Welcome to Adobe InDesign CS: Prepress Features

InDesign, since version 1.5, has been on an steep development path. InDesign 2.0 added the revolutionary features related to Transparency. The impact of simply placing a Photoshop file with transparency provides the catalyst to dramatically change Print design to pre-press workflows.

InDesign CS (version 3.0, InDesign CS: Prepress Overview) added Separation Preview and Transparency preview: both elements critical to smoothing the Prepress workflow related to InDesign.

What more features can InDesign CS2 (version 4.0) add?

Custom Points-per-inch.

(Edit>Preferences, Units and Increments) This is the measurement of pica point. A seemingly trivial difference between 72dpi and 72.27dpi has split the graphic arts community since the invention of Postscript, and the use of desktop computers for typesetting. Photoshop for many versions has a preference to change the Points per Inch style. (for a complete rundown, visit: Font measurements and What is Font Size?)

Appearance of Black

(Edit>Preferences, Appearance of Black) When is Black the new Black? 100K, or Black, commonly used in type is generally set to overprint rather than knockout the elements below. This has been the default, but customisable setting in InDesign since version 1.0. (see Overprinting of [Black] in the Preference above). Please note: New Zealand readers, All Blacks has nothing to do with Rugby; a gentleman’s game played by thugs.

Note: this setting is also available in Illustrator CS2.

The On Screen options:

Display All Blacks Accurately: this will produce a visual difference between 100K Black and Rich Blacks; where Blacks are 100K + other colours.

Display All Blacks as Rich Black: this will visually darken all the Blacks in the document to the same intensity. This will therefore make the document appear different to how it will print.

The underlying breakdowns of the 100K [Black] swatch, and other rich blacks will remain unaltered in the document. This settings is just changing the visual appearance.

Printing/Exporting options (on non-Postscript output devices):

Output All Blacks Accurately: this will ensure that the underlying settings of swatches, Overprint settings are honored. This setting will result in the printed output having a difference between pure black and rich black.

Output All Blacks as Rich Black: this setting will alter the colours as output on RGB and Greyscale devices to match the 100K [Black] swatch. Or another way to think of this, 100K CMYK black is output as 000 in RGB.

Changes to Drop Shadow Generation

Drop Shadows, added in InDesign 2.0, whilst adding an element of depth and third dimension to designs – their composition has been simple and two dimensional.

To match the styles of shadows that can be created in Photoshop since version 5.0, Shadows in InDesign CS2 can have Spread and Noise added.

Spread increases the size of the shadow into the blurred area and reduces the radius of the blur. The larger the value for spread, the less diffused the shadow edge will appear and print.

Noise introduces some randomness to the pixels in the shadow, and provides a grainier (sic) result in output.

The addition of spread, as explained by Michael Stoddart, permits “real” outer glows to be created in InDesign CS2. (note: to create an outer glow: use [Paper], change the x and y offsets to 0 (zero), and the Blend mode to Normal.

Saving Back as InDesign CS

The InDesign Interchange (.inx) format when using File>Export, permits saving back in a format that can be read by InDesign CS (version 3.0).

To read this interchange format, users of InDesign CS will need to update to 3.0.1 April 2005 (CS2 Compatibility Update).

As the InDesign CS2 Readme and Help states: “Be aware that content created using functionality that is specific to InDesign CS2 might be modified or omitted when you open the file in InDesign CS. For example, footnotes and object styles (new features in InDesign CS2) drop out. However, object style attributes applied to page objects are preserved when possible.”

Therefore, from a Pre-press file handover perspective, PDF is still the recommended format. The PDF will hold all elements in the correct position as per the InDesign CS2 document.

The interchange format is to permit editing by someone who has not yet upgraded from InDesign CS to InDesign CS2 edit documents.

Placing layered Photoshop and PDF into InDesign CS2

Layers, a mechanism for separating objects in Photoshop have been a fundamental part of its makeup for over 10 years. Added in Acrobat 6.0/PDF 1.5, layer support is actually a mechanism for grouping objects. Calling them layers makes it a simple leap of understanding.

In InDesign CS, along with support for Acrobat 6.0/PDF 1.5 layer output matching the layers in the InDesign document.

InDesign CS2 has the ability to dynamically turn on/off layers from Photoshop and PDF files on placing:

In this simple Photoshop file example, there are two layers added to the top of the original image from the following Photoshop file:

There is a one-to-one mapping of layers (and Layer Sets) from the Photoshop file to the placed file in InDesign CS2. In this example, the layer named “correct colour” is a Levels Adjustment layer. The “correct sign” layer is a layer-masked colour correction of the sign.

