In CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX, it is possible to use [Printing of fanzine] to create a fanzine document.

Further, you can export data for submission to print shops.

• [Settings for fanzines] refers to the process at Japanese Fanzine printing vendors. Hence, the contents described here are based on Japanese fanzines and fanzine print shops.

 

[1] Preparing the original Manuscript

Before you start working on a document, look for a print shop to submit your work to. When creating a new document, prepare the manuscript by selecting a print shop under [Settings for fanzines].

Although it is possible to change the settings later, in order to avoid a lack of elements necessary for submission and the necessity of correcting the drawing itself, it helps to decide the print shop in advance and set up the [Settings for fanzines] when creating a new document.

 

① Select the [File] menu → [Create new].

 

② When the [New] dialog is displayed, click [Printing of fanzine] as [Use of work].

 

③ The elements necessary for the creation of fanzine data will be displayed, so adjust each of them.

 

④ Choose a file name, etc.

When choosing a page composition for the document from the [Presets], make sure to not choose the wrong size, or confuse the expression colors for the front cover, main part of the book, etc.

The contents of the preset selected here will be reflected in each item below. For fanzine manuscripts, it is common to use A4 paper.

 

⑤ Adjust each item of the “Manga draft settings”.

For fanzine printing vendors, each element in the “Manga draft settings” changes according to the specification of the respective print shop, when following the procedure of ⑥.

 

“Binding (finishing) size”: For fanzines (in Japan) B5 is the most common size. For the final size to be B5, it is necessary to use A4 for the original document. Hence, if you select [B5] in this dialog, the original is automatically created in A4 size. So make sure to create the original document in A4 size.

“Bleed width (bleed)”: Since the settings of the bleed width also depends on the size of the book that you want to create, as well as the print shop, please confirm all details with the print shop in advance (e.g. on their web site).

“Resolution”: 600dpi is recommended for and by most print shops, when creating manga manuscripts in a monochrome color setting. Make sure to confirm the resolution requirements with the print shop’s web site, as changing the resolution after the creation of the manuscript may cause pixelation.

 

⑥ Adjusting each item of the “Setting for fanzine”. When creating fanzine print data, the following settings are recommend.

 

“Fanzine printing vendor”: Selecting a corresponding print shop from the pulldown menu will display the URL of the homepage. If there are unknown variables in the specifications, check them here.

“Number of pages”: The number of pages is set to the total number of pages including the cover pages. It is possible to add pages later, but in that case you might need to add the number of pages according to the required printing specifications. The number of pages must be a multiple of four due to the requirements of bookbinding.

“Binding Point”: Set the binding point of the book here. If this is changed later, you may need to modify the composition of the frames, since the direction of turning the pages will change. Therefore make sure to set this as you intend it.

Usually, books with vertical letters are [right binding], and books with horizontal letters are [left binding]. Therefore, Japanese manga are commonly set to [right binding].

 

⑦ Setting the elements under “Cover page”.

 

Set the resolution, basic expression color, and cover page layout here.

Color pages such as cover pages are best set to 300dpi or 350dpi. Please check for specifications your preferred print shop might have.

“Cover page layout”: Adjust the composition for the cover and back cover pages. For the front and back cover pages, select whether to create a two-page spread or create it separately.

“Specify spine width”: If the “Cover page layout” is set to “Spread”, the “Width of spine” can also be set. If you select the check box, you can specify the back width with a numeric value.

If the check box is unchecked, the number is automatically calculated and set for the “Width of spine”. When a [Fanzine printing vendor] is selected, the back width is set according to the body and paper of each print shop.

 

⑧ Setting the items for “Story Information/Folio”

 

“Work information”: Enter the name of the work, the name of the author and set the display position. Be sure to add this, if it is a required item of the print shop. If not, leave it blank.

 

“Folio”: This is an essential element for most print shops. Please check for specifications your preferred print shop might have.

Since page numbers are not displayed on the front and back cover page, the body will usually start with page number 3.

