom: .625", Sides: .3125"
Explanation of terms
Or... What is all this? When speaking about Comic Page Specifications we often refer to four terms: Trim, Bleed, Live Area and Margins. Their definition is fairly straightforward, but when printing for the first time it can be easy to confuse the three.
Here are the basics of each term defined in a simple way. These definitions refer at times to graphic color coding included on our Photoshop JPG Templates, so it may be helpful to download one of those now for your reference as you read these terms.
Trim:
This is the final size of the printed book; it is where the printed page trims. Anything you don't want at risk of being cut off should be safely away from this line. It is indicated on our Photoshop JPG Template as a red line.
Bleed:
Possibly the single most misunderstood aspect of the printed page. When you intend for your art to fill the page it needs to extend PAST the trim line so that some of the art can be trimmed off; otherwise unwanted white trim edges will appear during the binding and trimming process. Anything that extends into the Bleed will be trimmed off, so important text and art that the creator doesn't want lost should not be placed into the bleed. *** Please note that just adding a white (or any colored) edge to your page to fill the dimension does not constitute actual Bleed (it is the same as having no bleed at all). *** It is indicated on our Photoshop JPG Template as the gray area on all 4 sides, outside the red Trim Line.
Live Area:
The innermost area of the page is referred to as the Live Area. While Trim and Bleed are absolute dimension, Live Area is more of a suggested guideline and is the centermost portion of the page.
It is the white area in the middle of our Photoshop JPG Template.
Margins:
The Margins are the light blue area between the Live Area and the Trim Line, and indicate the area where type and art can go, but may be trimmed off as it gets closer to the red Trim Line our Photoshop JPG Template.
Also, please bear in mind that no mechanical process is 100% accurate and some small shift is bound to occur in the printing, binding and trimming process of a book. If you have text very close to the Trim Line you are probably asking for trouble.
Or... What is all this? When speaking about Comic Page Specifications we often refer to four terms: Trim, Bleed, Live Area and Margins. Their definition is fairly straightforward, but when printing for the first time it can be easy to confuse the three.
Here are the basics of each term defined in a simple way. These definitions refer at times to graphic color coding included on our Photoshop JPG Templates, so it may be helpful to download one of those now for your reference as you read these terms.
Trim:
This is the final size of the printed book; it is where the printed page trims. Anything you don't want at risk of being cut off should be safely away from this line. It is indicated on our Photoshop JPG Template as a red line.
Bleed:
Possibly the single most misunderstood aspect of the printed page. When you intend for your art to fill the page it needs to extend PAST the trim line so that some of the art can be trimmed off; otherwise unwanted white trim edges will appear during the binding and trimming process. Anything that extends into the Bleed will be trimmed off, so important text and art that the creator doesn't want lost should not be placed into the bleed. *** Please note that just adding a white (or any colored) edge to your page to fill the dimension does not constitute actual Bleed (it is the same as having no bleed at all). *** It is indicated on our Photoshop JPG Template as the gray area on all 4 sides, outside the red Trim Line.
Live Area:
The innermost area of the page is referred to as the Live Area. While Trim and Bleed are absolute dimension, Live Area is more of a suggested guideline and is the centermost portion of the page.
It is the white area in the middle of our Photoshop JPG Template.
Margins:
The Margins are the light blue area between the Live Area and the Trim Line, and indicate the area where type and art can go, but may be trimmed off as it gets closer to the red Trim Line our Photoshop JPG Template.
Also, please bear in mind that no mechanical process is 100% accurate and some small shift is bound to occur in the printing, binding and trimming process of a book. If you have text very close to the Trim Line you are probably asking for trouble.
File Resolution
All pixel-based graphics files (such as Photoshop PSDs, TIFs, JPGs, etc) should be 300 dpi for both full color files (such as covers, or interior pages if printing those in color), as well as Grayscale and black & white files (inside front and back covers, interior black and white pages, etc).
All pixel-based graphics files (such as Photoshop PSDs, TIFs, JPGs, etc) should be 300 dpi for both full color files (such as covers, or interior pages if printing those in color), as well as Grayscale and black & white files (inside front and back covers, interior black and white pages, etc).
Color Mode
We accept color files in either RGB or CMYK modes, Index and Spot Color jobs are not accepted in any form. Please note that while all printing presses print in CMYK, we recommend that you supply your color files to us in the color format in which they were initially created in order to ensure the closest possible match between the printed page and your files on screen. While no printed page can match the full RGB color spectrum, we do not recommend that you convert files created in RGB to CMYK just to send to us for printing. The colors will not match what you have on your monitor.
We accept color files in either RGB or CMYK modes, Index and Spot Color jobs are not accepted in any form. Please note that while all printing presses print in CMYK, we recommend that you supply your color files to us in the color format in which they were initially created in order to ensure the closest possible match between the printed page and your files on screen. While no printed page can match the full RGB color spectrum, we do not recommend that you convert files created in RGB to CMYK just to send to us for printing. The colors will not match what you have on your monitor.
Preparing a PDF File
Before processing the PDF make sure all art files are up to date and all fonts are active.
In the Page Setup box of your layout program (ie: QuarkXpress, or InDesign) specify a .125" bleed and turn off trim marks.
Create as single pages, not spreads.
Set Image Resolution to 300 dpi with JPEG compression.
Make sure all fonts are embedded under Document Info > Fonts.
Different programs have slightly different interfaces for preparing PDFs, and we plan to add application specific walkthroughs for a variety of programs in the future.
Before processing the PDF make sure all art files are up to date and all fonts are active.
In the Page Setup box of your layout program (ie: QuarkXpress, or InDesign) specify a .125" bleed and turn off trim marks.
Create as single pages, not spreads.
Set Image Resolution to 300 dpi with JPEG compression.
Make sure all fonts are embedded under Document Info > Fonts.
Different programs have slightly different interfaces for preparing PDFs, and we plan to add application specific walkthroughs for a variety of programs in the future.