Illustrator CS3 WTF Is Up With Crop Area, Crop Marks or Printers Marks and Save as PDF?

Once and for all the right way (in CS3 - it probably different in CS4) to set up your print document with bleed and then save it as a PDF with cropmarks, printers marks, etc

Quick internet search reveals - CS3 and cropmarks in PDF is a common WTF, something in this version is wrong or unintuitive. 

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/319094

In Acrobat, command+shift_t will bring up the crop pages dialog. 

The "crop" dimension is what is normally displayed in Acrobat. If you check the other crop to boxes, trim, bleed and art, your bleed should be revealed, but your trim marks will not be in the correct location. 

When saving as to pdf in CS3. As long as the crop area is within the artboard, the crop and art bounding area is set to the crop area dimension set. 

The trim is set to the artboard dimension. Bleed is the bleed setting added to the artboard dimension. 

So, you want to adjust your artboard to your trim dimension, release the crop area, and save to a pdf. 

The problem gets worse if you crop area selection crosses in and out of the artboard. 

Illustrator introduced exasperated this issue since cs2 when they did a quick fix for cs1 behavior of setting the crop box to the arts bounding box. We are still suffering with it in cs3 but I hope it is address in 4.

It seems the Crop Area tool, and the Object> Crop Area> Make are the same thing, and both are NOT intended to be used as crop marks like we want for printing and in conjunction with Save as PDF. They look like cropmarks but are actually evil. Actually they are good for things like webdesign, or titles design eg when you save for web it saves just the stuff defined by crop area, this is nice. But evil for printing.

SOLUTIONS

One Method 

Use the crop area tool to make the crop marks, then DRAW OVER THEM and then delete the crop area. Useful if for example you will also be drawing in other things like fold lines. 

Another Method

Use filter > create > crop marks (still need printers marks etc though). This is similar to just drawing over then deleting the crop area method above. I find it not ideal. 

Crop area's "crop marks" are not crop marks. Filter>Create>Crop marks is what you are after in CS2. However, reports are that filters were removed and the crop mark filter has been moved to effects. (I think he is talking about CS4 here). 
Again, Object>crop area>make is not what you are after.

The Right Way!

http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18271

...First DO NOT use the CROP area tool to make crop marks. Simply make the artboard the size of the finished document. Make sure all images or artwork that is going to bleed off the page extends at least 1/8th or .125 inches over the edge or you artboard. I personally like to be very precise and I either make them exactly .125 using a guide or a I use a clipping mask to clip anything going farther that .125 so that the image ends exactly .125 over the edge of the art board. This is not always necessary but besides having a nice clean piece there are other benefits to doing this.

Now the trick here is where you were close and I don't know why so many people have a hard time time with this but believe me they do. You File/Save as/PDF in your marks and bleeds select trim marks only ( you don't need all the other extra garbage) Set you offset to .125. This makes your cut marks start at the edge of your bleed outside of the artwork. DON'T FORGET TO SET THE BLEED. So many people miss this little part. set the bleed to .125 on all 4 sides. Save an walla a Perfect PDF with .125 in bleed and cut marks outside the artwork.

So in summary:

1/ Set up your document size (the artboard) when you begin to the same size as the finished artwork size (like if you want a full bleed A4 flyer, set your document size (the artboard size) to A4. Don't think about it too much you just make the size of the artboard the size of what you want to get back from the printer. 

2/ Makes some guidelines 3mm or whatever your printer requires offset outside the artboard area. This is your bleed area. Make sure your artwork extends into this area. 

3/ The cropmarks are made when you Save As > PDF along with other printers marks, following instructions as described above. 

4/ AGAIN DONT USE THE CROP AREA TOOL or OBJECT > CROP AREA > MAKE command. They are evil. 

Indesign Cropmarks Script

also - just good to remember this relates - in Indesign if you want crop marks you usually do them when you export your PDF, but if you need custom crop marks, and fold marks and such things, then you need to make your crop marks in the Indesign file itself, not when you make the PDF. You need to install a script that does it... 

http://forums.adobe.com/message/1280892#

If you want to produce your own crop marks, there is a script that comes with InD that will draw crop marks around any selected object. I find it useful when it is absolutely essential that I include fold marks (which making a PDF won't do). I also find it useful to put all these marks in a slug area. 

