• Home
  • Services
    • Print Services
    • Graphic Design Services
    • Specialty Print Services
    • Current Promotions
  • Contact Us
    • Get a Quote
    • Our History
  • Downloads
    • Templates >
      • CD, DVD, Blu-ray >
        • CD / DVD Discs
        • CD / DVD Kits >
          • CD Jewel Case Kit
          • DVD Case Kit
          • Eco-Sleeve Kit
        • Eco-Sleeve and CD Digipak
        • Poly Box & Vinyl Albums
        • Unikeep Albums
        • DVD Case Trapsheets
        • DVD Case Insert
        • Blu-ray
      • Paper Labels
      • Marketing Tools
    • Freebies
    • Guidebook
    • Print Catalogue
  • Upload Files
  • Help
    • FAQ
    • Video Tutorials
    • Glossary
  • Blog
Western Print Media
  • Home
  • Services
    • Print Services
    • Graphic Design Services
    • Specialty Print Services
    • Current Promotions
  • Contact Us
    • Get a Quote
    • Our History
  • Downloads
    • Templates >
      • CD, DVD, Blu-ray >
        • CD / DVD Discs
        • CD / DVD Kits >
          • CD Jewel Case Kit
          • DVD Case Kit
          • Eco-Sleeve Kit
        • Eco-Sleeve and CD Digipak
        • Poly Box & Vinyl Albums
        • Unikeep Albums
        • DVD Case Trapsheets
        • DVD Case Insert
        • Blu-ray
      • Paper Labels
      • Marketing Tools
    • Freebies
    • Guidebook
    • Print Catalogue
  • Upload Files
  • Help
    • FAQ
    • Video Tutorials
    • Glossary
  • Blog

How to Use Our PDF Artwork Templates in Adobe Illustrator

24/2/2020

 
​Need some help with placing your design in our artwork templates? 
Today we'll guide you on setting up disc artwork correctly in Illustrator so that it's ready for printing.

Picture
Download the PDF Guidebook

DOWNLOAD PDF TEMPLATES
Using Illustrator to Build Your Artwork
Step 1.
Open up the PDF template in Adobe Illustrator.
​You should see text instructions and green/red/blue lines on the artboard.
Picture

Step 2.
Go to the Layers Panel. All layers except the Artwork layer are locked. To place your artwork, ensure that you have selected the Artwork layer (elements cannot be placed on locked layers).
Picture

Step 3.
When placing artwork into the template, make sure that the box Link is unchecked, then click Place.
Picture

Step 4.
All artwork that bleeds off the disc edge must extend to (or past) the green dotted lines outside of the red dielines. Text must be kept within the blue dotted lines inside the red dielines.
Picture

Step 5.
​To check if your image links are embedded or linked; open both the Appearance Panel and the Links Panel.
Click on an image, if it says "Linked File" in the Appearance Panel, go to the Links Panel and click the three lines in the top right of the panel to open a menu. Select "Embed Images(s)".
Picture
Picture

​When a link has been embedded a square & triangle symbol will appear to the right of it in the Links Panel.
Picture

Step 6. 
​We recommend keeping an Illustrator .ai file saved to your desktop before this next step so that any future text changes can be made if necessary.

All text must be converted to outlines, this ensures no missing font issues when sending the files for printing.
Select all text with the Direct Selection Tool and go to Type > Create Outlines.
Picture
Picture

You will now see all text has been converted to outlines (and is no longer editable with the Type Tool).
Picture

Step 7.
In your Layers Panel, turn off dielines by clicking the eye icons left of the Dieline/Safe Zone/Bleed/Instructions layers to hide them.
​
​The only layers that need to be visible for printing are the Crosshair and Artwork layers.
Picture

Step 8.
Your artwork should look like this, with the crosshair visible, no dielines visible and the minimum amount of bleed (if required).
Picture

Step 9. 
​To save the artwork for printing, go to File > Save As and select Adobe PDF for the format, then click Save.
Picture

Choose Adobe PDF Preset: [Press Quality] and keep "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" checked, then click Save PDF.
Picture
We offer graphic design services, if you would like to us build your artwork for you please contact us here.

If you would like to watch the video tutorials on how to prepare artwork with our templates in Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, please click the button below.
WATCH TUTORIAL VIDEOS

Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Adobe Illustrator
    Adobe InDesign
    Adobe Photoshop
    Did You Know...?
    Printing

    Archives

    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018

Contact Us

[email protected]
Local: 604-270-8682
​Toll-free: 1-800-663-8273
Weekdays 9AM – 5PM

Visit Us

#7 - 12840 Bathgate Way, 
Richmond, BC, V6V 1Z4
wimmedia.com
Visit our parent company store
  • Home
  • Services
    • Print Services
    • Graphic Design Services
    • Specialty Print Services
    • Current Promotions
  • Contact Us
    • Get a Quote
    • Our History
  • Downloads
    • Templates >
      • CD, DVD, Blu-ray >
        • CD / DVD Discs
        • CD / DVD Kits >
          • CD Jewel Case Kit
          • DVD Case Kit
          • Eco-Sleeve Kit
        • Eco-Sleeve and CD Digipak
        • Poly Box & Vinyl Albums
        • Unikeep Albums
        • DVD Case Trapsheets
        • DVD Case Insert
        • Blu-ray
      • Paper Labels
      • Marketing Tools
    • Freebies
    • Guidebook
    • Print Catalogue
  • Upload Files
  • Help
    • FAQ
    • Video Tutorials
    • Glossary
  • Blog