How to create one month per page calendar with cover
Materiales used
The calendar layout (grid of dates) is created beforehand in a PDF file.
- On PDF for each page, including th cover (these could ber done as PNG as well but a PDF provides better quality).
- PDF has to be of the size of the page (including the bleed) and at 300dpis.
- Color space has to be sRGB.
We wil use a sample image with instructions per page of the same
Create the template definition
Use “Responsive PhotoBook” Editor
A template has a definition and may or may not have also a model associated. In this case, we will use a model.
The template is created at:
https:// services.imaxel.com/yourdealer/admin > product templates > + create > responsive photobook”
To create a product we just need to fill the form with the definition of the product.
- Basic info
- Define the components and sizes
- Use only one variant (no several variants can be used since we will later create a model that can only use one).
- Depending on the type of product you may use
- Only pages: this option will deliver one PDF for the cover and the rest of the pages into a common PDF.
- Pages and cover: this option will deliver all the pages into a single printable PDF.
- Remove the non-used components (“generic” component)
- Set the size of the output PDF to be sent to the printer. In this case 200mm Width x 300mm high.
- Do not assign automatic bleed (bleed = 0) since the bleed has already been considered when creating the template PDF file
- Set the online editor parameters
- Layout> manual and auto
- No corner radius needed (set them to 0)
- You may use a custom palette for the text in the signage. Otherwise, the standard pallet will be used.
- No background would be used in the editor since this is already handled inside the template PDF.
- Set the output format.
Output format should be defined as PDF.
Create a model
The template model is created at:
https:// services.imaxel.com/yourdealer/admin > product templates > edit model
- Upload all the PDF files and place each on its corresponding page
- Add the texts and clip arts using the drag and drop function. The model will look like this:
- Add a dummy image with the instructions “add your image”. This image is to be replaced by the user manually or can be also automatically populated using the “auto insert”· function.
- Define which editing options are available to consumers and which options are “locked”. This is done using the “locks” feature. There is 2 level of “locks”:
- Page-level: general that applies to what the consumer can do with the whole design (add texts, add new images, etc)
- Object-level: that applies to each of the objects (move it, replace, etc).
If we do not set “locks” the consumer can change almost everything, which may be OK in some cases but not what we expect in others.
For instance in this case:
at a general level (i.e. using the “lock” icon over the page) we are going to:
- Lock the option to delete the document
- Lock the option to change the layout
- Lock the option to change between modes
But we want the consumers
- Change the color background (in the case that the PDF is transparent)
- Add new text (so they can put comments on each date)
- Add images (which include also clipart)
At an object-level we are not going to apply any lock to the dummy image so the consumers have total freedom to redesign (can move, delete, color, etc.), But will block the calendar grid to avoid this can be modified.
Locks per page:
Locks per object:
- When the model is created we click on “save and return” and the model is associated with its template.
- A template may have only a model
- If we want to have different models we can easily “clone” the template (which also clones the model), thus creating a new template, and then modifying the new model.
- The model is based on the template definition associated when it was created. When a template has a model associated with it, some changes in the definition cannot be edited later (like changing the size for instance).
Testing the template
After a template is created it is possible to test how consumers will see and use it before it is published.
This can be done by the testing environment available at http://landingdemo.imaxel.com/yourdealer
If we find anything not as expected we have to go back to the back office services.imaxel.com/your dealer/admin and modify the model accordingly.
After testing the edition process, the last step is to test the output file. For this we can complete and order from the landing demo, and then go to the back office and download the associated file.
https:// services.imaxel.com/yourdealer/admin > orders > pending
Download manually the order
And open the ZIP file. Look for the PDF ready to print file and make a real print.