16. Printing and Outputting a Document
Introduction
The Print command is probably the most used of all InDesign’s print options. The Print command is a portal to other menus that let you control specific printing functions, such as crop marks and bleeds, output ink, graphics, and color management. Color separations divide artwork into four plates by color, known as process colors. Each plate represents a CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) color. The Separations Preview panel allows you to preview color separations on your screen. If you frequently use custom settings to send an InDesign document to a local printer or commercial printer for printing, you can save time by creating a preset. Before you print your document, it’s important to check the Summary category in the Print dialog box. The summary information is good to check if you’re having problems printing your job at a commercial printer.
When you print a document with spreads (for example, as a booklet), the pages need to be arranged as imposing pages, also known as printer’s spreads. For example, page one of a 4 page project is paired with page four while page two and page three are paired together. You can arrange your document into imposing pages by using the Print Booklet command on the File menu.
Before you print or send your document to a commercial printer or service provider, you can should check your document for errors. Catching errors before you send out a print job can save you time and lower production costs. You can use live preflighting in the Preflight panel to catch errors, such as missing files or fonts, low-resolution images, and overset text. When you’re ready to send a document, you can create a package file, which gathers together all the files related to your document, including linked graphics and fonts, to make it easy to deliver.
Printing a Document
ID 8.4The Print command is probably the most used of all InDesign’s print options. The Print command is a portal to other menus that let you control specific printing functions, such as crop marks and bleeds, output ink, graphics, and color management. Understand that the options available for the Print command will be partially determined by your default printer. For example, if your default printer uses more than one paper tray, you will see options for selecting a specific tray for the current print job. In spite of the differences, there are some universal options for all print jobs, and these are covered here.
Print a Document
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Timesaver
Ctrl+P or 
.
Click the Print Preset list arrow, and then select a preset.
Click the Printer list arrow, and then select an available printer.
Click the PPD list arrow, and then select a PPD (if available).
• A PPD (PostScript Printer Description) is a printer driver, a specific file used by commercial and specialty printers to define an output device.
Select a print category (General, Setup, Marks and Bleed, Output, Graphics, Color Management, Advanced) with your desired settings.
Select the options that you want; see other pages in this chapter for option specifics.
Click the Preview to display information about the document.
When you’re finished, click Print.
• If you select a PostScript printer, click Save, specify a name and location, and then click Save.
Printing with Presets
If you frequently use custom settings to send an InDesign document to a local printer or commercial printer for printing, 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 other programs. When you create your own preset, you can also use it in other CS programs.
Create a Preset for Printing
Click the File menu, point to Print 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, specify a location and name, and then click Save.
Click OK.
Setting General and Setup Print Options
The General and Setup categories in the Print dialog box allow you to set the page size and orientation (Portrait Up, Portrait Down, Landscape Left, Landscape Right), number of pages to print, and page scaling and tiling options. You can also ignore blank pages for printing. In addition, you can specify which layers you want to print: Visible & Printable Layers, Visible Layers, or All Layers.
Set General and Setup Print Options
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Click the General category.
Select from the various General options:
• Copies. Enter the number of copies you want to print.
• Collate. Select to print pages in collated order.
• Reverse Order. Select to print pages in the reverse order.
• All or Range. Select an option to print all pages or only even or odd pages.
• Sequence. Select an option to print all or a range of pages.
• Spreads. Select to keep spreads together.
• Print Master Pages. Select to print master pages.
• Print Layers. Select an option to print layers: Visible & Printable Layers, Visible Layers, or All Layers.
• Print Non-printing Objects. Select to print nonprinting objects.
• Print Blank Pages. Select to print blank pages.
• Print Visible Guides and Baseline Grids. Select to print guides and baseline grids.
Select from the various Setup options:
• Page Size. Select a page size, such as Letter, Legal, 11×17, A3, A4, and Envelope #10.
For Custom, specify Width and Height values.
• Orientation. Click an icon to select a page orientation.
• Transverse. Select to rotate the printed document 90 degrees.
• Scale. Select an option: Width to enter width and height percentages or Scale To Fit to scale to fit the page.
• Page Position. Select to position the page during printing (Upper Left, Centered, etc.).
• Thumbnails. Select to print small versions of the pages on a page, and then specify a number per page.
• Tile. Select to print pages that are larger than the page on multiple pages, and then specify a tiling option, and overlap settings.
Select Auto to tile automatically on the page, Auto Justified to tile automatically to the right edge of the page, or Manual to set the tile position in the document yourself. View the preview to see results.
