How to line up documents for printing front and back in Illustrator?

I am printing a set of cards, and they have a design on the front and back. I need to know how to set it up ao that I do not go over the edge on either side. I am using adobe illustrator, but I can print them in jpeg or pdf format if needs be, they are not so big that they would lose quality, but obviously I would rather keep the illustrator files!How to line up documents for printing front and back in Illustrator?
Your best bet would be to place them in a layout program such as InDesign.





However, you need to provide more information, such as the actual dimensions, how you are going to print them, and so on. If you are printing from a home printer, you will want to run a test print to see how your printer handles double-sided printing. If you are having these printed through a professional print shop (I'm not talking about Kinkos, or an office supply store, but rather a place that just does printing, maybe uses both digital and offset printing) you could talk to them to find out how to do the best layout. Do you have a background design that needs to go to the edge? Then you will need to setup a bleed. That's just one of the many things to consider.





As for file types, your best bet is a PDF file. When I print at home or take the file to Kinkos or Staples, I save the file as a ';High Quality Print'; setting and turn off the retain Illustrator editing (which means the file can be opened in Illustrator, but not edited). Be careful if you have any transparency or transparent objects (gradients and drop shadows can both qualify for this). You can get unexpected results, such as odd white boxes around objects. Check the Illustrator Help files for info on handling transparency issues.





Anyway, if you want to talk some more about this, please e-mail me through my profile and I will try to help.