... continued from the previous page.
Postcard - Back
We've created the face of the post card, but now, in order to go directly to the printer, we'll need to create the second side.
17. Set a Center Line : Open up the Back document you saved earlier. Drag out a 5th line from Ruler boarder to the center of the canvas (3).
18. Set a Center Line : Using the Line Tool (3px black), draw a line on the center line you just dragged out (don't forget to hold down the shift key). This is the dividing line on the card required by the postal service. You can drag the center ruler line off the canvas using the Move Tool (V).
19. Postage Stamp or Indicia: Using the Rectangle Tool draw a shape using the colour below where the stamp will be placed. Double click on the shape to go into Blending Options and put in the Stroke.
20. Form Lines: Draw a Line using the Line Tool (2px black) for the postal address. Duplicate the line by dragging it to the new layer icon until you have 5 Lines. Move each line down by selecting the layer, holding down the Shift & click on the bottom arrow key. Note: You need to have the Move Tool clicked on while doing this.
We recommend these lines be very faint -- perhaps 15% to 20% black so that they do not interfere with the address on automatic postal equipment.
We show this one filled in, but for your print version you would leave these blank, unless you intend the card to be a "pre-printed" card. Hand written is much nicer.
22. Print Prep : If you're ready to print each Postcard side go to File > Print. A box should appear, click on the top right menu and go into output. Select the printing marks you want to appear on the printed work. Unclick Show Bounding Box, then go into Bleed and create a 3mm bleed. Then click Print. 
Printing Dialogs
If you want to take it to the printers for Printing, Save it in PDF format.
[FRED adds in ] Professionals will run this job as a "Work-n-flop" or "Work-n-turn" which not only saves paper, but cuts printing and handling time in half because both sides of the card are printed at the same time. They run the sheets through the press, turn them over and run them again. So you'll need to put BOTH faces in the same art. Make the a perfect center line for the sheet, and don't forget to allow for the bleed. If the card didn't bleed, then the two could "share" the center cut line.
Final Result
Special Thanks to Ainsley Bevis for sending in this tutorial. Be sure to visit Ainsley at BloomwebDesign.net
Ainsley is a passionate, and mostly self taught, Web and Graphic Designer based in Melbourne, Australia. As well as designing websites and graphic material for her clients she also enjoys playing guitar, piano, walking her dogs and cooking vegetarian food! Don't miss all her great Adobe Illustrator Tutorials!
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