15. Exporting a Document
Introduction
After you finish creating your document in InDesign, you can export your work in another file format for use in other programs. There are eight main file formats to which you can export your document, which include Adobe Flash CS Pro XFL, Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format), EPS (Encapsulated PostScript), JPEG, Flash SWF (ShockWave Flash), and XML (Extensible Markup Language). In addition to these file formats, you can also export text in the Adobe InDesign Tagged Text, Rich Text Format, and Text Only file formats. When you export from InDesign, your content can be altered using the Options dialog box for the specific file format.
If a co-worker or client doesn’t have InDesign, you can create an Adobe PDF of a document for them to review your work. Adobe PDF is a useful file format for document sharing, viewing, and proofing with Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat Professional, which can be used to add comments and annotations. If you frequently use custom settings to export an InDesign document to an Adobe PDF file, you can save time by creating a preset.
If you use Adobe Flash CS4 Professional to create vector-based animation and interactivity, you can export content from InDesign to the XFL format for use in Flash. You can open XFL files in Flash and then use the authoring environment to add video, audio, animation, and complex interactivity. If you want to use InDesign content on the Web, you can export your document as a Digital Editions eBook file or an Adobe Dreamweaver HTML file. A digital edition is a XHTML-based ebook (EPUB) that is compatible with the Adobe Digital Editions reader software. Dreamweaver is a HTML editor that allows you to create and manage Web sites and pages.
Exporting a Document
After you finish creating your document in InDesign, you can export it for use in other programs. If you have a document that is composed primarily of text, you can export the file as a text document, which you can open in a word processing program. If you have a document composed mostly of artwork, you can export it as a JPEG file (for use on the web). If you want to use content from an InDesign document in Adobe Flash CS4 Pro, you can export it as a XFL file (New!). In addition, you can export a document as a SWF movie (New!) for use in the Flash Player. See the list on the next page for more information about all the file formats.
Export a Document
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name for the file in the File Name (Win) or Save As (Mac) box.
Click the Save as Type list arrow (Win) or Format popup (Mac), and then select a file format.
• All the formats don’t display unless you place the insertion point in a text frame.
• InDesign also remembers your last export format for next time.
See the list on the next page for more information about all the file formats.
Navigate to the drive or folder location where you want to save the document.
Click Save.
For some formats, an Options dialog box appears, prompting you for additional settings.
If prompted, specify the options that you want, and then click Export.
• For help, point to an option to display a description at the bottom of the Options dialog box.
Understanding Export File Formats
Exporting PDF Files
ID 7.3, 8.5If a co-worker or client doesn’t have InDesign, you can create an Adobe PDF of a document for them to review your work. Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) is a useful file format for document sharing, viewing, and proofing with Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is free for download on the web at www.adobe.com.
Export to a PDF File
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name for the file in the File Name (Win) or Save As (Mac) box.
Click the Save as Type list arrow (Win) or Format popup (Mac), and then click Adobe PDF.
Navigate to the drive or folder location where you want to save the document.
Click Save.
Click the Adobe PDF Preset list arrow, and then select a preset option, or specify your own options to create a custom preset.
• To create a preset that you can use later, set your options, click Save Preset, enter a name, and then click OK.
Select each category on the left and then select the options you want.
See topics on the following pages that describe the available options in detail.
• To reset options to the defaults, hold down Alt (Win) or Option (Mac), and then click Reset.
Click Export.
Use Adobe PDF Preset Options
Follow steps 1 through 5 on the previous page.
Click the Adobe PDF Preset list arrow, and then select one of the following presets:
• High Quality Print. Creates PDFs for quality printing on desktop printers and proofing devices.
• PDF/X-1a: 2001/2003. Creates PDFs that meet printing standards for Acrobat Reader 4.0 or later. Useful for a CMYK workflow.
• PDF/X-3: 2002/2003. Creates PDFs that meet printing standards for Acrobat Reader 7.0 or later. Useful for a color-managed workflow.
• PDF/X-4. Creates PDFs that meet printing standards for Acrobat Reader 7.0 or later. Useful for a color-managed workflow with added support for preserving transparency.
• Press Quality. Creates PDFs for high quality print production (digital printing or separations).
• Smallest File Size. Creates compressed PDFs for use on the Web or e-mail distribution.
Click Export.
