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Getting the most out of InDesign printing
#2
Shewmaker 
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Posted 08 October 2010 - 10:49 AM
It may be that Adobe has fixed this for InDesign CS5, but in the past, InDesign had a "bug" regarding Print to PDF.
In the past if you wanted to use a specific name for your PDF or if you wanted to save your PDF in a specific location, the only way to do this was by using the "Printer..." button to access the Apple OS dialog.
InDesign would remind you that you should "If the desired print setting is available in InDesign's Print dialog box, please set it there to avoid printing conflicts." You could select "Don't Show Again" to disable this warning.
After clicking the "Okay" button, you would then be presented with a MacOS Print options dialog box. Without making any changes in this dialog, you would click "Print".
You would then be presented with the MacOS Save dialog box, where you could rename the PDF and/or choose the folder or volume where you wanted the PDF to be saved. (Of course, you could also create a new folder from this dialog box.)
After clicking "Save" you would again be presnted with the InDesign dialog box, where you would click the "Print" button.
I contacted Adobe once to ask if this was the only method and was told that it was. Since I do not use CS5, yet, I don't know whether this has been changed.
In the past if you wanted to use a specific name for your PDF or if you wanted to save your PDF in a specific location, the only way to do this was by using the "Printer..." button to access the Apple OS dialog.
InDesign would remind you that you should "If the desired print setting is available in InDesign's Print dialog box, please set it there to avoid printing conflicts." You could select "Don't Show Again" to disable this warning.
After clicking the "Okay" button, you would then be presented with a MacOS Print options dialog box. Without making any changes in this dialog, you would click "Print".
You would then be presented with the MacOS Save dialog box, where you could rename the PDF and/or choose the folder or volume where you wanted the PDF to be saved. (Of course, you could also create a new folder from this dialog box.)
After clicking "Save" you would again be presnted with the InDesign dialog box, where you would click the "Print" button.
I contacted Adobe once to ask if this was the only method and was told that it was. Since I do not use CS5, yet, I don't know whether this has been changed.
#3
jaynelson
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Posted 08 October 2010 - 11:04 AM
Shewmaker, on 08 October 2010 - 10:49 AM, said:
It may be that Adobe has fixed this for InDesign CS5, but in the past, InDesign had a "bug" regarding Print to PDF.
In the past if you wanted to use a specific name for your PDF or if you wanted to save your PDF in a specific location, the only way to do this was by using the "Printer..." button to access the Apple OS dialog.
InDesign would remind you that you should "If the desired print setting is available in InDesign's Print dialog box, please set it there to avoid printing conflicts." You could select "Don't Show Again" to disable this warning.
After clicking the "Okay" button, you would then be presented with a MacOS Print options dialog box. Without making any changes in this dialog, you would click "Print".
You would then be presented with the MacOS Save dialog box, where you could rename the PDF and/or choose the folder or volume where you wanted the PDF to be saved. (Of course, you could also create a new folder from this dialog box.)
After clicking "Save" you would again be presnted with the InDesign dialog box, where you would click the "Print" button.
I contacted Adobe once to ask if this was the only method and was told that it was. Since I do not use CS5, yet, I don't know whether this has been changed.
In the past if you wanted to use a specific name for your PDF or if you wanted to save your PDF in a specific location, the only way to do this was by using the "Printer..." button to access the Apple OS dialog.
InDesign would remind you that you should "If the desired print setting is available in InDesign's Print dialog box, please set it there to avoid printing conflicts." You could select "Don't Show Again" to disable this warning.
After clicking the "Okay" button, you would then be presented with a MacOS Print options dialog box. Without making any changes in this dialog, you would click "Print".
You would then be presented with the MacOS Save dialog box, where you could rename the PDF and/or choose the folder or volume where you wanted the PDF to be saved. (Of course, you could also create a new folder from this dialog box.)
After clicking "Save" you would again be presnted with the InDesign dialog box, where you would click the "Print" button.
I contacted Adobe once to ask if this was the only method and was told that it was. Since I do not use CS5, yet, I don't know whether this has been changed.
InDesign CS5 doesn't seem to have this problem. I chose File> Export... and it gave me the usual options for PDF, as well as a chance to name the PDF and where to put it. The same goes for File> Adobe PDF Presets.
This post has been edited by jaynelson: 08 October 2010 - 11:05 AM
#4
Shewmaker
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Posted 08 October 2010 - 01:33 PM
Mr. Nelson,
Thank you for the Export solution. As I wrote in my comment, I had even contacted Adobe about this but the Adobe Representative did not suggest this as a solution.
As you may know, you can select PDF as a Printer option in the Adobe Dialog box. In all other programs in which I have used Adobe's PDF printer driver, I have not had the problem that I described.
Using the suggestion you gave of the Export feature should make my workflow easier.
Thank you for the Export solution. As I wrote in my comment, I had even contacted Adobe about this but the Adobe Representative did not suggest this as a solution.
As you may know, you can select PDF as a Printer option in the Adobe Dialog box. In all other programs in which I have used Adobe's PDF printer driver, I have not had the problem that I described.
Using the suggestion you gave of the Export feature should make my workflow easier.
This post has been edited by Shewmaker: 08 October 2010 - 01:34 PM
#5
monospaced
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Posted 11 October 2010 - 10:17 AM
The Export PDF "feature" is pretty much InDesign 101 (and Illustrator). If you have been struggling creating PDFs through a Print dialogue the whole time, I really feel pity for you and your workflow. Glad you got the basics sorted, Shewmaker.
#6
isaacbailey
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Posted 11 October 2010 - 11:54 AM
After many years of printing on large format printers from InDesign, I have been through the ringer on this subject. The article above should be retitled: "Getting the Least out of InDesign Printing."
