Fold Tool

The Fold tool adds precise folding information to your document within a PrintFactory workflow. It lets you define margins around your chosen PDF area, and optionally draw a visible fold frame in your selected color and style. This guide explains how to open the tool, what each option does, and how to use it effectively in a workflow.

Overview

Use the Fold tool when your job needs a defined folding area or when you need to visually mark the folds on printed sheets. The step allows you to set how far to extend (or offset) each edge of the page and optionally draw a frame to show where the folds occur. It’s particularly useful for brochures, booklets, and packaging layouts where fold marks or defined boundaries are important.

Opening the Tool

1. Open the Workflow Editor in PrintFactory.
2. Add or select the step named Fold.
3. Click Configure to open the Fold setup dialog.

Fold Setup Dialog

The Fold setup dialog lets you choose the reference box, define your outset values, and decide whether to include a visible fold frame.

PDF Box

Select which page box the folding area should be based on:

• MediaBox — The full page area.
• CropBox — The visible cropped area.
• BleedBox — The area including bleed beyond trim.
• TrimBox — The final trimmed page size.
• ArtBox — The artwork area defined in the file.

Your choice determines where the fold margins are applied.

Outset

Outset values define how much to expand the folding area beyond the selected box.

• Left / Top / Right / Bottom — Enter the amount (in millimeters) to extend each edge.
• To keep folds symmetrical, you can enter one value and apply it to all sides.

Frame

Enable the Frame checkbox to draw a visible rectangle around the folding area.

• Frame Color — Choose the color for the frame lines: Black, Cyan, Magenta, or Yellow.
• Frame Style — Choose how the frame is drawn: Solid, Dashed, or Dotted.

Frames are printed as visible guides and can be used for proofing or as a visual fold reference.

Buttons

• OK — Save your settings and close the dialog.
• Cancel — Close without saving changes.

How It Works

When the workflow runs, the Fold step adjusts the page dimensions according to your chosen outsets and draws the fold frame if enabled. The folding margins expand the selected PDF box, helping you align content accurately during layout and finishing. If you’ve added a frame, it will appear as a visible outline on the job for easy reference in later steps or printed output.

Using Fold in Workflows

1. Insert the Fold step after page layout or imposition, before output or finishing steps.
2. Select the appropriate PDF Box as your reference area.
3. Enter your desired Outset values.
4. (Optional) Enable Frame and select your color and style.
5. Click OK to apply.
6. Run the workflow and verify the results in preview or proof output.

Tips & Best Practices

• Use TrimBox as your reference when defining final page folds for trimmed products.
• For visual fold guides only, use a bright frame color such as Cyan or Magenta.
• Outset values should reflect your folding tolerance and desired extra margin.
• When proofing layouts, enable the frame to confirm that folds align correctly before production.

Summary

The Fold tool lets you define folding margins and optionally show them as visible guides. It’s a simple but powerful way to standardize folding information and ensure every layout is ready for precise folding and finishing downstream.