Setting PDF General Options
The General PDF options allow you to specify PDF compatibility, a page range, conversion options, and to choose what elements to include in the PDF file. The important options to consider here are the page range, Export Layers, and the elements you want to include in the PDF file. Some of the important options include Bookmarks, Hyperlinks, and Interactive Elements (New!). If you have sounds and movies in your document, you can specify options to use current media settings or override them to link or embed all of them in the PDF document.
Set PDF General Options
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name, specify a location, select the Adobe PDF format, and then click Save.
Click the Compatibility list arrow, and then select with which version of Acrobat you want your file to be compatible.
Click the Standard list arrow, and then select a PDF/x option.
The PDF/x options use ISO international standards for compatibility. See page 363 for details about the available options.
Click the General category.
Specify any of the following General options:
• Pages. Select the All or Range option, and specify a range.
• Spreads. Select to keep pages within spreads together.
• Embed Page Thumbnails. Select to add a thumbnail image for each page; only necessary for Acrobat 5 or earlier.
• Optimize for Fast Web View. Select to optimize the document for downloading from web servers.
• Create Tagged PDF. Select to add tags for use with screen readers.
• View PDF after Exporting. Select to open the PDF file in Adobe Reader or Acrobat Pro.
• Create Acrobat Layers. Select to convert InDesign layers into Acrobat layers.
• Export Layers. Select the option to export layers.
Specify any of the following Include options:
• Bookmarks. Select to create bookmarks for entries in a table of contents.
• Hyperlinks. Select to convert InDesign hyperlinks, tables of contents, and index entries into Acrobat hyperlinks.
• Visible Guides and Baseline Grids. Select to use current guides and grids in the PDF document.
• Non-Printing Objects. Select to export objects with the non-printing option.
• Interactive Elements. Select to export buttons and other multimedia elements as interactive PDF elements (New!).
• Multimedia. Select from the following options:
• Use Object Settings. Uses media option settings.
• Link All. Overrides media options and links all media.
• Embed All. Overrides media options and embeds all media.
Click Export.
Setting PDF Compression Options
The Compression PDF options allow you to specify compression settings for color, grayscale, and monochrome (black and white) images. The important settings to consider are sampling, compression method, and image quality. The sampling option allows you to select how much downsampling of pixels takes place. The greater the downsampling, the greater compression and lower the quality. The compression option lets you select a compression method. Automatic (JPEG) is recommended. The higher the image quality level, the lower the compression and vice versa. So, choose an image quality level that best suits your needs.
Set PDF Compression Options
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name, specify a location, select the Adobe PDF format, and then click Save.
Click the Compression category.
Specify the following options for Color, Grayscale, and Monochrome Images:
• Sampling. Select from the following options:
• Do Not Downsample. Retains all pixels.
• Average Downsampling to. Averages pixels in an area.
• Subsampling to. Fastest results with low quality.
• Bicubic downsampling to. Slowest results with high quality.
• Compression. Select a compression method.
• Image Quality. Select an image quality level.
• Resolution. Enter resolution settings for all the options.
• Compress Text and Line Art. Select to compress text or line art.
• Crop Image Data to Frames. Select to crop and reduce size.
Click Export.
Setting PDF Marks and Bleeds Options
The Marks and Bleeds PDF options allow you to specify what printer’s marks—crop marks, bleed marks, registration marks, color bars, and page numbers—you want to include in the PDF file. Printer’s marks appear outside of the page boundary for commercial printing purposes. They don’t affect the visual display of the page. You can also set options for the bleed and slug. The bleed is an area outside the trim of the page where objects still print, while the slug is an area outside the page trim that may or may not print. The slug is typically used to add non-printing information to a document.
Set PDF Marks and Bleeds Options
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name, specify a location, select the Adobe PDF format, and then click Save.
Click the Marks and Bleeds category.
Select the All Printer’s Marks check box to display the available printer’s marks options.
Select the check boxes for the printer’s marks you want to include in the PDF document.
Select the bleed and slug options you want:
• Use Document Bleed Settings. Select to use document settings for the bleed.
• Bleed. Specify the bleed values for top, bottom, inside and outside.
• Make All Settings the Same. Click the chain icon to make all settings the same.
• Include Slug Area. Select to include the slug area in the export.
Click Export.
