Expert: Candice Anderson - 1/6/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I am wondering how I go about creating my cover using InDesign.I am
creating a literary journal for publication, and I will be sending the printer an
electronic copy. Do I just open a Document and design the cover with facing
pages? The book will be perfect bound and I would like to have the image on
the front cover wrap around about an inch onto the back cover.  I tried this
using the aforementioned strategy of using facing pages in a Document, but
when I stretched the image into the left page (back cover) the image gets
compressed/distorted, even after fitting the content to the frame. Do I need
to change the image in Photoshop? I would really appreciate your help on this
thank you.

ANSWER: let's assume the front of the book is 8.5 by 11 (making the whole thing, front cover and back cover, 17 by 11)


Make two pages - facing. 8.5 by 11 for each.  assume that you'll need bleeds as the picture probably bleeds out to the edges, so add a .125 inch bleed around the entire piece. if you don't see the bleeds option, hit the additional info button on the right.

Place your image on the right page. This is page one. Your image should now be covering all of page 1 and only an inch of the second page - assuming your picture is correctly done in photoshop.

now, NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER stretch a piece of work from photoshop into Indesign. (unless you are going for cool looking art project). Go back into photoshop and make your work in the size you need it to be, which is 9.75 by 11.25 (this is how big your work should be, plus bleed.) When you stretch your work out it not only looks bad as you saw, but it will be blurry. As it screws with you resolution.

:)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: If my book is being quoted at a specific trim size (7 x 9), do I then need to set
the InDesign document specs to this same size or will the printers be able to
adapt the manuscript to the quoted trim size? If i need to set the document size
to the same size as my quoted trim size, how do I translate the InDesign
measurements (done in points) into inches?

Answer
To avoid extra fees, make all documents to the size of 7 by 9 WITH a .125 inch bleed all around. (unless there is no bleed, then just make the work fit to the 7 by 9)

Don't forget, when you do the actual work in photoshop to make your work 7.25 by 9.25 so that your work will fit the perimeters correctly.

:)