How to Create a MagCloud PDF with Microsoft Publisher

a step-by-step guide from

1

Create a New Document 1. Open Publisher. In older software versions, select “Blank Page Sizes” from the Publication Types,

then choose “Create custom page size...” In Publisher 2010, select “More Blank Page Sizes” from the New menu, then choose “Create new page size...” In both cases, a window like the one below should appear.

2. Enter a name for your New Page Size and select Booklet from the Layout type drop-down menu.

3. Set the Page size: Width = 8.5 in / Height = 11 in

4. Set the Margins: Top = 0.375 in / Outside = 0.25 in / Bottom = 0.375 in / Inside = 0.5 in

5. Click OK

6. Double-click the publication type you just created to open a new blank document. When you are prompted to automatically insert pages, click Yes.

TIP: To avoid setting up your page size every time, name your Custom Page Size something recognizable like MagCloud and

select it as your publication type for future publications.

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Get to Know the Trim Lines & Bleed1. Go to View > Master Page to open the master pages for your document.

2. Drag from the horizontal and vertical rulers to create vertical guides at 0.25" and 16.75" and hori-zontal guides at 0.125" and 10.875" on both the right and left-hand pages.

3. Close the Master Page view from the Edit Master Pages toolbar (Publisher 2007) or Master Pages tab (Publisher 2010), and compare the on-screen view of your first page to the one below to famil-iarize yourself with the trim line and bleed areas. This will be your cover page.

The black line is the edge of the 8.5" x 11" PDF you will upload to MagCloud.

The green line is the trim line. This is where the magazine will be cut after printing, and it is the edge of your final 8.25" x 10.75" printed magazine. Content outside this line will not appear in the printed magazine.

The area between the black and green lines is the bleed. Any content that you want to extend to the edge of the printed magazine, such as full-page images, should fill this area.

TIP: The trim line can vary slightly in either direction, so it’s best to keep all text within the safe zone to avoid having it trimmed off.

Inside the blue line is the safe zone. Any content that you want to appear completely in the print magazine should be within this area to avoid getting trimmed off.

3

Format Your Color Settings1. In Publisher 2007, go to Tools > Commercial Printing Tools > Color Printing... to open a window

like the one below. Open a similar window in Publisher 2010 by going to File > Info, clicking the Commercial Print Settings button and selecting Choose Color Model.

2. Click the radio button next to “Process colors (CMYK)” under Define All Colors As.

3. Click OK.

4

Format Your Font Settings1. In Publisher 2007, go to Tools > Commercial Printing Tools > Fonts... to open a window like the

one below. Open a similar window in Publisher 2010 by going to File > Info, clicking the Com-mercial Print Settings button and selecting Manage Embedded Fonts.

2. Check the box to “Embed TrueType fonts when saving publication” and uncheck the box for “Do not embed common system fonts.” Leave the box for “Subset fonts when embedding” unchecked.

3. Click OK.

5

Add Your ContentCreate your magazine by adding images and text to the layout. A few things to keep in mind:

• Make sure all images have a resolution of at least 300 pixels per inch. A full page image should be at least 2550 pixels by 3300 pixels.

• While images can remain in their original colorspace (RGB, sRGB, etc) any vector elements and text created in Publisher should be CMYK. Make sure there are no spot colors used in the file.

• To ensure the best print output, black text should be 100% K (CMYK = 0/0/0/100).

• The bottom half inch of the back cover (0.625 inches including the bottom edge bleed) will be covered by your tagline and an order number. Please see “How to Publish” in the Help section of the MagCloud website for more information.

• If you plan to have a saddle-stitch bound magazine, the page count of your final PDF must be between 4 and 100 pages, and a multiple of 4. If you plan to have a perfect bound magazine, the page count should be between 20 and 384 pages, and a multiple of 2.

FILE EDGE (8.5” x 11”)TRIM LINE (8.25” x 10.75”)GUTTER LINE (0.25” FROM INSIDE EDGE)

NOTE THE OVERLAP - IF THE GUTTERS WERE REMOVED, AND THE TWO PAGES WERE PUSHED TOGETHER, THEY WOULD CREATE A CONTINUOUS IMAGE

Designing for Perfect Binding Once your PDF is uploaded to MagCloud, if it is over 20 pages you will have the option to select perfect binding. A few things to think about if your magazine will be perfect bound:

• Up to 0.25 inches of the inside edge of your magazine may be lost into the spine so it is recommended that you keep text at least 0.5 inches from the inside edge of your PDF page.

• When images cover two pages, this means that up to a half inch in the center of the image may be lost into the spine. The best way to account for this is to shift the image outward on both pages so it is duplicated in the area close to the spine, called the gutter (shown within the pink lines on the diagram below).

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Export Your PDF1. Go to File > Save As... A window like the one below should open.

2. Choose a name for your PDF, and save it in a place where you can easily find it.

3. Select PDF from the Save as Type drop-down menu.

4. Click the Change... button (Publisher 2007) or the Options... button (Publisher 2010).

TIP: If you are unable to Save As a PDF filetype in Publisher 2007, download the “Microsoft Save as PDF or XPS” plug-in from the

Microsoft Download Center (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads).

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Export Your PDF — Settings (1 of 2)After clicking the Change... or Options... button, a window like the one below will appear. If not all of the options are visible in Publisher 2007, click the Advanced button.

1. Select Commercial Press from the top menu.

2. Check the box for “ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF-A)” under PDF Options, if it is not checked al-ready.

3. Click the Print Options... button.

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After clicking the Print Options... button, a window like the one below will appear.

1. Select “One page per sheet” in the Printing options section.

2. Uncheck all the boxes under Printer’s marks

3. Click OK to close the Print Options window, then Click OK again to close the Publish Options window, and then click Save. The resulting PDF is now ready to upload to the MagCloud site.

Export Your PDF — Settings (2 of 2)

www.magcloud.com