Setting PDF Output Options
The Output PDF options allow you to specify color options and PDF/X compatibility settings. The important options to consider here are color conversion, destination, and profile inclusion policy. The color conversion option allows you to select whether to use the current color profile in the destination PDF document. The destination option lets you choose a profile for the destination PDF document, while the profile include policy lets you choose how it’s used. You can also set PDF/X options, if you need to.
Set PDF Output Options
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name, specify a location, select the Adobe PDF format, and then click Save.
Click the Output category.
Specify the following Color options:
• Color Conversion. Select an option: No Color Conversion, Convert to Destination, or Convert to Destination (Preserve Numbers), which converts to the destination only if the embedded profile is different.
• Destination. Select a color profile.
• Profile Inclusion Policy. Select an option: Don’t Include Profiles, Include All Profiles, Include Tagged Source Profiles (for output calibrated output devices), or Include All RGB and Tagged Source CMYK Profiles (for output calibrated RGB and CMYK files).
Select the Simulate Overprint check box to simulate overprinting on the screen.
To control ink type, density, and sequence for process and spot colors, click Ink Manager.
Click Export.
Setting PDF Advanced Options
The Advanced PDF options allow you to specify when all characters of the font are embedded, whether to use OPI (Open Prepress Interface) with document graphics, and what resolution to use for transparency flattening. OPI options are used when you send files to Scitex and Kodak prepress systems. OPI uses low-resolution images for layout and high-resolution images for printing. When you use transparency in a document, you need to specify a resolution setting to flatten, or convert, the effect into vector and raster images.
Set PDF Advanced Options
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name, specify a location, select the Adobe PDF format, and then click Save.
Click the Advanced category.
Specify the following Advanced options:
• Fonts. Enter a percentage amount for the threshold when all characters of the font are embedded.
• OPI. OPI uses low-resolution images for layout and uses high-resolution images for printing. Select the check boxes for the image types to which you want to apply the OPI setting.
• Transparency Flattener Preset. Select a resolution to convert transparency into rasterized images.
• Ignore Spread Overrides. Select if you flatten individual spreads using the Pages panel.
Select the Create JDF File Using Acrobat check box to add job definition format information to the PDF document.
• You need Acrobat 7 Pro or later installed for this option.
Click Export.
Setting PDF Security Options
If you only want certain users to open the exported PDF file, you can require a password. If you don’t want to restrict complete access to the PDF file, yet you still want to have some restrictions in place, you can require a password for printing, editing, and other tasks. You can specify what a user can print and change. The password to open the document needs to different than the one to required to print, edit, or perform other tasks. Passwords are case-sensitive, so you can use upper and lowercase letter as well as numbers to create a secure password.
Set PDF Security Options
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name, specify a location, select the Adobe PDF format, and then click Save.
Click the Security category.
To require a password, select the Require a password to open the document check box, and then enter a password in the box.
To require a password for certain tasks, select the Use a password to restrict printing, editing and other tasks check box, and then enter a password in the box.
• Printing Allowed. Select an option: None, Low Resolution (150 dpi), or High Resolution.
• Changes Allowed. Select an option:
• None.
• Inserting, deleting and rotating pages.
• Filling in form fields and signing.
• Commenting, filling in form fields, and signing.
• Any except extracting pages.
• Enable copying of content and access for the visually impaired.
Click Export.
Exporting with PDF Presets
If you frequently use custom settings to export an InDesign document to an Adobe PDF file, you can save time by creating a preset. Adobe Creative Suite programs, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat, provide built-in presets that you can use in any of the programs. When you create your own preset, you can also use it in other Adobe CS programs. The process for creating a preset for an Adobe PDF is similar to creating a preset in other Adobe CS programs.
Create a Preset for an Adobe PDF
Click the File menu, point to Adobe PDF Presets, and then click Define.
Perform any of the following:
• New. Click New, specify the options that you want, and then click OK.
• Edit. Select a custom preset (not a predefined one), click Edit, change the options, and then click OK.
• Delete. Select a custom preset (not a predefined one), and then click Delete.
• Import. Click Load, navigate to the preset file, select it, and then click Open.
• Export. Select a preset, click Save As, specify a location and name, and then click Save.
For PDF files, the preset is saved with the .joboptions extension.
Click Done.
