Printing set ups for InDesign - HELP!!

L

Lauren

New Member
Hi there

I have recently started making print designs (sized 8x10) and I wondered how I should set it up for print?

I've been doing it as a set size (8x10) and creating the designs in InDesign. When I save the document as a print file I save it as a PDF and JPG as 300DPI and under 'high quality file' and then send it to customers.

However, if I set it up as per the above, will any illustrations I create in another programme (such as illustrator) that I transfer into my InDesign document be saved as high quality and also CMYK? Or do I need to save as something else?

As it is a digital copy, I will be sending the digital copy to others to print themselves. Am I setting it up correctly or should I be doing differently?

Also - if I create the file in 8x10, are people able to change the sizes themselves without loss of quality or is it best to advise them to print in the size I orginally created it in?

Thanks for your help!

Lauren
 
Firstly - the PDF settings within InDesign are a loose guide to get you started.

Secondly - there's no master set of settings for outputting PDF - as each printing press, within the same company, or in different companies, or in different countries, or on different continents, will all have varying preferred PDF settings.

JPEG 300 dpi - means nothing really - it's only downsampling images that are above 450 PPI to 300 PPI - and it will use a JPEG compression

Compression

Determines the type of compression that is used:

Automatic (JPEG)

Determines automatically the best quality for color and grayscale images. For most files, this option produces satisfactory results.

JPEG

Is suitable for grayscale or color images. JPEG compression is lossy, which means that it removes image data and may reduce image quality; however, it attempts to reduce file size with a minimal loss of information. Because JPEG compression eliminates data, it can achieve much smaller files sizes than ZIP compression.

ZIP

Works well on images with large areas of single colors or repeating patterns, and for black-and-white images that contain repeating patterns. ZIP compression can be lossless or lossy, depending on the Image Quality setting.

JPEG 2000

Is the international standard for the compression and packaging of image data. Like JPEG compression, JPEG 2000 compression is suitable for grayscale or color images. It also provides additional advantages, such as progressive display. The JPEG 2000 option is only available when Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later.

Automatic (JPEG 2000)

Determines automatically the best quality for color and grayscale images. The Automatic (JPEG 2000) option is only available when Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later.​

And the compression settings are only relative to any raster content, that is any bitmap photos, or raster effects applied either in InDesign or Illustrator (drop shadows are a good example).

=========================

If you send them 8 x 10 file, if it's a vector file, it can be scaled to any size. If it's a raster image (photograph) then it will suffer interpolation (loss of quality the larger it gets).

http://www.graphicdesignforums.co.uk/threads/raster-images-vs-vector-images-an-explanation.19/


=======

Illustrator files by nature are vector files (unless you place raster images within Illustrator) - vector files can be scaled to any size. If your Illustrator file is CMYK it will be CMYK in InDesign. If you export to a PDF and choose to export to an interactive PDF or a PDF using a RGB profile, then your CMYK colours are converted to RGB on export.

However, if you export your InDesign file to CMYK - then it will be CMYK in the exported PDF.

There are other export options from InDesign - such as PNG, JPEG, etc. and the settings on these exports can be changed to CMYK/RGB.

=======


Your best bet to export a PDF that can be used by multiple people using for different uses - export to PDF X4a - and do not use any compression whatsoever, no need for it. Do not downsample any images - do nothing.

Leave them as they are.

One thing that can happen is exporting your PDF to a CMYK profile - it's then set in that CMYK profile where a colour conversion may apply - when the printer gets that file he will strip that CMYK profile and apply what's relevant to them and their printing press.

That's why PDF X4a is best - as it does no colour conversion (printers can manage this) - and no compression and downsampling will supply the file as it should be.

=====


There's a lot of information to absorb there -
You may get some tips here.

Let me know if you have any other queries!


​
 
hankscorpio said:
Firstly - the PDF settings within InDesign are a loose guide to get you started.

Secondly - there's no master set of settings for outputting PDF - as each printing press, within the same company, or in different companies, or in different countries, or on different continents, will all have varying preferred PDF settings.

JPEG 300 dpi - means nothing really - it's only downsampling images that are above 450 PPI to 300 PPI - and it will use a JPEG compression

Compression

Determines the type of compression that is used:

Automatic (JPEG)

Determines automatically the best quality for color and grayscale images. For most files, this option produces satisfactory results.

JPEG

Is suitable for grayscale or color images. JPEG compression is lossy, which means that it removes image data and may reduce image quality; however, it attempts to reduce file size with a minimal loss of information. Because JPEG compression eliminates data, it can achieve much smaller files sizes than ZIP compression.

ZIP

Works well on images with large areas of single colors or repeating patterns, and for black-and-white images that contain repeating patterns. ZIP compression can be lossless or lossy, depending on the Image Quality setting.

JPEG 2000

Is the international standard for the compression and packaging of image data. Like JPEG compression, JPEG 2000 compression is suitable for grayscale or color images. It also provides additional advantages, such as progressive display. The JPEG 2000 option is only available when Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later.

Automatic (JPEG 2000)

Determines automatically the best quality for color and grayscale images. The Automatic (JPEG 2000) option is only available when Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later.​

And the compression settings are only relative to any raster content, that is any bitmap photos, or raster effects applied either in InDesign or Illustrator (drop shadows are a good example).

=========================

If you send them 8 x 10 file, if it's a vector file, it can be scaled to any size. If it's a raster image (photograph) then it will suffer interpolation (loss of quality the larger it gets).

http://www.graphicdesignforums.co.uk/threads/raster-images-vs-vector-images-an-explanation.19/


=======

Illustrator files by nature are vector files (unless you place raster images within Illustrator) - vector files can be scaled to any size. If your Illustrator file is CMYK it will be CMYK in InDesign. If you export to a PDF and choose to export to an interactive PDF or a PDF using a RGB profile, then your CMYK colours are converted to RGB on export.

However, if you export your InDesign file to CMYK - then it will be CMYK in the exported PDF.

There are other export options from InDesign - such as PNG, JPEG, etc. and the settings on these exports can be changed to CMYK/RGB.

=======


Your best bet to export a PDF that can be used by multiple people using for different uses - export to PDF X4a - and do not use any compression whatsoever, no need for it. Do not downsample any images - do nothing.

Leave them as they are.

One thing that can happen is exporting your PDF to a CMYK profile - it's then set in that CMYK profile where a colour conversion may apply - when the printer gets that file he will strip that CMYK profile and apply what's relevant to them and their printing press.

That's why PDF X4a is best - as it does no colour conversion (printers can manage this) - and no compression and downsampling will supply the file as it should be.

=====


There's a lot of information to absorb there -
You may get some tips here.

Let me know if you have any other queries!


​
Click to expand...
Thank you so much!

This is really helpful, I'm relatively new to this so I appreciate your dedicated answer.

Have a nice day! :)
 
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