How to set crop marks in publisher 2007, 2013

Many ICT Teachers and students are usually confused when they meet a question in Subsidiary ICT practical exams requiring them to insert crop marks in their desktop publications before printing. Below I explain what cropmarks are and how to set them up in publisher 2007 and 2013.

Crop marks are Trim lines that are placed at the corners of a printed document image, which tell the printing company where to trim the final printed piece to size. Crop marks may be drawn on manually or automatically applied in the document’s digital files with publishing software programs.

Crop marks are necessary when several documents or sheets are printed on a large sheet of paper. The marks tell the printing company where to trim the documents to reach the final trim size. This is especially important when the document has bleeds, which are elements that run off the edge of the printed piece.

For example, it is common to print business cards many “up” on a sheet of paper because printing presses don’t run paper that is as small as business cards. Using a larger sheet and imposing several business cards on the sheet shortens the press run. Then, the business cards are trimmed to size in the company’s finishing department.

How to set crop marks in publisher 2007

1. On the File menu, click Print, and then click the Publication and Paper Settings tab.
2. On the Printer Details tab, click Advanced Printer Setup, and then click the Page Settings tab.
3. Under Printer’s marks, select the Crop marks check box.
4. Select any other options that you want, and then click OK.

• NB: To turn off crop marks, clear the Crop marks check box.

How to put crop marks in publisher 2013

In newer versions of office, the print setup command is no longer readily available under the file tab. To access it,

In this example we shall be printing a publication with multiple pages per sheet, such as business card:

1. Click File > Print.
2. Under Settings, click the arrow next to paper size and choose a paper size larger than your final product.
3. Under Printer, click the arrow next to the printer, and click Advanced Output Settings.

4. On the Marks and Bleeds tab, under Printer’s marks, select the Crop marks box, and click OK.

5. Make sure the crop marks are where you want them, and click Print.

Sample examination question with application of crop marks

Using a suitable publishing software, design eight identical business cards tiled on A4 page size, 3.5” wide and 2” height                                                                          

1. the cards’ layout and spacing is as follows;
   • left and right margin should be 0.5”.
   • top and bottom margins 0.7.
   • the vertical and horizontal gap between cards 0.6.
2. the details of the card are:
   • A logo of the company at the left hand side of the card. Provide the logo.
   • a company name of your choice.
   • Job title. E.g. Managing Director.
   • your name e.g. Aisha Kainembabazi.
   • contact address, phone and e-mail.
3. include crop marks around each card
4. Save the publication as “my business card’ and print your work.