Check this and adjust the font, size and decorations of the folio.

 

“Blind folio”: This feature allows you to specify a page number, even for compositions, where you do not want or cannot enter a visible page number in the usual place.

In case of a “blind folio” the page number is added in a place that in invisible when closed.

For both folio and blind folio, there might be special requirements by the print shop, so make sure to confirm this on the respective web site.

In case it is necessary, please check the box.

 

• The position of the folio and blind folio can be adjusted for each page. For details on these adjustments, please refer to “[3] Preparation for colophon and adjustments of the folio".

 

With the setting above, work information and a page numbers are entered as follows. (Right binding, left page)

 

⑨ When all settings are completed, click [OK] at the top of the dialog box.

 

⑩　As the [Page Manager Window] is displayed, double-click a page to put it into its editing state and start production.

 

You can close the [Page Manager Window] while editing a page.

To re-open the [Page Manager Window], select the [Story] menu → [Page Manager].

You can change the display position of the [Page Manageｒ Window] in the [Page Manager Layout] under the [Story] menu.

 

[POINT] Confirming Preference settings

Confirming the original settings can be done in the dialog displayed via the [Story] menu　→ [Change Work Basic Settings].

 

[2] Drawing the manuscript

Once the base document is ready, you can start drawing the manuscript. The following section will introduce aspects that need special attention when a manuscript is produced for printing.

 

 

 

■ 1. Pasting tones

 

“Number of screen frequency/Density”

You can freely change the “density” of tones and the “number of screen frequency”, but if the density is too high for printing or has too many lines, it may appear unclean or purely black.

To avoid this, it is safest to use a tone with a density of 60% or less, and a screen frequency of 60 or less. Depending on the print shop, the recommended settings may be stated on the homepage, so please confirm this on the website of the print shop you are sending your documents to.

 

“Angles”

The initial tone angle is set to 45 degrees by default. It is recommended to not change the angle of halftone dots unless there are specific intentions to it. A moiré effect may occur in case the angle is set to an arbitrary angle.

 

· To check the settings of material tones...

 

① Select the applicable tone in the [Material] palette and click [Settings of toning ...] at the bottom.

 

② Check the “angle” in the displayed [Simple tone settings] dialog box.

 

· To check the settings of pasted tones...

 

① Select the layer of the pasted tone in the [Layer] palette.

 

② Confirm the settings in the [Layer Property] palette.

 

 

 

■ 2. Preparing a cover in color

 

As covers are usually added onto fanzines, this section will explain the aspects of creation with a full-color cover page as an example.

 

(1) CMYK and RGB

In graphics applications and software, notation such as [RGB] and [CMYK] are very common.

These are color expression methods, called “color profiles”.

• Depending on the print shop, there may be requirements regarding RGB or CMYK profiles. Therefore, be sure to confirm what is necessary on the print shops web site before you submit.

 

“RGB”

This color profile represents colors by using red (R), green (G) and blue (B).

This is used to display anything on screens and monitors, as well as with scanners, and hence it is commonly the format when publishing works on the internet.

 

“CMYK”

This color profile expresses colors using cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K, which stands for keyplate).

It is used when creating illustration for print.

For RGB and CMYK, the colors change greatly as shown below.

 

RGB is more vibrant, while CMYK looks slightly paler. Especially the color of light skin may appear dull when using CMYK.

Many print shops use CMYK for printing, so even if the coloring is finished as shown on the left, the final version will be closer to the colors on the right.

Therefore, when creating color illustrations for a fanzine cover, check the color of your work by painting it using the display for the CMYK color profile.

 

For details on color profile, check the “CLIP STUDIO PAINT User Guide”.

 

(2) Displaying CMYK

By painting illustration using the CMYK display beforehand, the final result for the book will be closer to what you imagined.

It is recommended to work with the CMYK display as described in the settings below.

 

① Change the color page to an editing state and select [View] menu → [Color Profile] → [Preview Settings].