For an article with the title "Getting the most out of InDesign printing" the author should assume that anyone using Adobe InDesign might want to print graphics and might care about what color they come out. Acting on that assumption, some coverage of color management would be advisable.
One simple tip might be that after choosing the profile appropriate to the paper type and printer you are using in the color management pane you need to click on the printer button, go to the system print dialogue and tell your printer the paper type and print quality you want and perhaps turn off the printers color management system so that InDesign can actually control the color.
I fail to see anything in this article that the reader can't figure out with five minutes of looking at the print panel. The main message seems to be, don't mess with anything in there. How the article relates to it's title, I don't know.
For an article with the title "Getting the most out of InDesign printing" the author should assume that anyone using Adobe InDesign might want to print graphics and might care about what color they come out. Acting on that assumption, some coverage of color management would be advisable.
One simple tip might be that after choosing the profile appropriate to the paper type and printer you are using in the color management pane you need to click on the printer button, go to the system print dialogue and tell your printer the paper type and print quality you want and perhaps turn off the printers color management system so that InDesign can actually control the color.
I fail to see anything in this article that the reader can't figure out with five minutes of looking at the print panel. The main message seems to be, don't mess with anything in there. How the article relates to it's title, I don't know.
#7
isaacbailey
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Posted 11 October 2010 - 12:01 PM
monospaced, you are correct that the apple print to PDF option is a nightmare when used through Adobe software, but I point out that the Illustrator PDF function is reached through the Save As command.
#8
IDEAStraining
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Posted 11 October 2010 - 04:17 PM
Wow... tough crowd, Jay.
I would suggest that all users change the Transparency Flattener setting to "High Resolution" unless they have a custom setting or the High Res setting chokes their printer (which should not happen unless they have a 10-15 year old printer.
I would suggest that all users change the Transparency Flattener setting to "High Resolution" unless they have a custom setting or the High Res setting chokes their printer (which should not happen unless they have a 10-15 year old printer.
#9
mooncaine
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Posted 12 October 2010 - 02:50 PM
When it comes to Illustrator CS5, there's also a quick way to get PDFs without facing any OK buttons, or options at all.
Go to the File menu, choose "Scripts" then "SaveDocsAsPDF" to export all open documents to PDF (yes, all and only all; not some, but all). It'll ask you to select a folder, then it'll export all your open documents to PDF, in that folder. Names will be the same as the documents you've got open. If you haven't saved a document, the PDF will get the name the doc has at the moment, such as "Untitled-1.pdf".
Go to the File menu, choose "Scripts" then "SaveDocsAsPDF" to export all open documents to PDF (yes, all and only all; not some, but all). It'll ask you to select a folder, then it'll export all your open documents to PDF, in that folder. Names will be the same as the documents you've got open. If you haven't saved a document, the PDF will get the name the doc has at the moment, such as "Untitled-1.pdf".
#10
James_Dempsey
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Posted 20 October 2010 - 04:12 PM
isaacbailey, on 11 October 2010 - 11:54 AM, said:
I fail to see anything in this article that the reader can't figure out with five minutes of looking at the print panel. The main message seems to be, don't mess with anything in there. How the article relates to it's title, I don't know.
I think I read this article the last time I hovered my mouse over the various buttons in the print dialog box...
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#11
jaynelson
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Posted 26 October 2010 - 10:45 AM
James_Dempsey, on 20 October 2010 - 04:12 PM, said:
isaacbailey, on 11 October 2010 - 11:54 AM, said:
I fail to see anything in this article that the reader can't figure out with five minutes of looking at the print panel. The main message seems to be, don't mess with anything in there. How the article relates to it's title, I don't know.
I think I read this article the last time I hovered my mouse over the various buttons in the print dialog box...
Hi James! I'm assuming you meant your comment in a joking fashion. Very few graphic designers understand all the possibilities in InDesign's Print dialog box. As an InDesign expert, I'm sure you understand all the ins-and-outs of this complex feature, but this article was written to explain them to average, hardworking designers. Also, not everyone spends all their time in InDesign -- Adobe markets their Creative Suite as "the" solution for designers, which means that many people who have InDesign rarely use it.
There are many users who aren't professionals, and I think they benefit from a story such as this -- the options are quite baffling to the uninitiated or those unfamiliar with the terminology or processes. ("What's a bleed? What's a spot color? Printer's marks?) There are several excellent books available for those who want to dig into the specifics of any or all of the Print dialog options. Perhaps you can recommend a few?
#12
Biallystock
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Posted 15 November 2010 - 09:54 AM
""What's a bleed? What's a spot color? Printer's marks?…"
Sadly that is not the end of it. As the tools have improved the standard of the user has degraded.
A simple example is spell and grammar checking. 20 years ago that was primitive or non-existent. Now we have these "essential tools" I have never seen such a flood of errors everywhere.
Just driving down the street the other day, I saw 3 huge mass marketing billboards, practically in a row, with glaring spelling and grammatical errors in the headlines.
Glaring to me anyway.
Things have got so bad that if you mention it, all it gets is blank looks or aggressive defensiveness. Like mentioning that people are rampantly obese.
That's now the norm and anything else is just freaky.
Sadly that is not the end of it. As the tools have improved the standard of the user has degraded.
A simple example is spell and grammar checking. 20 years ago that was primitive or non-existent. Now we have these "essential tools" I have never seen such a flood of errors everywhere.
Just driving down the street the other day, I saw 3 huge mass marketing billboards, practically in a row, with glaring spelling and grammatical errors in the headlines.
Glaring to me anyway.
Things have got so bad that if you mention it, all it gets is blank looks or aggressive defensiveness. Like mentioning that people are rampantly obese.
That's now the norm and anything else is just freaky.
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