Exporting as an EPS
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) is a commonly used file format that you can import into graphics, word processing, and page layout programs. An EPS file can contain vector and bitmap graphics, so it makes the format more versatile for use in other programs. EPS does a good job of preserving graphic objects in an InDesign document.
Export a Document as an EPS File
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name for the file in the File Name (Win) or Save As (Mac) box.
Click the Save as Type list arrow (Win) or Format popup (Mac), and then click EPS.
Navigate to the drive or folder location where you want to save the document.
Click Save.
Specify any of the following General options:
• Pages. Select the All Pages or Ranges option, and specify a range, if necessary.
• Spreads. Select to keep pages within spreads together.
• PostScript. Select Level 2 for older printers or Level 3 for newer printers. Check your specific printer for capabilities.
• Color. Select from the following options or select Leave Unchanged:
• CMYK Uses CMYK. Useful for separations.
• Gray. Converts to grayscale. Useful for black and white.
• RGB. Converts to RGB. Useful for onscreen images.
• PostScript Color Management. Uses the PostScript printer to control the color separations.
• Preview. Select None for no preview, TIFF for an image preview (Mac and Win), or PICT for an image preview (Mac only).
• Embed Fonts. Select None to not embed, Complete to embed all characters in fonts, or Subset to embed only the characters used in the file.
• Data Format. Select Binary for universal use or ASCII for use on PC computers.
• Bleed. Specify the bleed values for top, bottom, inside and outside.
Click the Advanced tab.
Specify the following Advanced options:
• Send Data. Sends All image data in high resolution or Proxy in low resolution.
• OPI. OPI uses low-resolution images for layout and high-resolution images for printing. Select the check boxes for the image types you want to apply the OPI setting.
• Transparency Flattener Preset. Select a resolution to convert transparency into rasterized images.
• Ignore Spread Overrides. Select if you flatten individual spreads using the Pages panel.
To control ink type, density, and sequence for process and spot colors, click Ink Manager.
Click Export.
Exporting as a Flash Movie
The SWF file format delivers vector graphics, text, video, and sound to the Web using Adobe Flash player or Adobe AIR software. Adobe Flash Pro produces SWF (ShockWave Flash) movie files as a native format. However, you can also create SWF files directly from InDesign by using the Export command. The Export command gives you options to specify how you want to create a SWF movie. When you export SWF files from within InDesign, you can include page transitions, interactive buttons, rollovers, and hyperlinks (New!). When InDesign finishes the export, you can have your browser automatically open and display the SWF file using the Adobe Flash Player (New!).
Export a Document as a Flash Movie
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name for the file in the File Name (Win) or Save As (Mac) box.
Click the Save as Type list arrow (Win) or Format popup (Mac), and then click SWF.
Navigate to the drive or folder location where you want to save the document.
Click Save.
Select a Size option:
• Scale. Increases or decreases the size of the original by a percentage.
• Fit To. Changes the size to fit a certain screen size.
• Width and Height. Changes the size to exact width and height settings.
Specify any of the following Pages options:
• Pages. Select the All or Range option, and specify a range, if necessary.
• Spreads. Select to keep pages within spreads together.
• Rasterize Pages. Select to create pages as bitmap images.
• Generate HTML File. Select to create a HTML file that plays back the SWF.
• View SWF after Exporting. Select to automatically open the SWF file in your browser after exporting.
Click the Text list arrow, and then select an option to convert text to Flash Text, Vector Paths, or Raster Image.
Specify any of the following Interactivity options:
• Include Buttons. Select to include interactive buttons.
• Include Hyperlinks. Select to include hyperlinks.
• Include Page Transitions. Select to include page transitions.
• Include Interactive Page Curl. Select to enable users to drag a corner of the page to turn it.
Specify any of the following additional options:
• Image Compression. Select Auto to let InDesign handle the compression, JPEG for use with grayscale and color images, or Lossless (Do Nothing) to not compress.
• JPEG Quality. Select a quality level. The higher the quality, the higher the file size and slower the display.
• Curve Quality. Select a quality level for vector-based Bezier curves.
Click OK.