At placement time, any of these layers can be toggled on/off.

In a Prepress environment, there could be multiple Adjustment layers correcting an image that can be turned on/off at a later stage. Rather than bouncing back-and-forth between Photoshop and InDesign to fix/correct colour – the multiple versions and corrections can be created once in multiple layers. When working in InDesign CS2, the layers can be turned on/off dynamically:

Multiple Page PDF Place

Related to layered file placement, InDesign CS2 also has the ability to place multiple page PDFs.

In the above dialog, the selected PDF has two pages. Only the previewed page on the left can be placed, or all/page range can be placed into the InDesign CS2 document.

After selecting “All” Pages, the “placement gun” is loaded with the first page. After placing this page, the gun remains loaded with the second page … and so forth.

Taking a multple page PDF and placing it back into InDesign for placement/work is easier with InDesign CS2.

CID font encoding

As discussed in InDesign Prepress: Export or Distill PDFs?, there has been a undercurrent of “exported PDFs are bad” form InDesign since version 1.0. The base reason of this has been the method of encoding fonts in the PDF files generated.

CID (Identity-H) encoding is a long supported mechanism of encoding Roman and non-Roman fonts in Postscript, and subsequently PDF. Adobe PostScript Level 2 RIPs and later fully support CID font encoding. Older and some non-Adobe RIPs have difficulty with CID font encoding.

In the above example, the OpenType Pro font Bickham Script Pro with OpenType contextual alternates turned on. The Preflight profile to the right is from Acrobat Professional 7.0 that errors on CID font encoding. This PDF does not have CID fonts. Another file created with some of the included Chinese and Japanese fonts did, expectantly, produce a PDF where the fonts are CID encoded.

This change will promote the use of Direct PDF export from InDesign CS2, especially in workflows where there is a “blind handover”, and the sender does not know the levels of RIPs used at the output end.

Shared PDF styles with Acrobat Distiller 7.0

Acrobat Distiller takes Postscript output from any application and converts this to PDF. It is the oldest and most ingenious part of the Acrobat family.

A constant request from the beginning of InDesign has been to “synchronise” the settings files between the Distiller and InDesign. Whilst each application has a different approach to making PDFs, the settings required to get to the PDF (DPI of images, font embedding requests, etc) can be standardised.

With InDesign CS2, you can open a .joboptions file from within the application; and this setting is “added” to the PDF export settings available. Also, this setting is loaded into other applications of the Creative Suite 2; including the Distiller.

Distiller 7.0 also adds the ability to force conversion of non-CMYK images into a nominated CMYK colour space. This is a major advance in the Distiller (and a long requested feature!). InDesign since version 1.0 has converted RGB elements into the output colours space (usually CMYK) — a handy catch-all for problems with placed elements.

Why use the Distiller with InDesign CS2? There are some additional controls that are highly useful in Distiller 7.0:

Under the Image settings, there is a button “Policy”. This permits a greater degree of control over the policy when the bitmaps do not meet the target resolution. It is similar to the Font embedding policies when fonts cannot be embedded into the resulting PDF.

Booklet Imposition

ALAP InBooklet SE, originally included in the PageMaker Plugin Pack for InDesign CS, is included with InDesign CS2.

Permitting 2-up Saddle Stitch, 2-up Perfect Bound, 2-up; 3-up; 4-up Consecutive.

Summary

Distiller 7.0 and InDesign CS2 add the finishing touches to trouble-free PDF, for print, workflows.

Combined into the Creative Suite 2, the collective features are heading toward Prepress perfection.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Better Titles with Premiere
Nick Hodge
How to create Titles in Premiere 6.0

Faster Editing with Premiere
Nick Hodge
How to tune up your productivity in Premiere

Picture-in-Picture
Nick Hodge
How to create a picture in a picture (or overlay video) with Premiere 6.0

Premiere, PowerPoint and Piha
Nick Hodge
Using Premiere to make video for Powerpoint

Reversing Footage in Premiere 6.0
Nick Hodge
How to reverse a clip in Premiere 6.0

Stop-motion Frames
Nick Hodge
How to create stop-motion (aka strobing) frames with Premiere 6.0

Using Effects in Premiere
Nick Hodge
How to use Video Effects in Premiere 6.0

Video to the Web
Nick Hodge
Slides and web URLs from the February 2001 Premiere 6.0 Roadshow

Northern end of Piha, NZ. Photo by Nick Hodge, July 2002.

