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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Newspaper page build size

The cut-off on our presses is 22.75 inches, which relates to the verticle dimension or page height of a broadsheet page. As with all web presses there is a portion of this dimension which is unprintable (where the plates are mounted into the press cylinders). Therefore, we recommend you build your broadsheet pages 22.0 inches tall. This will accommodate the unprintable portion of the page. We currently stock paper widths to produce up to six different sizes of broadsheets or tabloids. These widths are 23 inch, 24 inch, 25 inch, 27 inch, 31 inch and 35 inch. Each width represents the width of two broadsheet pages. One broadsheet page width would be half of the paper width i.e. a 12.5 inch wide broadsheet page is printed using 25 inch paper. For this size, each page build size will be 22.0 inches tall x 12.5 inches wide. Another example would be a 13.5 inch wide page would be printed on 27 inch paper and the individual page build size would be 13.5 inches wide x 22.0 inches tall. A 0.5 inch margin on all sides of the page is common and recommended.


Keep in mind a tabloid is merely a 1/2 folded broadsheet rotated clockwise 90 degrees. If the page build height of a broadsheet is 22.0 and a tabloid is a 1/2 folded broadsheet rotated clockwise, the page width build size of a tabloid page is 1/2 the height of a broadsheet or 11.0 inches wide. The height of a tabloid becomes a factor of the paper width. As an example, if you are wanting a tabloid with a page height of 13.5 inches, it would be printed on 27 inch paper. Our recommended page build size is 11.0 inches wide x 13.5 inches tall, with 0.5 inch margins to the inside on all pages.

Sheetfed (Gloss or Offset) page build size

The object is to build a page with sufficient size to allow for a bleed if desired.  We recommend oversizing your page dimension by 0.25 inch on all sides and include a margin of 0.5 inch, to the inside, on all sides.  All bleeds should be laid out to the edge of the oversized page on one or all sides and all content inside the 0.5 inch margin will be protected from the trim.  Even if there are no bleeds, build the page oversized.  This will allow for a bleed to be created at a later date instead of having to resize the piece or page.  Even without any bleeds the oversizing will yield the same results.

For example:  The finished product will be 8.5 x 11.0 inches.  Our recommended page build size is 9.0 x 11.5 inches, including the 0.25 inch oversized dimension.  With an 0.5 inch margin on all sides the protected area is 8.0 x 10.5 inches.  If the bleed is placed to either or both of the 9.0 and/or the 11.5 inch sides, the excess bleeds will be trimmed off leaving a clean edge for the finished 8.5 x 11.0 inch piece and all protected content is inside the protected area of 8.0 x 10.5 inches.