When you’re finished, click Print.
Setting Marks and Bleed Options
The Marks and Bleed category in the Print dialog box allows you to select printer’s marks and create a bleed. Printer’s marks appear at the edge of the printable page. Commercial printers use printer’s marks to trim the paper, registration marks to align printing plates, and color bars to print colors properly. Bleed is the amount of the document that appears outside of the printing area, which includes the bounding box and trim marks. The bleed is useful to give you a margin of error. Having a bleed ensures that ink is printed all the way to the edge of the page so there are no gaps between the page and the edge of the trimmed document page. Your commercial printer can advise you on the best bleed settings based on your print job.
Set Marks and Bleed Print Options
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Click the Marks and Bleed category.
Select from the various Marks options:
• All Printer’s Marks. Select to enable the following check boxes: Crop Marks, Bleed Marks, Registration Marks, Color Bars, and Page Information.
• Crop Marks. Select to add crop marks where the page is trimmed.
• Bleed Marks. Select to show bleed marks outside the crop marks for the printer.
• Registration Marks. Select to add small targets for aligning color separations.
• Color Bars. Select to add small color squares with color information for the printer.
• Page Information. Select to add labels with document information such as: name, page number, time and date, plate color, and screen angle.
• Type. Specify a set of marks for custom use, such as for Japanese printing.
• Weight. Enter an amount for the thickness of the crop marks.
• Offset. Specify an offset value (0-72 points) for the distance between trim marks and the bounding box.
Enter an offset value to make sure that any printer’s marks will not be overlapped by the bleed.
Select from the various Bleed and Slug options:
• Use Document Bleed Settings. Select to use bleed settings defined in the New Document dialog box.
• Top, Bottom, Inside and Outside. Enter values to define the bleed area.
Your commercial printer can advise you on the best bleed settings based on your print job.
• Include Slug Area. Select to include the slug area in the printed file.
When you’re finished, click Print.
Setting Graphics Options
The Graphics category in the Print dialog box allows you to set printing options for image data, fonts, and PostScript files. When you send graphics to a printer, you can control how much information gets sent to the output device. You can include all image information or an optimized subset. When you include typeface fonts in your document, the fonts that you have used need to be downloaded to your printer. You can choose to download all or a subset of the characters used in your document.
Set Graphics Print Options
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Click the Graphics category.
Select from the various Graphics options:
• Send Data (Images). Select from the following options:
• All. Sends all image data (slowest option).
• Optimized Subsampling. Sends only the image data needed by the output device.
• Proxy. Sends only a 72-ppi version of the image.
• None. Replaces the image with crosshairs. Useful for proofing text.
• Download (Fonts). Select a download option: None, Subset (only characters, or glyphs, used), or Complete (all fonts used). Select the Download PPD Fonts check box to send all fonts to the printer.
• PostScript. Choose from Language Level 2 or Language Level 3. Level 3 delivers the best speed and quality if you are printing to a PostScript 3 device (for PostScript printer).
• Data Format. Choose ASCII or Binary to determine how the data is sent to the printer.
When you’re finished, click Print.
Previewing Color Separations
Color separations divide content into four plates by color, known as process colors. Each plate represents a CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) color. The Separations Preview panel allows you to preview color separations on your screen. As you move your cursor around the page, the panel displays an ink percentage usage for the item next to each plate. In the panel, you can use the Visibility column to show and hide different separation color inks to preview your content on the page. Printers have ink limits, typically 300%. You can use the panel to check ink limits to make sure you have not exceeded them.
Preview Color Separations with the Separations Preview Panel
Select the Separations Preview panel.
• Click the Window menu, point to Output, and then click Separations Preview.
Click the View list arrow, and then click Separations.
Do any of the following:
• View Ink Amounts. Move the cursor around the page to display ink percentages on the panel.
• Hide/Show Separation Ink. Click the eye icon for each ink you want to hide. Click the eye icon again to make the effects of the ink visible.
• View All Inks. Click the CMYK eye icon.
To make sure inks don’t exceed printer limits, click the View list arrow, and then click Ink Limit.
In Ink Limit view, the document preview changes to a grayscale image. Any areas over the limit appear in red.
To turn separations view off, click the View list arrow, and then click Off.
Setting Output Options
The Output category in the Print dialog box allows you to create and print color composites and separations. A composite prints all colors together on a page, while separations prints each color on a separate page. When you choose to create color separations, you also have the option of selecting which color plates that you want to print. The Inks area allows you to control how inks are separated and printed. If you have spot colors, you can use the Ink Manager to convert them to process inks or map one color to another. Since options vary from job to job, check with your commercial printer for help with specific values for your print job.
