Automatic hole punch spacing

[argolis]

Does it exist, or would it be a ridiculous feature request, to have a checkbox indicating the user would like automatic spaces managed by the editor for hole punches when printed?

I’ve seen other suggestions/hacks to avoid the nastiness of document text getting chomped by hole punching when printed out, to change the margins of the document so that the whole document is further indented and hence avoiding the hole punch.

However, I think it would be a nifty feature if, despite the margin sizes chosen, I could check an option that managed the document so that spaces were always kept for the standard hole punch locations for the page size used e.g. A4 page, the editor would flow the text around the space where the standard A4 hole punch will go.

Thanks,

John

[ajlittoz]

What is “standard hole punch location”? You find zillions of binders: some with 2 rings, 3 rings, 4 rings, others with dozens of smaller rings even for A4 format. You can also bind your sheets landscape or portrait. When it comes to other DIN sizes or Imperial/US sizes the combinations become tremendous.

Generally holes are punched in the binding gutter. Depending on the binding technology, it might be difficult to read what’s printed near the holes, even through bending the sheet. That’s why it is recommended to punch the holes in the margin, wide enough to account for the binding and its inconveniences", which should really be a no-printing zone. Consequently, the best setting is to enlarge the inner margin (which allows for duplex printing with correctly balanced uneven margins).

If however you still want/need to print around the holes, I suggest you create a document template fit for your paper size and number of holes where you customise the page styles. I highly recommend creating two related styles, one for the left page, the other one for the right page, because you can’t position frames relative to outer/inner page borders.

• enable header
• insert frames anchored to header paragraph with vertical position yy cm From Top relative to Entire page and horizontal position xx From Left (there is no other relative choice) relative to `Left page border
• set frame size in relation with hole diameter
• in Wrap tab, set wrap mode to Parallel with optional guard space around the frame if your size does not include it

You must repeat this customisation on every page style needed by the document.

Once done, use the template for your documents. It won’t make any harm for those not supposed to be punched because empty frames don’t print (or more exactly leave empty space on the paper).

The template will assume the role of a standard stationery for you with the protected space where you put it.

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[argolis]

Thanks for getting back to me, that’s one of the most prompt, well considered and informative responses I’ve had on a techie question

In my country (Ireland) I think we predominantly use an A4 two-hole punch, we certainly do in our office and I don’t remember ever using anything different other than spiral bound. So, I didn’t think through the possibility of other hole punching formats other than my own. I guess there may be occasional cases where for polished marketing materials, etc, it might be a use case which makes your solution still quite useful so thanks for that!

“On second thought, let’s not ask for this. Tis’ a silly request.”

Cheers,

John