How to nest images with common cut contours and bleed?

In PrimeCenter, you can apply bleed to images in different ways depending on your needs:

• Print bleed: Adds bleed directly to your input files.
• Advanced bleed check/fix profile: Applies bleed to input or output files.

Applying bleed to imported images means they will be nested with that bleed, creating space between images and separating their cut contours. To keep the contours common, it is recommended to apply bleed at the export step using the Advanced bleed check/fix profile.

Applying a check/fix profile to an output file is available with the packages   

Comparison of bleed application methods

Bleed applied to input files	Bleed applied to output files
Images are nested with their individual bleed, creating gaps between cut contours.	Bleed is added after nesting, keeping the contours common.
➡️ Use Print bleed or a check/fix profile before nesting.	➡️ Use Advanced bleed as an output check/fix profile.

Prerequisites

Before applying the Advanced bleed profile, you may need to learn more about check/fix profiles:

• Understanding check/fix profiles and how to use them
• Managing check/fix profiles
• How to apply a check/fix profile to a file?
• List of check/fix profiles included in PrimeCenter

Configuring the "Advanced bleed" profile

The "Advanced Bleed" preflight profile includes the following parameters:

Bleeding mode

Bleed mode

• Contour bleed: Bleed follows cut contours.
• Canvas bleed: Bleed is rectangular.

Rendering resolution

Bleed options

With Contour bleed mode

Contour selection

This option is available since PrimeCenter V3.1.

• Specific contours: Select one or several contours manually from the Cut contours list (formerly "Dictionary").

• All detected contours: Automatically apply bleed to all contours in the Cut contours list (formerly "Dictionary") when they are detected. It's practical when you don't know the names of the contours in your files.

    Limitation

   If multiple contours exist in a file, bleed will be applied to each.

 

Bleed type

For input files that do not contain bleed, the following types duplicate the last pixels at the edge of the image to generate a bleed.

Outside bleed	Outside and inside bleed

 

For input files that already contain bleed, the following method allows unmasking the existing bleed and adjusting its size.

Outside masking

 

Bleed amount

Define the width of the bleed.

With Canvas bleed mode

  Info

When using Canvas bleed, a cut contour named CutContourAuto is generated.

Bleed type

• Duplicate: Extends the last pixel at the edge.
• Mirror: Reflects pixels to generate bleed.

• Stretch: Stretches the last 2mm of the image.

    Info

  Note that a 2 mm area of the original image is also stretched.

Duplicate	Mirror	Stretch

 

Edge handling

• Edges: Generates bleed only from edges, leaving corners empty.
• Edges & corners: Generates bleed from edges and corners.

Edges	Edges & corners

 

Bleed format

• As image: Bleed remains vectorial.
• As object: Bleed is rasterized.

 

PDF box

Choose the PDF box from which the bleed is generated:

TrimBox CropBox ArtBox

BleedBox MediaBox

 

Canvas bleed

Define the width of the bleed applied to each edge.

Process: Nesting rectangular images with common cut contours and bleed

This process can be done in manual or automatic mode.

Input image

1. Create a cut contour (optional)

If your images do not already contain a cut contour:

1. Open the File manager, right-click the image, and select Check/Fix.
2. Choose the Create contour from PDFBox check/fix profile.
3. Click Continue to generate the contour.

For more information about creating cut contours, see this article.

Input image with a cut contour

2. Nest the images

1. Go to the Nesting settings.
2. Select the Rectangular nesting type.
3. Set Distance between shapes to 0 to merge contours.
4. Insert images in the Studio and generate the layouts.

Nested images with common cut contours

3. Apply bleed at the export step

1. In export settings, add a print output check/fix profile
2. From the list of preflight profiles, search for "Advanced bleed". There are no specific parameters to fill in, it depends on your needs. Select Advanced bleed from the check/fix profile list.
3. Select Canvas bleed mode.
4. Click Print to generate the final output.

Final nested images with common cut contours and bleed