Set Output Print Options
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Click the Output category.
Check with your commercial printer for help with specific values for your print job.
Click the Color list arrow, and then select an option:
• Composite Leave Unchanged. Use current composite settings.
• Composite Gray, RGB, or CMYK. Use to print with no separations using Gray, RGB, or CMYK
• Separations. Use to create separations.
• In-RIP Separations. Use to have InDesign create a PostScript file that creates the separations in RIP (Raster Image Processing).
Select from the various options:
• Text as Black. Select to print colored text as black.
• Trapping. For separations, select an option to compensate for the misregistration of printing plates.
• Negative. Select to create a negative. Useful for creating film separations.
• Flip. Select an option to flip the orientation of the page.
For separations, click the Screening list arrow, and then select a frequency and angle.
• In the Inks area, select a color, and then enter values for Frequency and Angle.
Check with your commercial printer for these settings.
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.
When you’re finished, click Print.
Use the Ink Manager
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Click the Output category.
Click Ink Manager.
To convert spot color to process inks, do any of the following:
• Individual. Click the color icon next to the name to toggle between CMYK or spot color.
• All. Select the All Spots to Process check box.
• Use Standard Lab Values for Spots. Select to use built-in values.
To change ink density, select a color, and then enter an ink value.
To map a color to another color, select a color you want to map, click the Ink Alias list arrow, and then click a color.
Click OK.
Setting Trapping Options
In the Output section of the Print dialog box, you can set a trapping option to correct for misregistration of printing plates. Trapping slightly expands one object so it overlaps with another to prevent color gaps. Trapping requires inks to overprint each other to prevent knockouts. You can use Adobe InDesign CS4 built-in trapping or Adobe In-RIP Trapping to trap text and graphics in your document. Both work well. You can also apply trapping settings to a page or page range by using trap presets in the Trap Presets panel. Since options vary from job to job, check with your commercial printer for help with specific values for your print job.
Create a Trap Preset
Select the Trap Presets panel.
• Click the Window menu, point to Output, and then click Trap Presets.
Click the Create New Trap Preset button on the panel.
Double-click the new trap preset.
Enter a name for the preset.
Specify the trap settings you want for your document.
Since options vary from job to job, check with your commercial printer for help with specific values for your print job.
Click OK.
Did You Know?
You can delete a trap preset. Select the Trap Presets panel, select the trap preset, click the Delete Selected Preset button on the panel, and then click Yes.
Assign a Trap Preset to Pages
Select the Trap Presets panel.
• Click the Window menu, point to Output, and then click Trap Presets.
Click the Options menu, and then click Assign Trap Preset.
Click the Trap Preset list arrow, and then select a preset.
Click the All or Range option, and then specify a range as needed.
Click Assign.
Click Done.
Setting Advanced Options
The Advanced category in the Print dialog box allows 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 effects into vector and raster images. You can use the Flattener Preview panel to highlight the areas affected by flattening images. If you have problems printing vector objects to a non-PostScript printer, select the Print as Bitmap option to convert vector objects to bitmap raster images for print purposes.
Set Advanced Print Options
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Click the Advanced category.
Select from the various Advanced options:
• Print as Bitmap. Select if you have problems printing vector objects to a non-PostScript printer.
• OPI. OPI uses low-resolution images for layout and high-resolution images for printing. Select the check boxes for the image types to which you want to apply OPI.
• Transparency Flatter Preset. Select a resolution to convert transparency into rasterized images.
• Ignore Spread Overrides. Select if you flatten individual spreads using the Pages panel.
When you’re finished, click Print.
Preview Flattened Artwork
Click the Window menu, point to Output, and then click Flattener Preview.
Click the Highlight list arrow, and then select a highlight option.
Click the Preset list arrow, and then select a flattener preset.
Select the Auto Refresh Highlight check box or click Refresh to display a fresh preview.
Select the Ignore Spread Overrides check box to use for the setting in the Preset menu.
Click Apply Settings to Print to apply settings to Advanced options in the Print dialog box.
Create a Preset for Transparency Flattener
Click the Edit menu, and then click Transparency Flattener Presets.
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 Import, navigate to the preset file, select it, and then click Open.
• Export. Select a preset, click Export, specify a location and name, and then click Save.
Click OK.
