Design for print: InDesign

New document: make the document the finished page size.

Set a bleed size in case of any error when printing. A standard bleed size is 3mm.

Select 'facing pages' if producing a document such as a book or leaflet.

The shortcut for hiding all the guides when working is shift W.

Command < or > is the shortcut for changing the size of text.

Default swatches already use the CMYK colour mode.

The shortcut to change from stroke to fill is shift X.

You can swap between applying colour, the fill or the stroke by selecting the appropriate box.

Double click on a swatch to edit it.

All of the swatches in InDesign automatically have the same properties of a global swatch in Illustrator, which is indicated on both programmes by the small grey square.

You can make a new tint of a swatch by using the option in the drop down menu.

It's handy to set up a few tints of each swatch. Because they are all global, if the original swatch is edited then the tints are also altered.

To create a new spot colour, go once again to the drop down swatch menu and select 'new colour swatch'. Select spot instead of process and then you can also choose between PANTONE colours.

Preparing images to import into InDesign from Photoshop: Make sure the colour mode is set to CMYK or  grayscale. The resolution needs to be 300dpi. The image needs to be actual size, so that when it is placed into InDesign it is the size that you need it, this is because an image cannot be altered once imported. The image needs to be saved in the correct file format, a TIFF or PSD. When saved as a PSD the image still has layers, some of which can be transparent.. so if transparency is needed in this image save in this format.

Preparing images to import into InDesign from Illustrator: The colour mode needs to be set as CMYK, and the file needs to be saved as in AI format. The dpi is irrelevant as Illustrator works with vectors.

To add an image click on file and then place. If on your Photoshop image you have spot colours, the swatches are automatically added to your swatch palette in InDesign along with the image. The same rule goes for Illustrator files.

When placing an Illustrator image, the transparency is automatically maintained.

When importing files, you can edit how they are placed by checking the show import options selection. The options will then show once the image is opened.

Close up on the image it looks low res, but this will not effect the final print it is just a preview to keep the InDesign document a manageable file size.When printing, the images need to be saved as separate files which is linked to the InDesign file. Because the files are linked, you can go back to the original image and edit it and the modified version will also appear on your InDesign file.
The keyboard shortcut for editing the original image is alt and double click on the image.

If you are working with a TIFF file and you want the shortcut to open the image in Photoshop for example, click on the file and more info, then change the open with option to Photoshop.

 

If you are working with a grayscale image from Photoshop, you can also add colour on InDesign. If you select the image by clicking on the two central circles and then apply a fill, it will edit the image.

Separations: Information on what is going to happen to the image when it is going to be printed. If you print and click on output then select separations, it will show what CMYK and spot colours are going to be used and specify how much and where they are going to be placed. This can be used to check how many plates are going to be needed when sending to print.

Go onto view, output and separations preview. This allows you to show where each plate will be printing.

You can run the risk of having too many spot colours after all of the editing you have done to your design work. This would result in using too many plates that are not needed which can add to your print costs. Separations is handy to see which colours you actually need so that you can delete the unused spot swatches.


The default print setting for InDesign is that when shapes overlap, colours knock out eachother. Thjis is apart from black due to the fact that its so dense and covers the rest of the inks.

If you want the colours to print over each other to create an effect, click window, output and attributes. Make sure you are still on the separations preview and on the separation setting and all colours are selected. Then on the attributes bar select over print fill.

 

The downfall to this is that where the colours overlap, there is twice as much ink, which can cause problems when printing. If you select ink limit on the separations preview menu then it will show a red warning if you have gone over the top of the ink fill limit. This can vary between what media and stock you are using, so it is always best to double check with the printers.

An example of this being useful is f you want to add a varnish or special finish, then use a spot colour that has not been anywhere else on the and inform the printer that it needs to be a special print. However by default the spot colour would knock out the print underneath. So make sure it is on the right setting so that the image will show through the varnish.