How to create cutter guides for business card inserts in InDesign CS5

Question

I need to create cutter guides for a business card insert in a brochure.

I know how to technically create a new layer called cutter guides and use my pen tool to create the lines, but I am inexperienced in understanding where to place the guides, what size they should be, and how to position them accurately.

I know they need to be diagonal cuts across to opposing corners. I don't know how long the cuts should be. The cards are 85mm x 55mm.

Current Method

I draw a square, line it up inside one corner. I guess the size, but usually about 1cm, I rotate it 45 degrees. That gives me my diagonal line (creates a corner).

Then I draw across the diagonal with my pen tool. Then I use alt, ctrl and drag the corner to expand it equally in both directions past the edges of the card, giving another half a cm each side.

Is that a good way of doing it? Is there a better way? Googling it just provided me tutorials on die cut business cards, am I using the wrong terminology?

How can I work out the right size of the cut, and the best position for it?

Answer 1

I've done a project similar to this recently. What you describe will work fine.

You just need to clearly explain to your printer what you're trying to do. They'll want those lines on a separate die line layer.

Half a cm on each side wider than your cards corner should also work fine, depending on the stock. If its very thick stock expect that the slit will not open as easily and therefore should be wider.