Setting Color Management Options
The Color Management category in the Print dialog box allows you to select a document profile for printing and a printer profile. A document profile and an output profile for a device can be different, so you can select color management options for the best results. In most cases, it’s best to use the default options for Color Management unless you’ve been give specific instructions from a printer to change them.
Set Color Management Print Options
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Click the Color Management category.
Select from the various Color Management options:
• Print Profile. Select an option: Document to use the current Document profile or Proof to emulate the profile for the device.
• Color Handling. Select a color option: Let InDesign Determine Colors or Let PostScript Printer Determine Colors.
• Printer Profile. Select the profile for your output device.
• Preserve Color Numbers. Select to preserve the color mode when a color profile is not available. Deselect to have InDesign convert colors for use on the output device.
• Simulate Paper Color. Select to simulate how colors look on paper for the output device.
When you’re finished, click Print.
Creating a Print Summary
Before you print your document, it’s important to check the Summary category in the Print dialog box. The summary information is good to check if you’re having problems printing your job at a commercial printer. You can save the information and send it to the printer to help diagnose the problem.
View and Save Summary Print Options
Click the File menu, and then click Print.
Click the Summary category.
Scroll through the print summary to review your print settings.
To print the summary information to a file, click Save Summary, enter a name, specify a location, and then click Save.
When you’re finished, click Print.
Printing Spreads in a Booklet
When you work on page spreads in a document, two pages appear side by side. However, when you print a document with spreads, the pages need to be arranged as imposing pages, also known as printer’s spreads. For example, page one of a four-page project is paired with page four while page two and page three are paired together. You can arrange your document into imposing pages by using the Print Booklet command on the File menu.
Print Spreads in a Booklet
Click the File menu, and then click Print Booklet.
Click the Setup category.
Click the Print Preset list arrow, and then select a preset.
Click the All or Range option, and then specify a range as needed.
Click the Booklet Type list arrow, and then select an option:
• 2-up Saddle Stitch. Creates two-page, side-by-side printer spreads. You can print on both sides, collate, fold, and staple.
• 2-up Perfect Bound. Creates two-page, side-by-side printer spreads and adds blank pages to fit the signature. You can print on both sides, cut, and bind to a cover.
• Consecutive. Creates two-, three-, or four-page panels for a foldout booklet or brochure.
Specify the following values (options vary depending on the Booklet type):
• Space Between Pages. Specify the amount of space between pages.
• Bleed Between Pages. Specify the amount of space added around pages.
• Creep. Specify the amount of space for the thickness of folded pages.
• Signature Size. Specify the number of pages bound together.
Select the Automatically Adjust to Fit Marks and Bleeds check box to automatically fit printer’s marks and bleeds. Deselect to enter your own values.
Select the Print Blank Printer Spreads check box to print empty page spreads.
Click the Preview category.
Scroll through the pages to preview the imposed pages.
Check the Messages and Warning boxes for information or problems that you should know about or fix before you print.
Click the Summary category.
Scroll through the print summary to review your print settings.
To print the summary information to a file, click Save Summary, enter a name, specify a location, and then click Save.
When you’re finished, click Print.
Using Live Preflight
Before you print or send your document to a service provider, you should check your document for errors. Catching errors before you send out a print job can save you time and lower production costs. Instead of using an external program, you can use live preflighting in InDesign’s Preflight panel (New!) to catch errors, such as missing files or fonts, low-resolution images, and overset text. You can use the built-in Basic profile or create one of your own to catch the type errors you want. If you create your own, you can embed the profile into your document for use on other computers. The Preflight panel lets you navigate to and select the objects that are triggering preflight errors. View contextual tips to help you correct errors directly in layout.
Create and Embed a Preflight Profile
• Click the Window menu, point to Output, and then click Preflight.
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Double-click the Preflight icon on the bottom of the document window.
Click the Options menu, and then click Define Profiles.
Click the New Preflight Profile button.
Enter a name for the profile.
Click the triangles to expand settings for each of the categories (Links, Color, Images and Objects, Text, and Document), and then select the options you want and deselect the ones you don’t.
A shaded check box indicates some items are selected.
Click OK.
Click the Profile list arrow, and then select a custom profile.
Click the Embed button on the panel.
Use the Preflight Panel
• Click the Window menu, point to Output, and then click Preflight.
Use any of the following buttons or commands to perform an operation:
• Enable/Disable Live Preflight. Select or deselect the On check box on the panel.
• Resolve Errors. Double-click a row or page number, click the Info arrow to view information about the problem and suggestions for resolving it.