Window>interactive>scripts. You may have to install the scripts. They're on one of the install disks. 
In CS3, Scripts go into applications>Indesign>Scripts>Script Panels

hdv to prores and about hdv and prores and workflow

hdv and prores thoughts

-prores- capture on the fly- CON - no timecode to recapture your clips and breaks clips up it start/stop segments. 

capture as hdv - doesnt have this problem?? 

cant remember if hdv lets you batch capture?? should do think thats what i did??

but - editing in hdv takes ages apparently to render things. 

so either

1/ capture in hdv, set sequence setting to render as prores

2/if you want prores all the way capture as hdv - (to have your batch capture functionality and future recapture from source option.) then use compressor to transcode the capture files to prores. these will be exactly same files but in prores now. (thus avioding the start stop evil doing and also the 17 or so frames you loose when it cuts it in these places)

the n import them into fcp and edit them. full prores.

apparently - hdv isnt a good idea to bring into afx. 

um how to get footage from FCP to AFX, without exporting it as one file, I want it to work like an illustrator file in indesign - no i want afx to be like photoshop and fcp indesign. so when you make changes in one, it updates it back into fcp... fuck does it need premier for this??? noooo. 

one scripting app free 

"works well but doesn not bring over alot of stuff like transitions, plug ins and certain color correction on vids.
But def a good workflow if you need straight shots ."

http://www.creative-workflow-hacks.com/2007/04/15/final-cut-pro-to-after-effects-scripting-without-the-hassle/

what your meant to buy a software to do it? that is gay. 

http://www.automaticduck.com/products/

interesting notes about gamma and afx and fcp and rgb

The solution, or maybe "pain-in-the-butt workaround" is a better term for it, that I use is to keep After Effects RGB, always. I render out all my shots in the Aja 10-bit linear RGB codec; if you're on a Blackmagic system, I think they've got an equivalent 10-bit linear RGB codec you can use. 

If I want to render shots out of After Effects as ProRes files (I do this with our logos and vanity plates, for instance) I'll render them as 10-bit linear RGB, then bring them into Final Cut. This is an important step: In Final Cut, I select each clip in my bin and set the gamma to 2.2, instead of the default "Source." Then I drop them into a ProRes timeline and export a Quicktime. 

It's possible to change Final Cut's default gamma interpretation to 2.2 in Final Cut's preferences; it's operator choice whether you want to have everything come in as 2.2 or whether you want the default to remain "Source." 

http://www.lafcpug.org/phorum/read.php?1,229564,229564

afx beginners gotyas - read for common afx problems. 

http://ae.tutsplus.com/articles/11-frequently-asked-questions-about-after-effects/#more-1168

good run down of video fx softwares and discussions

http://www.videocopilot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10435

Aftereffects 3D world tutorial

Simulate a 3D world from photoshop bit, like constructing a scale model. Composit greenscreened person. 

http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/building-a-3d-world-in-after-effects

It also shows example of what a storyboard cell should look like. 

Good collection of photoshop tutorials - montage

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/03/20-beautiful-photoshop-montage-tutorials/

and 

digital painters

http://www.tascha.ch/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=76

http://div.dyndns.org/art/

http://www.mentalmirage.com/blog/?p=41

http://dianeozdamar.over-blog.com/album-297387.html

Fast min-height Hack IE6

From a Drupal Module 

/* IE6 does not support min-height, using Min-Height fast hack from http://www.dustindiaz.com/min-height-fast-hack */

.calendar-calendar .inner {

  min-height:5em;

  height:auto !important;

  height:5em;

IE8 Internet Explorer 8 hacks, filters, issues, fixes, resources

IE8 has been released. Things to take note of Ive found so far;

Unhack for IE8
What is the hack for excluding IE8 in an IE stylesheet? IE8 has fixed the problems and dosnt need the hacks IE7 does. How to un-hack for IE8 in an ie only stylesheet. (mmm keyword density).

It is unclear whether hacks written for IE7 also apply to IE8.

What I want is to target in one stylesheet IE6, IE7 and not IE8 and above. I dont want to use conditional comment of lteIE7 incase say IE9 needs a bug hacking in this stylesheet. I want all IE hacks in the one stylesheet.

So - in summary the code to use for your ie.css stylesheet to select for IE6, IE7 and IE8 and above is as follows:

/*Nav positioning for IE 8 and above */
#nav {
margin-top: 175px; /*No hack here, same value as in main stylesheet, as IE8 renders this correctly*/
}

/*Nav positioning for IE 7*/
*+html #nav { /*Targeting IE7 in standards mode which it should be*/
margin-top: 144px;
}

/*Nav positioning for IE 5 and 6 only. This needs to stay below IE8s value in the document flow.*/
#nav {
_margin-top: 136px;
}

NOTES
-now that I look at it I can take out the IE8 line, because IE8 dosnt need a hack and the other selectors are specific for those browsers, but Ill leave it in just for reference.
-Properties starting with a *+html are for IE7(standards mode) only - possibly also targets IE8 if you have specified IE=8 in your meta tags which is a new microsoft feature with IE8 release, which we havnt for this site. If you have, perhaps use a different IE7 and below selector.
-Properties starting with a * html are for IE5, IE5.5 IE6 and IE7(quirks mode) only. This was bunging up IE6 it seems to override the underscore selector?? So i took it out - IE7 shouldn't render in quirks mode unless your doctype is wrong.
-Properties starting with an underscore _ are for IE 5 and 6 only.