 

② When the [Preview of color profile] dialog box is displayed, select a color profile and click [OK].

This activates the preview. To switch between the displays use [View] menu → [Color profile] → [Preview].

 

[3] Preparation for colophon and adjustments of the folio

Once the cover and the body are done, add the colophon and adjust the position of the folio.

 

 

 

■ 1. Adding the colophon

 

Be sure to include a colophon on the last page of a fanzine.

The colophon usually contains information on the work (title, date of publication, printing vendor, etc.) and information on the author (name, contact details, website URL, etc.).

In the past, contact details used to contain the author’s real name and address. In recent years, due to privacy concerns and the spread of the internet, authors tend to only write their pen name and email address.

• Depending on the print shop, there may be specific elements necessary for the colophon, so please confirm these in advance.

 

① Edit the page for the colophon and input necessary information with the [Text] tool.

 

② Thereafter, select the [Text] tool and adjust the position. * Be sure to place any elements inside the cropped border.

Then select the [View] menu → [Show grid] to display the grid, and arrange text cleanly.

 

③ For better readability it is recommended to use “Colophon” as a title in this section.

 

Apart from the colophon information, you can also add other small illustrations, some decorations, a postscript section and so on.

 

 

 

■ 2. Adjusting the folio (page numbers)

 

Usually, page numbers are placed outside of frames, but there might be pictures up to the bleed border, and there might be images or pages you would not want to place a page number.

For these cases, you can adjust the position of the folio. However, if you decide to not display the folio on one page, make sure that the previous and next page have them visible.

If there are no page numbers at all, or on many consecutive pages, it is possible that the print shop may not correctly interpret the order of the pages, and mistakes could happen.

 

① Select the [Operation] tool → [Object].

 

② Select the folio and shift the position. When manually adjusting the position of the numbers, be sure to position them inside the “Cropped border”.

 

[4] Changing the settings of the original manuscript

■ 1. Adding and deleting pages

 

① In the [Page Manager Window] display, select the page preceding the page you want to add, right click on it and select [Add Page] or [Add Page (Detail)].

 

② Two pages will be added behind the selected one.

 

• If you select [Add Page (Detail)], a dialog window for adjusting the details of the new page will be displayed.

 

To delete pages, select two pages, right click them and select [Delete Page]. Deleting pages is done by a multiple of two.

 

[POINT] Increasing the number of pages for an entire work

To increase the initially set number of pages and change the length of the work, follow this procedure.

If there is a page in the editing state, this operation can not be executed, so close any pages you are editing.

 

① Select the [Story] menu → [Change basic work settings] to display the respective dialog box.

 

② Use the [Change basic work settings] dialog box → [Multiple pages], and increase the number of pages and click [OK].

 

③ Pages will be added at the end of the work.

• You can not delete pages using [Change basic work settings].

 

 

 

■ 2. Adjusting the spine width of a double-page spread

 

In case you have changed the page number (by adding or deleting pages) set in the [New] dialog box of point [1] during the production, adjusting the spine width may become necessary.

 

① Set the front cover into the editing state.

 

② Select the [View] menu → [Crop mark/Default border settings].

 

③ Enter the value of the spine width that matches the final page number in the [Gap] settings for [Align crop mark], and click [OK].

 

[POINT] Regarding the spine width

When using a double-page spread as the cover, it is necessary to set the width of the manuscript by adding the spine width to the size of the front and back cover.

The spine width of course varies depending on the thickness of the book (number of pages).

• In CLIP STUDIO PAINT, the space between crop marks equals the spine width.

 

<Approximate calculation of the spine width>

· For high quality 70kg, divide the number of body pages by 20

· For high quality 90kg, divide the number of body pages by 16

· For high quality 110kg, divide the number of body pages by 13.5

• Since the width of the book spine changes not only by the number of pages, but also by the type of paper it is printed on, please contact the print shop to confirm the exact width.

