Centering print setup over objects to be printed in Illustrator8?

[Elwood Kinder]

I have tried and tried to find a way to center objects that I want to print in the bounding box after I use the print set up. In other words I want to have an equal margin around the objects I want to print. If I don't physically move the objects to be printed then at times I even miss some of the items with the box resulting in only a partial print. I realize that this is probably simple but I just don't get it.

:
Thanks in Advance!
Elwood Kinder
Kinder Signs & Design Co.

 

[Fred Weiss]

I'm sure there's more than one way to do this but I would use the Transform Palette. If you don't have it open it can be opened by typing Shift + F8.

First determine your numerical center points desired. Next select the center / center position on the nine point box in the Transform Palette.

Now select any object or group of objects and enter in the desired center numbers in the appropriate X or Y position box. The selected object(s) will move to the desired position on your next mouse click.

Ibbitty-ibbitty-ibbitty ..... that's all folks.

 

[Baz]

In Illustrator there is the bounding box (as you call it, i dont know its real name) and there is also the page tiling box within it ... i suspect yours is hiden ... You can chek in the View menu and select "show page tiling" ... even if you have all your objects within that outside bounding box, if any of the objects are outside that page tiling box they wont print.

You can move around the page tiling box with the "Page Tool" located in the toolbar where the hand move tool is located. Just click and hold on the hand tool to see the other tools available in that box.

 

[Elwood Kinder]

First of all... Thanks for the very quick responses and they are both very helpful. I do have one other question though. Fred mentioned that the first thing to do is determine the numerical center points... I think this is where I am haveing a problem. When you create a new page it seems to me that the artboard is place randomly on the background. Is this correct or am I mistaken? If so is there a way to move the artboard itself?

 

[Fred Weiss]

I don't think the artboard can be moved. The page edges are determined by your print setup. Whenever I get one that is screwy, I just copy everything and paste it onto a new page set to the print setup I want. It will normally paste into the new page dead on center.


So for example, on a standard letter size, the centers will be 4.25" and 5.5".

Do you have your rulers turned on? A few times I've been able to see problems or determine there wasn't one just by having them on.

 

[Elwood Kinder]

Thanks a million... You guys have been alot of help. I can see that I need to do alot more homework. I have been well versed over the years with GA and Omega software but have only recently been giving Illustrator and Photoshop a try. I recently puchased a Mimaki JV3-160s and the CG130fx plotter. Learning the basisc of Photoshop has been pretty straight forward but Illustrator is another story. Anyway thanks alot!

 

[Fred Weiss]

Happy to be of help.