Hack for IE8
I havn't tried this but look here
http://ladysign-apps.com/blog/archives/529

IE8 Compatibility View (Viewers can make the page render like IE7 if they want)
IE8 new Compatibility View note: It seems it gets my IE7 specific styling when in IE8 with 'compatibility view' switched on - this is good...
its what i was hoping for...

You (the coder) can make viewers see the page rendered like IE7, in IE8
by adding some code to your source, as a meta tag in the head, read here:
http://ladysign-apps.com/blog/archives/532
personally I think this is whigedy whigedy whak - but maybe if the whole site is broken in IE8 and client has no money at all for you to go through and fix, you could add this into the template as a temporary solution.

Drag... read this carefully: from http://www.evotech.net/blog/2009/03/ie8-css-support/
IE8 compliance mode / preventing IE7 rendering in the IE8 browser

Important to know is that IE8 has a button that allows users to render your page in IE7. If that button is clicked enough, your page will always render in IE7 for everyone (not just those who clicked the button). So, do you have to test your pages in IE8 in IE7 mode? No, you don’t. To ensure that your page is not rendered in IE7 mode inside the IE8 browser add the following meta tag to your pages:

(go to the link above) but i think its a bad idea - just lay out your IE only stylesheet to have your IE version filters in the right order, and then test in IE8 and IE8 compliance mode/IE7.

Ive only tried one little things so far, but it seems that IE8 in compliance mode is identical to IE7, so if your IE7 renders right, so should your IE8...

No more CSS expressions
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2008/10/16/ending-expressions.aspx
Ive not used these, except that I got some things done by Psd2Html awesome slicing service, and their ie.css had them in there. For example:

border-left: expression( (this===this.parentNode.childNodes[0]) ? "none" : "auto");

This might not be a problem because often these expressions were used to get around IE layout bugs, which are gone in IE8 so the expression isn't needed anymore anyway. I just checked that site that has them and all looks fine and dandy in IE8.

Its possible maybe that this could be used to select and hack for versions below IE8 in a stylesheet that is ie.css, a stylesheet for all versions of IE. Maybe thats what they (psd2html) were intending.

Resources so far:

Pretty good tips and points
http://www.evotech.net/blog/2009/03/ie8-css-support/

Decent prep to IE8 issues and features, with some useful snippets
http://www.thesitewizard.com/webdesign/prepare-your-site-for-ie8.shtml

Heres some pretty heavy info mainly for scripting and IE8 compatibility
http://msdnrss.thecoderblogs.com/2009/03/12/site-compatibility-and-ie8/

IE 8 hacks (targeting IE8)
http://ladysign-apps.com/blog/archives/529

Massive collections of IE hacks!!! all versions
http://css-class.com/test/bugs/ie/ie-hacks.htm

and here - this looks definitive - click on the examples to see more info and the code, pretty much everything your looking for will be listed here.
http://fu2k.org/alex/css/cssjunk/ie8/tests/
However I disagree with the entry for IE8 standards mode for *+html selector - in my tests IE8 DOES NOT read things which have *+html in front of them. Im using the full finished version downloaded today aswell.
I did read somewhere that it might implement it if you have added the meta tag that forces IE8 to render IE8...

here is a cool page list of IE bug fix examples
http://centricle.com/ref/css/filters/tests/

The right way to edit a PDF in Illustrator CS3 Tutorial

Read this tutorial
http://www.graphic-design-employment.com/how-to-edit-pdf.html

Basically, in Acrobat, show your Advanced Editing palette, select the 'TouchUp Object' tool right click or control click on your document and go Edit Page, which opens the temporary file in Illustrator and do your edits. No importing, exporting, saving as etc etc.

I found this very useful because the PDF I wanted to edit had extra bleed and crop areas around it, (not visible in Acrobat) but visible in Illustrator, when you go just File>Open the PDF and edit it that way in Illustrator. But, when you save it, Acrobat now shows the bleed and crop which isnt what I want. Sure, I could probably just move the Illustrator artboard in a bit, and when you save back as a PDF I think CS3 automatically crops to the artboard size. But, that would require fiddling around with the artboard size, realigning the artwork, its just a hassle and Id prefer to alter the original file as little as possible, I dont want to have to think about crop areas and read up about all that just to make a few text changes to a document.