Hi folks!
TO START THIS OFF, THIS IS A VERY OUTDATED TEMPLATE. If you use this template, it will be up to you to adjust it accordingly. Prepress gurus, look away!
CSP has different terminology for setting up their pages, and while some people do not bother putting in all the measurements for their comic pages, I heavily rely on certain features that make my comic making faster. So the set up portion is very important. Regardless if a client provides me a template, I take the time to match the template numbers while making a new project (along with a little trial and error).
So I want to create a quick overview of what certain things mean when creating a new comic page.
I will be using my 8.5 x 5.5” custom template as the example.
Canvas
Width and Height here is the entire page size.
So imagine if this is your 11x17 piece of paper that you will start marking down the measurements on.
I stick to around 450-600 dpi for my comics.
Binding (Finish) Size
This is what people consider the trim. This is what the final size of the book (when completed) will be.
You can add the bleed in the Bleed section as well! GREAT! However, it only does two digit decimals. Not great. I advise folks who do a 0.125” bleed to round up to .13”
Default Border (Inner) Size
This is what people typically call the safe area.
Each publicist will have their own idea of margins and safe areas, because every printer operates differently! So if you take your files to one printer, and then to the next, they might have completely different needs. It’s very annoying and very scary, but it’s just how it is!
Offsetting X and Y comes in handy because you can make space for the gutter, which CSP will automatically consider when you work in Storymode (an EX feature).
And that’s the basics!
A lot of this wont make sense until you try it out yourself. For good practice, look up a basic comics template and try inputting measurements and tinkering with it yourself.
In my member’s downloads, I’ve also included my very very in “Work In Progress” 8.5 x 5.5” Zine Template. I’ve never released this one to the public because it still has some issues I hope to resolve in the future (example: printing can sometimes result in the art being too close to the gutter, or when importing to inDesign, I can lose some detail along the edges). Overall, I’m confident that if you stay WITHIN the safe area, your printing will work out fine. I can’t guarantee anything though, and ALWAYS consult with your printer.
If you can, please use it with caution as it is not a bullet proof template. So please resist the urge to share this one!
If you have any questions about the template, let me know! Have fun making comics!