Tag Archives: Layout

Layouts With or Without Bleed

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In this blog post, we’ll explain the term “bleed” and show you how to correctly create and export a layout with bleed.

What Is Bleed?

The reason for using bleed is that it’s technically not possible to print exactly to the edge of a sheet of paper. That’s why, in professional printing, maps are printed in a slightly larger format than the final map size and then cut (trimmed) to the final size. If the map or layout is supposed to extend all the way to the edge of the paper, it must be extended beyond the trim mark to create a bleed area. The bleed area is then the part that gets cut off. This ensures a professional look as there will be no white borders after cutting.

Two Types of Layouts

Layout without bleed

The easiest way is to create a layout that does not extend all the way to the edge of the map.

When exporting, make sure that no relevant map or course setting objects are too close to the edge of the print extent, so that they are guaranteed to be fully visible on the printed map.

To ensure this, define a margin of 5mm in the Define Paper Size function (red dashed line in the image above).

This type of layout also works well for home printers.

Layout with bleed

If the layout should last all the way to the edge, all layout elements should be 3 – 5 mm larger on all four sides than the final map format. 

You’ll find instructions here on how to correctly export a PDF for printing companies.

If no bleed area is defined and, for example, a standard A4 sheet is exported, the printer will, if possible, trim the map so that no white borders are visible. The final map format will be slightly smaller than the standard A4 sheet, but this ultimately doesn’t matter.

When printing this type of layout on a home printer, a white border appears around the layout elements, which does not look very good. But also this ultimately doesn’t matter.

Conclusion

A layout can be designed in various ways and exported along with the map.

The important point is to ensure that no relevant layout, map or course setting objects are positioned too close to the edge of the print extent. This guarantees that they will be fully visible on the printed map.

See the OCAD Wiki for more information.

Create and Load Extents

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An extent is an area in OCAD that you define and save, which you can use for various purposes, such as printing, exporting, or creating a layout.

The latest OCAD Update brought improvements to reuse extents.

How to create an extent?

Use the Define Paper Size function to create and save a new extent. This can be a standard paper format like A4 or any custom format.

The extent will be shown in the drawing area and the area outside will be grayed out. This is helpful, for example, when you’re creating a layout for a map.

How to use an extent for exporting and printing

If you have saved an extent, it is also available both in the export dialog (Menu File > Export > Load extent) and in the print dialog (Menu File > Print > Part of map > Set Up…). In the latter dialog it is also possible to save and delete extents.

Improvements since the latest OCAD Update

Since the latest OCAD Update, also extents from background maps can be loaded in the Define Paper Size and Canvas function.

This can be useful, for example, for course setting projects when you use the Canvas function and load already defined extents from your layouts files.

Cover Parts of the Map

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Sometimes you may want to hide certain parts of the map to make more room for logos, control descriptions, or layout elements.

What options are available in OCAD?

#01 Option: White background Symbol
In course setting projects, you can use the White background symbol (760.000) as a quick solution. Select the White background symbol in the symbol box and cover parts of the map with white color.
However, make sure that you do not cover any course objects (controls, control numbers, connection lines, …), as the withe color that is used in symbol 760 will cover course objects.

#02 Option: Layout Objects
Open the Layout menu (Layout>Edit Layout Objects) and add a new white area object.
Make sure the white area objects are at the bottom of the object list, if there are other layout elements in the list to not cover them.

#03 Option: Map Objects
Define a new white color (Map>Colors>Add) and move it to desired position in the color table (e.g. to the very top).
In a second step, create a new area symbol (Symbol>New>Area Symbol) where you use the newly created color as Fill color.

#04 Option: Cut Away Parts of the Map
Alternatively, you can cut away parts of the map instead of just cover them.
If so, make sure you are working with a copy and not the original map.

Recommendations

It is generally up to you whether you use the options listed above directly in the map file, in the course setting file, or in a layout file.

For more complex applications, we recommend using additional layout files in conjunction with the Canvas function.

Map Flip vs Map Exchange

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In the Course Setting module of OCAD, a Map Flip or Map Exchange can be inserted into a course.

This opens up new advantages and possibilities when setting courses:

○ A course can be printed in A4 format instead of A3. (Example)
○ An (interesting) area can be used several times. (Example)
○ The course setter can surprise the runners with a route choice after the Map Flip/ Map Exchange.

Difference between Map Flip and Map Exchange

A Map Flip means, that the runner needs to turn the map over and continue the second part of the course on the backside of the map.

Course with Map Flip. The Map Flip symbol appears in the control description.

A Map Exchange means, that the runner needs to take a new map and continue the course on the new map.

Course with two Map Exchanges. The Map Exchange appears in the control description. There can be more than one Map Exchange during a course.

Both, Map Flip or Map Exchange, can be placed after a control or after a Marked Route.

In contrast to the Map Flip, where the runner can turn the map independently, the Map Exchange requires effort on the part of the organizer (e.g. map boxes, helpers, …). However, at a Map Exchange the runner can not read the course ahead on the backside, the paper format can be changed and the runners get a ‘fresh, undamaged’ map.

Export PDFs for Printing

If a Map Flip is added to a course and a PDF is exported, a single PDF file with two pages will be exported for double-sided printing. The front and back can contain the same or two different map extracts.

Single PDF file with two pages for double-Sided printing.

A Map Exchange creates two single-page PDFs. The paper format of the two PDFs can be different.

Two separate PDF files with one page each.

We recommended not printing courses with Map Flips and Map Exchanges directly from OCAD. Instead use the Canvas function to export PDFs and print them from Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is especially useful for larger course setting projects or if you want to assign different map extracts to the sub-courses.

○ Map Exchange with Canvas
○ Map Flip with Canvas
○ Demo data for Canvas

If there is a course with a Map Flip or Map Exchange, you can see that this course is split up into sub-courses (e.g. Map flip #1 and Map flip #2) in the Canvas dialog. You can add a different map extract for each sub-course if needed.

Use Backside for PDF Export

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Note: The term ‘backside’ has been changed to ‘reverse side’.

With the latest OCAD Update the option Use backside for PDF export has been added.
This option allows you to export a PDF with two pages for double-sided printing.

In the Define Paper Size function of the Layout menu, there is now a tab to define a frontside and a backside for an extent. If the option Use backside for PDF export is activated in the Backside tab, an extent for the backside can be defined as well. This must have the same paper size (e.g. A4) as the frontside, but can cover a different a map extent.

Exporting double-sided PDF

In the Export dialog, you can then load the double-sided extent to export a PDF with two pages for double-sided printing.

In the Canvas function, you can choose between Frontside, Backside or double-sided if there is an extent with a backside defined. -> Example

Applications for double-sided printing

  • You can print the course title, start number, relay variant, … on the backside. -> Example
  • You can add a Map Flip to an orienteering course. This means that the runner has to flip the map to continue the course on the backside. This opens up new advantages and possibilities when setting courses:
    ○ A course can be printed in A4 format instead of A3. -> Example

○ An (interesting) area can be used several times. -> Example

How to print a double sided PDF?

Open and print the double-sided PDF in Adobe Reader, where you have the possibility to set the option Print on both sides of paper.