Knowledgebase

Symptoms

 I have a page that is too big, or has content I wish to crop out. 

Resolution

Note: Cropping does not remove content. It only redefines how the content can be seen!

How to Crop Pages:

From within PDF-XChange Editor, go to Organize > Crop > Crop Pages (ctrl+Shift+T):

There are a few options on how you can crop the pages.

Apply to box options. (Technical descriptions available here)

• Crop Box: Hides everything outside the defined area. (The content is not deleted)
• Bleed Box: Hides Everything outside the defined area during print operations. (The content is not deleted)
• Trim Box: The defined specifies where the page is intended to be trimmed after printing. (The content is not deleted)
• Art Box: (content outside this box may be deleted upon applying)

In each cropping option, there are two ways to specify the area to be cropped

Margin Control: Setting specific measurements in the fields (Left, Right, top, Bottom). You can also set the units from the drop down menu.

Preview Pane: You can change the defining box manually from the edges or corners. You can also move it by clicking and dragging it along.

Once you have Chosen the space you wish to crop, click OK.  

The result should look something like the screenshot bellow: 

Technical Aspects.

• Crop Box: Removes the visibility of the defined content. This defines the region to which the contents of the page are to be clipped (cropped) when displayed or printed. Unlike the other boxes, the crop  box has no defined meaning in terms of physical page geometry or intended  use; it merely imposes clipping on the page contents. However, in the absence  of additional information (such as imposition instructions specified in a JDF or  PJTF job ticket), the crop box determines how the page’s contents are to be positioned on the output medium. The default value is the page’s media box. 
• Bleed Box: defines the region to which the contents of the page  should be clipped when output in a production environment. This may include  any extra bleed area needed to accommodate the physical limitations of cutting, folding, and trimming equipment. The actual printed page may include  printing marks that fall outside the bleed box. The default value is the page’s  crop box. 
• Trim Box:  defines the intended dimensions of the finished page  after trimming. It may be smaller than the media box to allow for production related content, such as printing instructions, cut marks, or color bars. The  default value is the page’s crop box. 
• Art Box: defines the extent of the page’s meaningful content  (including potential white space) as intended by the page’s creator. The default  value is the page’s crop box.