Tim Cole @ Kare Kare, July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Tim Cole @ Kare Kare, July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Tim Cole @ Kare Kare, July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Tim Cole @ Kare Kare, July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Tim Cole @ Piha, July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Tim Cole, Jane Brady at Piha. July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Tim Cole, Piha. July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Tim Cole, Piha. July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Tim Cole, Piha. July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Piha. Photo by Nick Hodge, July 2002

Tim Cole, Jane Brady at Piha. July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Tim Cole, Jane Brady at Piha. July 2002. Photo by Nick Hodge.

Jane Brady, Nick Hodge. Piha July 2002. Photo by Tim Cole

Piha, July 2002. Photo by Tim Cole.

Great shot by Tim Cole. Northern end of Piha, July 2002.

Jane Brady, Nick Hodge. Piha July 2002. Photo by Tim Cole

Jane Brady, Nick Hodge. Piha July 2002. Photo by Tim Cole

Kare Kare, July 2002. Photo by Tim Cole

Adobe Illustrator CS Printing Guide for Service Providers

Adobe InDesign CS – Eyedropper Across Documents
Cari Jansen
Behind the scenes – the eyedropper

Adobe InDesign CS Printing Guide for Service Providers
Adobe Systems
An essential guide to getting the best output from InDesign CS

Changes in InDesign CS’s scripting

http://www.indesignusergroup.com/sydney

InCopy CS Tryout, MacOS

InCopy CS Tryout, Windows

InDesign CS 3.0.1 Updater (MacOS)

InDesign CS 3.0.1 Updater (Win)

InDesign CS Tryout, MacOS

InDesign CS Tryout, Windows

InDesign CS vs. QuarkXpress 6.0.

InDesign CS: Prepress Overview
Nick Hodge
New features of InDesign CS specifically for Prepress professionals

Print Service Provider Resources

Saturday, 19th March, 2005

Leaving today.

Along with signs exhorting “Be a good host to distinguished guests”; a phrase that should have preceeded Prince Charles on his recent trip to New Zealand; drive past the No. 1 Tire factory and No 2. Industrial Bank on the way to the vast airport that is Pudong.

Quick shopping for a fridge magnet and belated birthday present for my Mum. Grab something that has a cat on it for our cats to knock off and destroy.

In the mist, the large buildings disappear and off to Sydney returning via the airport disguised as a shopping mall in Hong Kong.

On the Dragonair flight, there are some very weird cooking shows. One is a pair from Hong Kong looking at cows in Kobe. Evidently, each cow gets its own birth certificate to prove it is a Kobe cow. The farmers feed the cows beer to keep them happy an oblivious to their ultimate fate: to be eaten raw.

Three tips for modern-day jetsetters and air-travellers:

1. Don’t smoke
2. Wear shoes and belts that don’t trigger x-rays
3. Get ready to drink bad coffee

Thursday, 17th March, 2005

After another day of meetings/training/discussion, we are off into Shanghai proper for some food. Near the river, near the very large tower, in the Seagull Palace; overlooking the Bund.

Travelling the 30 minutes from the hotel to the city centre, massive multistory towers emerge like trees in the mist. However, the mist here is smog and the lights emerge in an erie fashion. There are so many large buildings in Shanghai, the world has run out of international brand-names to erect on them in neon. Freaky.

Great local food, especially a chili-pork-soup combo that was out of this world. Stayed clear of the shellfish, just in case.

Much laughter and a good night is had by all. I hadn’t realised that an Australian secret (true, honest) that I told a Japanese collegue has single-handedly caused a drop in Japanese tourism to Australia: Drop-Bears. These are dangerous cousins of Koalas that drop out of trees, hurting unsuspecting tourists below whilst they are sightseeing in the bush. Australians, knowning that all our native animals are deadly to humans in some fashion, have attempted to keep silent about the drop-bears to our international friends. Unfortunately, my information has leaked in Japan, including Tokyo schools – and as far away Nagasaki. The secret is out. Sorry, Australian Tourism Board.

After wandering the streets at 10pm, the Indians, the trainer and I find a cab and head back to what we hope is the hotel. It feels and tastes like the right direction – and we are home.

Wednesday, 16th March, 2005

Outside, its raining and overcast – so not much is visible. A permanent head-cold has set in (or at least from a week ago in Auckland), so I am just glad the Hong Kong and Chinese thermal scanners have not rejected me for re-importing SARS (stupid australian respiritory syndrome) into China.

Good to see our old Australian friend, now in London, Alan Rosenfeld here to give us the low down on products.

