How to Create a Spread Template with Bleed and Trim Margins in Procreate
Creating a spread can be confusing. So I decided to write a quick tutorial on adding the correct margins. Before creating any illustration for the book, prepare the canvas in Procreate. I usually add 10 mm, which is roughly 0.4” of margin. Make sure your DPI is set to 300 (or whatever DPI the printer requests).
If your book is 210 mm x 210 mm and you want to add a 10 mm margin on each side of the spread, you will create a template that is:
Width: 210 mm + 10 mm + 210 mm + 10 mm = 440 mm
Height: 210 mm + 10 mm + 10 mm = 230 mm
Drop any colour you like onto the canvas.
Then create another one without the margins. So, 420 mm x 210 mm. Keep it in white. Copy the canvas without the margins (210 mm x 210 mm). Go back to the coloured canvas with the margins. Go to Actions and click Paste.
Click the layer containing the canvas without the margins, and then click Select. Be sure to check the settings at the bottom of the page after clicking Select. I tried to do this without checking the settings first, and it didn't work. It just deleted the first layer.
Then go to the coloured layer with the margins and click on Clear.
Delete the white canvas layer in 420 mm x 210 mm. This should be your final result.
If your book is 8.5” x 8.5” and you want to add a 0.4” margin on each side of the spread, you can create a template that is:
Width: 8.5” + 0.4” + 8.5” + 0.4” = 17.8”
Height: 8.5” + 0.4” + 0.4” = 9.3”
Drop any colour you like onto the canvas.
Then create another one without the margins. So, 17” x 8.5”. Copy the canvas without the margins (8.5” x 8.5”) and go back to the coloured canvas with the margins. Go to Actions and click Paste.
Click the layer containing the canvas without the margins, and then click Select. Be sure to check the settings at the bottom of the page after clicking Select. I tried to do this without checking the settings first, and it didn't work. It just deleted the first layer.
Then go to the coloured layer with the margins and click on Clear.
Delete the white canvas layer in 17” x 8.5”. This should be your final result.
If you have any additional questions, let me know,
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