This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to adjust page margins for your artwork before imposition. It covers the importance of margins in print processes, the steps to set them, and options available for customizing margins to meet specific needs.
Understanding the Importance of Page Margins
Adjusting page margins is crucial for ensuring that your artwork is properly formatted for printing. This step allows you to:
Add left, right, top, and bottom margins
Clip artwork that overflows into the margin area
Apply margins to all pages or selected pages
Mirror artwork edges to fill extended margins (optional)
Margins can be added either inside or outside the page, depending on the artwork box configuration set in previous steps.
Step-by-Step Breakdown of Margin Adjustments
Setting Margins
Determine the margin size for each side of the page. The following table outlines the fields and their descriptions:
Field | Description |
Left / Right / Top / Bottom | Specify the margin amount in millimeters. These values expand the page area before imposition. |
Example
If your artwork measures 210×297 mm and you set:
Left: 5 mm
Right: 5 mm
Your new page width becomes 220 mm.
Execution Control
This toggle determines whether the margin adjustments are applied:
On: Page margins will be applied.
Off: The step will be skipped but preserved in the workflow/template.
This feature is useful for testing changes without removing the step.
Clipping Overflowing Content
When artwork extends into the margin area, you can choose how to handle it:
On: Any content outside the original page boundary is clipped (removed).
Off: Content can extend into the margin region.
Enable this option when you want strict control over the edges of your artwork.
Page Selection Options
Single Page Application
This option applies the margin settings to all pages or specific page ranges.
Custom Page Selection
Select specific pages individually. Example use cases include:
Applying margins only to the cover page
Adding internal margins to pages that shift during creep adjustment
Optional Mirroring of Edges
This feature creates a mirrored extension of the artwork at the edges, which is useful for:
Canvas wraps
Large format prints
Products requiring edge bleed to extend visually beyond the artwork
When to Use
Enable Mirror Edges when you need full-bleed visuals without leaving blank margin space.