Elect to stay in at night and try to rid myself of the lurgy. Watching BBCWorld, a not-so-positive piece of China news is “censored”. That’s right, black screen. All the other stations are working OK, but BBCWorld is censored. This is not a world I am familiar with. Big Brother-ish. Freaky.

Tuesday, 15th March, 2005

Second international flight in two weeks, if you can class New Zealand as overseas. Five iPod Shuffle billboards (also known as Supersites in Australian Outdoor Advertising Lingo) in green and while ask all international travellers to not think and just randomly purchase on their exit. Unfortunately, all stores are out of stock and the current wait-time is 6 weeks. Good advertising dollars down the drain.

Catch up with a phone-friend in the Qantas Club at Sydney: Charlie from Screen. He’s off to New Zealand and we trade war stories of NZ weather experiences.

The Catholic Church is going after Dan Brown’s 15 million published novels, but that hasn’t stopped my fellow travellers: I counted at least 3 people reading a Dan Brown book. Maybe it’s time to outright ban books again? My Dan Brown for this flight was meant to be Digital Fortress, but after a few lines of reading I soon realised why Avril looked at me strangely when I asked for it last night. I’ve read the book already. Into a military history of Arnhem 1944 (Operation Market-Garden) Another good study of political rather than operational military decision making. A bridge too far.

Now I am out of books. This is not an experience I enjoy.

Off in Hong Kong, and jump on the little train that takes you to Gates 33 to 80. They obviously ran out of space to put stores in the normal International terminal, so the planners created more gate lounges to host more stores.

Dragonair to Shanghai Pudong. Flying at night the lights are endless. Filling in the China Immigration card, it asks if you suffer from a “mental psychosis”. Not quite yet…

No need to collect baggage from carousel 13, because it doesn’t exist. Jane and I (Jane is from our Hong Kong office) wait for her bags, and we are out in the limosine service to the hotel.

The ettiquite is for drivers to drive fast in the left hand lane, flashing their lights at slower cars. Speeding fines don’t seem to be an issue at 10pm, as we motor along at 140km/h to Hongqaio.

You can just taste the industry in the worker’s paradise. Factory after factory, apartment block after apartment block. Billboards promote distinctly green, countryfied dreams as you drink pepsi/coke/or whatever is being advertised.

Shag Rock, Sumner Beach, Christchurch NZ

Sumner Beach, Christchurch looking at Pacific Ocean in the approximate direction of Mexico.

From Taylors Mistake to Godley Head

Nick on the Cantebury Plain. Snow capped mountains in the distance

From snowy Mount Hutt to the green Cantebury Plain.

Snow chains. Sorry Hertz

My first experience in the snow, Mount Hutt, New Zealand. Its cold, wet then cold; just like a big freezer. Photo by Stamatia.

New Zealand country side. Wow.

Lyttelton Harbour, New Zealand

WWII gun emplacement at Godley Head, near Christchurch, New Zealand. Photo by Stamatia

WWII gun emplacement, Godley Head, New Zealand

Atmospheric photo, Godley Head, New Zealand

Sheep now guard Christchurch on Godley Head, not guns.

Scenic drive with New Brighton in the background, Christchurch, NZ

Church in Christchurch. One of many. Rugby fields also count.

Looking over Sumner, Christchurch, NZ

Telegraph poles over Taylors Mistake, Christchurch, NZ

NZ country side. Yes, it was cold at this hour of the morning

Mount Hutt, New Zealand

Mount Hutt, New Zealand

Cave Rock, Sumner

Lone, cold seagull at Sumner

WWII gun emplacement, Godley Head, New Zealand

Photoshop Image Farming
Nick Hodge
How to create a rendition of a Photoshop file once

Morris Mini – with an interesting internal video capture setup!

Morris Mini and LG/W MINI Cooper S

Head to head.

Cooper S’s ganging up on the poor Morris Mini

Sydney MINI Cooper S Meet 10 Nov

An Audi sneaks its nose into the shot of 6 original Minis

Head to head

Head to Head

5 on 5

Sydney MINI Cooper S – meet on 10-Nov-02 Pie in the Sky.

Sydney MINI Cooper S – meet on 10-Nov-02 Pie in the Sky.

Sydney MINI Cooper S – meet on 10-Nov-02 Pie in the Sky. Bum shot.

Sydney MINI Cooper S – meet on 10-Nov-02 Pie in the Sky.

Sydney MINI Cooper S – meet on 10-Nov-02 Pie in the Sky.

Sydney MINI Cooper S – meet on 10-Nov-02 Pie in the Sky.

Adobe After Effects Techniques from Angie Taylor
Angie Taylor