 

 

 

■ 3. Changing the expression color of the pages

 

① Set the desired pages to edit mode, and select [Edit] menu → [Canvas Properties].

• Be careful not to mix the expression color of pages within the body of the book.

 

② In the [Canvas Properties] dialog box, change the “Basic expression color” and click [OK].

 

[POINT]

You can also change the basic settings of an open page via the [Story] menu → [Change basic page settings].

It is also possible to change the basic expression color of a selected page also via [Change basic page settings] from the page management screen.

 

 

 

■ 4. Turning the front cover into a double-page spread (making it a single image)

 

① Select the cover page in the [Page Manager Window], right click it and select [Combine Pages]. (To change a double-page spread into separate single pages, select [Split Pages].)

 

② As the [Combine Pages] dialog box will be displayed, leave the checkmark for [Align crop mark] and click [OK]. The interval can be adjusted later according to the spine width without a problem.

If [Delete layer with no drawing] is active, layers of the cover page will be deleted if nothing is drawn on them.

 

③ The front and back cover are now a double-page spread.

 

 

 

■ 5. Changing the resolution

 

Changing the resolution of already drawn works may require modifications to the contents.

Images drawn on the raster layers, rasterized tones and letters “may appear unclean”, if you do not “confirm the resolution before getting started on your work.”

If you need to change the resolution, please follow the procedure below. (Make sure to save the original data as a backup.

 

(1) Changing the resolution only for a selected page

 

① “Save the original data as a backup in advance”.

 

② Select the page you want to change the resolution of within the [Page Manager Window], right click it and select [Change basic page settings].

 

③ Change the resolution in the [Change basic page settings] dialog box, and click [OK].

 

(2) Changing the resolution of all pages

 

① “Save the original data as a backup in advance”.

 

② Select [Story] menu → [Change basic work settings].

 

③ Change the resolution of the “Manga draft settings” in the [Change basic work settings] dialog box, (change the resolution of the “Cover page” when changing the resolution of cover page) ...Then click [OK].

• This change is not applied to pages that have been changed individually after creating a new page.

 

 

 

■ 6. Changing the basic settings

 

To change the settings of the entire work, follow the procedure below.

 

① “Save the original data as a backup in advance”.

 

② Select [Story] menu → [Change basic work settings].

 

③ Change the corresponding item in [Change basic work settings], and click [OK].

 

 

 

■ 7. Changing the bookbinding size

 

If you change the book size of a work you already started drawing, you may have to modify the pages that are already drawn.

In this case, do not execute this with CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX, but rather change the size when “Exporting printing for fanzines”.

For this procedure, see “[5] Exporting bookbinding data in the bookbinding process - 3. Exporting fanzine data”.

To create a new page and then change the bookbinding size, use the [Change basic work settings].

 

[5] Exporting bookbinding data in the bookbinding process

At this stage the manuscript is ready. The next step is to set the file names and write down notes for the print shop with regards to each page in preparation for the submission.

The information described here is output as text data (.txt) when the manuscript is exported, and it is used for confirmation at the print shop.

• At some print shops data other than the manuscript data is not accepted. However, there are also places that require such data as part of the purchase order, etc.

It is recommended to confirm what is needed before submitting your work.

 

 

 

■ 1. Confirm the contents in the “Show binding list”

 

Make sure to check each element in the [Show binding list].

Open the [Page Manager Window], then select the [Story] menu → [Binding process] → [Show binding list].

 

The following will be displayed via [Show binding list]. If this is set for fanzine printing, settings for printing No. 2 and 3 will not be available, so these will be grayed out.

 

In case the cover is a double-spread, it is displayed as follows.

 

Depending on the print shop, printing on No. 2 and 3 may still be possible, but additional fees may be required. Make sure to check that beforehand.

Check each item in [Show binding list]. This list will be exported as a text file in the same folder as the manuscript file when “Export printing data for fanzine” is executed.

