Step and Repeat Toronto

If you are looking for Step & Repeat Design Examples check out these Step and Repeat Examples.

OPEN A NEW DOCUMENT IN ILLUSTRATOR:

Because Step and Repeats are such large format productions it is easiest to work in Illustrator and preferable to work with artwork that is formatted as a vector file . Preferably .ai, png or .pdf. This will mean that your documents stay small and can be scalled to any size without compromising print quality.

* I use Adobe Illustrator CS4 but the same principles with also apply in CS3 or CS5 or any other equavalent design program!

The process starts with opening a new document and setting your artboard size, number and name.

(1) The basic document sizes are as follows:

• 8′ by 8′ is 88.5 in Heigh by 88.5 in wide
• 8′ by 10′ is 88.5 in Heigh by 118.5 in wide

(2) You will only require one art-board

(3) I try to follow the following format when naming a document:

• Company Product (dimensions finish) proof number
• ie. PictonBIA StepandRepeat (88.5×88.5 w.velcro)1

MAKE SURE YOUR ALIGNMENT TOOLS ARE VISIBLE:

No matter how wonderful your logo’s and design are the basic rule of thumb is that it will work as long as it is properly aligned. You can make you alignment tools show up by either hotkeys (Shift+F7) or by clicking Window/Align.

Alignment tools allow you to change the alignment and spacing of logo’s. They are required to make sure your rows and columns are in line and the logo’s evenly placed.

IMPORT YOUR ARTWORK:

As mentioned previously make sure your logo’s are vector based file formats or (worst case scenario) that they are to scale if not!

GROUP ITEMS AND TURN TEXT INTO OUTLINES:

Before trying to layout your artwork make sure your logo’s layers are grouped together and any text is in outlines. If you don’t group your layers the alignment tools won’t work properly. If you don’t turn your text into outlines your print won’t have the correct type face when you receive it.

Hint: You can turn a whole files text into outlines by selecting all (ctrl +a) and then turning the lot into outlines (ctrl +shift + o).

 ALIGN, DISTRIBUTE, GROUP, COPY, PASTE:

I find the fastest way to get a step and repeat set up is to copy and place the logo’s that should appear in all the rows that are unique (in this case the first two rows) on the artboard first in roughly their correct locations.  I generally start by figuring out my outer line of logos and align them (green).  I then usually then (1) align the centres of the rows (yellow)  and then (2) evenly distribute the logo’s (yellow).  After doing this for each row I then (1) group the rows together, (2) center align the rows, and (3) evenly distribute their spacing.

SAVE IT:

As mentioned at the beginning I try to follow the following format when naming a document.

• Company Product (dimensions finish) proof number
• ie. PictonBIA StepandRepeat (88.5×88.5 w.velcro)1