Crop, padding and AI edits: check each page before print
A page can have the right dimensions and still contain the wrong phone number, a clipped logo or unwanted marks from an earlier export. The crop stage is where you check those details in Print Prepper, one page at a time, before building the print PDF.
Start by selecting the page you mean to change. In a multi-page job, the trim size and print options belong to the job, while cropping, padding, rotation and AI edits apply to individual pages.
Set the finished shape, then frame the artwork
Confirm the trim width, height and orientation before adjusting the crop. Changing the trim shape resets the crop box because the old rectangle was drawn against a different aspect ratio.
For a sideways page, rotate it left or right by 90°. That rotates the working artwork, not the job’s print dimensions, and also resets its crop. Recheck the framing after either change.
Crop out any bleed or crop marks already included in the supplied image. Leaving those inside the selected artwork can carry an old cutting mark or white border into the finished design. The output settings control the new bleed and marks outside your chosen trim.
Add canvas when cropping would cut into the design
Open Add padding (optional) when the artwork needs more room to fit the crop. For example, a narrow design going into a wider trim may need canvas at the left and right so the crop does not remove its top and bottom.
Choose all sides, top and bottom, left and right, or a single side. Pick a colour with the swatch, enter a hex value, or use the dropper to sample a colour. Transparent instead is also available.
The amount is a whole percentage from 1 to 100 of the working image’s dimension, not a measurement in millimetres. Applying padding again adds another bar to the current image. It does not replace the earlier padding. Use the page’s revision controls if you need to step back, then inspect the crop against the resulting canvas.
Padding becomes part of the artwork you frame. It is different from bleed, which is added outside the trim when the PDF is built. A colour that looks close on screen can still leave a visible join in the design, so check the result rather than assuming the sampled colour makes an invisible extension.
Make an AI edit on the page that needs it
Choose Edit with AI on the current page and describe the change clearly. A specific instruction such as “Change the phone number to 0400 000 000” is easier to assess than “fix this design”.
Review the proposed image before choosing Apply, Discard or Refine. Check the whole page, including text, logos and details you did not ask to change. An AI result is a proposal, not a guarantee that everything else stayed identical.
Applying the result changes that page only. It also resets the crop box because the returned image can have different pixel dimensions. Return to the crop, check the framing and effective DPI, and add padding if the new shape needs it. Do not assume the target DPI field means the returned image reached that resolution.
For the broader limits of the AI and colour pipeline, see what Print Prepper does and the resolution guide.
Choose bleed and crop marks for the output
When creating the job, set the bleed width and choose its fill. Mirror the artwork reflects content outward from the edges. Extend edge colours carries the edge colours straight outward. Both reconstruct the band from the available artwork; neither redraws missing design content. Check faces, lettering, thin borders and light hairlines at the edges.
Advanced print options lets you include bleed and crop marks independently. Both are on by default:
- Include bleed uses the job’s chosen width and fill. Switch it off and the artwork stops at the trim edge.
- Include crop marks adds cutting guides and room for them. Switch it off and that extra marks margin is removed.
- With both off, the print PDF is exactly trim-sized. Use that only when it matches the printer’s requirements.
At the crop stage, Save print options keeps you editing, while Process saves the options and builds the output. These switches apply to the whole job. Check the printer’s specification before changing them; the bleed guide explains why the band exists.
Check the right PDF for each question
The soft proof shows the trimmed result. Use it to review page content, framing and order. Inspect the print PDF as well to check the output bleed and crop marks, which the trimmed proof does not show.
Once the design is checked and processed, you can use Imposition to repeat one finished page across a sheet. Finish any further artwork edits first, then make a new sheet PDF from the updated design.