 

“No.”: This number displays the order of the entire work.

“Thumbnail”: Double-clicking this opens the page and allows you to edit it.

“Confirm”: A message will be displayed, for example, if a page is defective, etc. If such a message is displayed, please check the contents carefully and correct the page.

• For details on the displayed messages, please refer to the Instruction Manual.

 

“Flatplan”: This configuration is used for printing and binding books, including the cover page and body. Please check whether there are any mistakes in the configuration.

“Printing file name”: This is the file name of each page, when fanzine printing data is exported.

 

[POINT] Changing the printing file name

The printing file name is sequentially numbered starting with 01.

This sequential number can not be changed, but you can put a prefix and a suffix respectively for the cover, back cover, and body.

 

① Select the [Story] menu → [Binding processing] → [Settings of printing file name].

 

② Input the prefix and suffix for each in the [Settings of printing file name] dialog, and click [OK].

 

“Folio”: These are the page numbers of the work. "-" is displayed for the page in case a page number is placed outside the paper. Corrections to this are necessary when "-" is displayed, unless you are intentionally placing the page number on the outside.

“Expression color”: It is the expression color of each page. Make sure that expression colors are not mixed up.

“Resolution”: This refers to the resolution of each page. Make sure that resolutions are not mixed up.

“Memo”: Double-clicking will allow you to enter text. This allows you to leave a message to the Printing vendor and notes for the pages.

To return to the [Page Manager Window], select the [Story] menu → [Binding process] → [Show binding list]. When closing [Show binding list] with the “x” in the upper left, the work itself will be closed.

 

 

 

■ 2. Checking your book using the “3D Preview for Binding”

 

With the “3D Preview for Binding” you can check the finished state of your book in 3D.

 

① Select [File] menu → [Export multiple pagess] → [3D Preview for Binding]. (It may take some time to create the data.)

 

② Things to check with the [3D Preview for Binding].

· Are there important images or dialogues too close to the cropped border?

· In the case of extending images to the bleed border, are these drawn properly all the way?

· Are the page numbers included? Are they properly placed within the cropped border?

· Is the colophon included? Is information required by the print shop listed? , etc.

Make sure to carefully check the parts that are difficult to understand in the manuscript.

• If the manuscript does not match the specification of the selected print shop, an error message will be displayed. In this case, please correct the corresponding parts.

• For details on error messages, please refer to the Instruction Manual.

 

 

 

■ 3. Exporting fanzine printing data

After confirming the “binding list” and “3D Preview for Binding”, it is time to finally export the data for your fanzine printing data.

This section explains how to export this via CLIP STUDIO PAINT.

 

[POINT] Export methods

There are different methods for the export, including one for CLIP STUDIO PAINT and one for CLIP STUDIO.

For details on how to use CLIP STUDIO, refer to the following page.

 

① Select the [File] menu → [Export multiple pages] → [Export fanzine printing data].

 

• If the manuscript does not match the specification of the selected print shop, an error message will be displayed. In this case, please correct the corresponding parts.

• For details on error messages, please refer to the Instruction Manual.

 

② Check the [Export fanzine printing data] dialog box and confirm whether the size and bleed width are appropriate. To change the bookbinding size, change the size here.

If you have a message to the print shop, enter comments here. If there is no problem with all the settings, click [OK].

• It may take some time to export the data.

 

Select whether to output after confirming with the “3D Preview for Binding” or without checking.

 

③ When the data export has been completed, the following dialog field will be displayed. To confirm the exported data immediately, click [Check exported data].

 

[6] Confirm the data exported with CLIP STUDIO

The exported data can also be checked using the CLIP STUDIO application.

Click [Works] in the upper left, then click [Fanzine printing data] from the tags and it will be displayed.

 

Also, in CLIP STUDIO, you can click [Create Fanzine] on the left side menu and select the preview via [Select fanzine printing data for export] displayed on the right side of the screen.

 

[POINT]

Please also refer to related pages of this article.