Exporting as an XFL for Flash
If you use Adobe Flash CS4 Professional to create vector-based animation and interactivity, you can export content from InDesign to the XFL format (New!) for use in Flash. You can open XFL files in Flash and then use the authoring environment to add video, audio, animation, and complex interactivity. InDesign text exported as XFL remains fully editable when the XFL file is opened in Flash. InDesign automatically converts high-resolution print assets (CMYK) to low-resolution web assets (RGB) upon export as an XFL file. An image placed multiple times in your InDesign document is saved as a single image asset with shared locations when exported as an XFL file.
Export a Document as an XFL for Flash
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name for the file in the File Name (Win) or Save As (Mac) box.
Click the Save as Type list arrow (Win) or Format popup (Mac), and then click Adobe Flash CS4 Pro (XFL).
Navigate to the drive or folder location where you want to save the document.
Click Save.
Select a Size option:
• Scale. Increases or decreases the size of the original by a percentage.
• Fit To. Changes the size to fit a certain screen size.
• Width and Height. Changes the size to exact width and height settings.
Specify any of the following Pages options:
• Pages. Select the All or Range option, and specify a range, if necessary.
• Spreads. Select to keep pages within spreads together.
• Rasterize Pages. Select to create pages as bitmap images.
• Flatten Transparency. Select to flatten all objects with transparency.
Click the Text list arrow, and then select an option to convert text to Flash Text, Vector Paths, or Raster Image.
Click OK.
Exporting Cross-Media Files
If you want to use content from your InDesign document on the Web, you can export your document as a Digital Editions eBook file or an Adobe Dreamweaver HTML file. A digital edition is an XHTML-based ebook (EPUB) document that is compatible with the Adobe Digital Editions reader software. Dreamweaver is an HTML editor that allows you to create and manage web sites and pages. InDesign uses XHTML for compatibility. However, the export options for a digital edition file and a Dreamweaver file are different.
Export a Document for Digital Editions
Click the File menu, and then click Export for Digital Editions.
Enter a name, specify a location, and then click Save.
Specify any of the following General options:
• eBook. Specify options to include metadata and add publisher information.
• Base for CSS Styles. Specify an option to determine which styles to use in the eBook.
• Bullets and Numbers. Select conversion options for bullets and numbers.
• Include Embeddable Fonts. Select to embed fonts in the eBook.
• View eBook after Exporting. Select to automatically open the eBook after exporting.
Click the Images category, click the Copy Images list arrow, and then click Original or Optimized. If you select Optimized, select conversion options for GIF and JPEG.
Click the Contents category, and then select the EPUB format (XHTML or DTBook) and whether or not to create a table of contents.
Click Export.
Export a Document for Adobe Dreamweaver
Click the File menu, and then click Export for Dreamweaver.
Enter a name, specify a location, and then click Save.
Specify any of the following General options:
• Export. Specify an option to export the current selection or entire document.
• Bullets and Numbers. Select conversion options for bullets and numbers.
Click the Images category.
Click the Copy Images list arrow, and then click Original or Optimized, or Link to Server Path.
• For Optimized. Specify conversion options for GIF and JPEG.
• For Link to Server Path. Allows you to export to a server. Enter a path to the server and the file extension.
Click the Advanced category, and then specify any of the following options:
• CSS Options. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are a collection of formatting rules that control page appearance. Select an option: Empty CSS Declarations (creates style without attributes), No CSS, or External CSS, and specify a path, if necessary.
• Link to External JavaScript. Select to run a JavaScript when the HTML page opens.
Click Export.
Exporting as a JPEG
If you have a document that you want to post on the Web, you can export it as a JPEG file. JPEG is a compressed format with relatively high quality, so it’s a common file format for the Web.
Export a Document as a JPEG File
Click the File menu, and then click Export.
Enter a name for the file in the File Name (Win) or Save As (Mac) box.
Click the Save as Type list arrow (Win) or Format popup (Mac), and then click JPEG.
Navigate to the drive or folder location where you want to save the document.
Click Save.
Specify any of the following General options:
• Pages. Select the Selection, Range, or All option, and specify a range, if necessary.
• Spreads. Select to keep pages within spreads together.
• Quality. Select a quality level. The higher the quality, the higher the file size and slower the display.
• Format Method. Select Progressive to create an image that appears gradually on the page, or select Baseline to create an image that appears all at once, which is slower.
• Resolution (ppi). Specify a resolution. 72 ppi is common for the Web.
Click Export.