• Limit Number of Rows Per Error. Click the Options menu, point to Limit Number of Rows Per Error, and then select a number or No Limit.
• Specify Pages. Specify a page range or use All on the panel.
• Set Preflight Options. Click the Options menu, click Preflight Options, select a profile, specify options for profile use, including layers, and other objects, and then click OK.
• Create a PDF Report. Click the Options menu, click Save Report, specify a name and location, and then click Save.
• Delete a Profile. Click the Options menu, click Define Profiles, select a profile, click the Delete Preflight Profile button, and then click OK.
• Unembed a Profile. Click the Options menu, click Define Profiles, select a profile, click the Preflight Profile menu, and then click Unembed Profile.
Inserting File Information
When you save a document, you have the ability to save more than just InDesign information. You can save copyright, camera, and even image category information. This data is saved with the file as metadata in the XMP format (Extensible Metadata Platform) in InDesign files, and can be recognized and accessed by any application, such as Adobe Bridge, that reads XMP metadata. In addition, if an image is a photograph, you can save data specifying the type of image, where it was shot, or the camera used. You can even get information on shutter speed and f-stop. You can do the same with video and audio data. That information will not only protect your intellectual property, but will supply you with vital statistics on exactly how you created that one-of-a-kind document.
Insert File Information into a Document
Click the File menu, and then click File Info.
Click the Description tab, and then enter information concerning the document title, description of file, author and any copyright information.
Click the IPTC tab to enter information concerning the image’s creator, description and keywords, location where photograph was taken, date created, copyright, and usage terms.
Click the Camera Data tab, which reveals information about the camera that took the image.
Click the Video Data tab or Audio Data tab to reveal information about video and audio data, and then enter any custom video and audio data.
Click the Mobile SWF tab, and then enter the file information for a mobile SWF document.
Click the Categories tab, and then enter category keywords for search purposes.
Click the Origin tab, and then enter data pertaining to the origin of the image.
Click the DICOM tab, and then enter data pertaining to the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine options (patient name, ID, etc.).
Click the History tab to view historical information about the active document, such as dates last opened and saved, and a list of image adjustments.
Click the Illustrator tab, and then select an Illustrator document profile.
Click the Advanced tab to view additional information on the active document, such as EXIF, and PDF document properties.
Click the Raw Data tab to view raw RDF/XML information.
Click OK.
Did You Know?
You can add metadata to files saved in the PSD, PDF, EPS, PNG, GIF, JPEG, and TIFF formats. The information is embedded in the file using XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform). This allows metadata to be exchanged between Adobe applications and across operating systems.
You can use the XMP Software Development Kit to customize the creation, processing, and interchange of metadata. You can also use the XMP kit to add fields to the File Info dialog box. For information on XMP and the XMP SDK, check the Adobe Solutions Network.
Creating a Package
A package file gathers all the files related to your document, including linked graphics and fonts, to make it easy to deliver to a printer or service provider. During the packaging process, you can display any problems, so you can fix them before you continue. When you create a package, you create a folder that contains your document, linked graphics, text files, any fonts, and a customized report. The report includes information about all the files in the package and any printer instructions required to print your document.
Create a Package
Click the File menu, and then click Package.
Review the summary information for your document.
Select the Show Data For Hidden and Non-Printing Layers check box to show the data and layers in the Package.
Select the Fonts category.
Select the Show Problems Only check box to view any problems with fonts.
• If there are any problems, select the font, and then click Find Font to locate and fix the problem.
Select the Links and Images category.
Select the Show Problems Only check box to view any problems with links and images.
• If there are any problems, select it, and then click Update to locate and fix the problem or click Repair All.
Select the Colors and Inks, Print Settings, and External Plug-ins categories, and then view the current settings.
To create a report, click Report, enter a name, specify a location, and then click Save.
• If prompted, click Save to save your document.
Enter contact information in the Printing Instructions dialog box, and then click Continue.
Enter a name for the package, and then specify a location.
Select/Deselect any of the following check boxes:
• Copy Fonts (Except CJK). Copies all fonts used in your document, except double-byte fonts, such as Japanese.
• Copy Linked Graphics. Copies linked images. Embedded images stay with the document.
• Update Graphic Links In Package. Updates any modified linked graphics.
• Use Document Hyphenation Exceptions Only. Uses only the hyphenation exceptions from the document.
• Include Fonts and Links From Hidden and Non-Printing Content. Includes fonts and graphic links from hidden and non-printing items.
• View Report. Opens a text editor and the package report.
Click Package.
• If a warning alert appears, click OK.
