Design Practice Blog: Design for print, InDesign Induction

InDesign Colour management:

Ready for print.

Document setup:

Paper size- the finished/ printed/ trimmed size. Not the size of the paper.

Bleed is recommended for every document. To compensate for any errors in trimming. Standard value for bleed is 3mm.

Select 'Facing pages' if you are making a book. Assists in layout when printing. Not necessary for poster/business card etc.

Shortcut for hiding margins/edges of frames etc is SHIFT+W.

Applying colour in InDesign:

Apply colour to fill or stroke of the frame:

Shortcut to switch fill/stroke:

SHIFT+X

Alternatively:

Exactly the same as creating new swatches in Illustrator. Make sure they're in CMYK.

Global colours and tints:

Then once the initial colour is changed all the tints change because it is a global colour:

Spot colours:

Adding it to swatches palette-

You can also create different tones of the spot colour.

Save the swatch library you have created if you think it is going to be useful to use again.

Image considerations for commercial print.

-preparing images to import into InDesign:

If image is in Photoshop make sure colour mode is (converted to) CMYK. Or grayscale.

Resolution for commercial print is 300dpi.

Make sure that the image is it's actual size. Always do resizing in Photoshop. Don't enlarge images on InDesign.

Save it in the correct file format. i.e. Tiff or Psd. There are other formats that will place into InDesign however they aren't suitable for commercial print. With Psd files you can maintain transparency. Recommended for a cut-out image.

If image is in Illustrator the default mode has to be CMYK.

Flexibility with sizing.

File format should be Illustrator.

Importing images into InDesign:

The swatch palette has been saved from the duotone image. Spot colours will be brought in that are attatched to the artwork.

And again:

If necessary the transparency can be turned off.

Close-up the image doesn't look great because it is just a preview. When you place a file you establish a link between the file and the programme.

Links can be checked on the side bar above the stroke toolbar.

Another advantage of links is that you can go back and edit the image on Illustrator and the InDesign artwork will automatically update.

Hold down ALT and DOUBLE CLICK and the image will automatically open up in the document it was created in so that it can be edited.

Edit the image. Then save it. Then open up InDesign again, and the changes will be applied.

(file management)-

This means that whenever you do the above shortcut the artwork will appear in Photoshop rather than preview or Illustrator. Much more helpful.

The black has been replaced with the spot colour. Now a one colour print job.

Separations:

Information on what is going to happen to the file when printed.

Double checking it will all work when getting sent off to print:

During the commercial print process some of the setting are changed:

Output.

Click on separations and the separate inks will be shown.

Alternatively, before going to the print choices you can go to separations preview:

This allows you to see the number of printing plates needed, if the spot colour isn't being printed in CMYK and if all the colours are working properly in the right places.

MAKE SURE ALL OF THE SPOT COLOURS YOU HAVEN'T USED ARE DELETED IN THE SWATCHES PALETTE. MAY RESULT IN ADDITIONAL COSTS TO PRINT JOBS. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND REMOVE.

Overprinting: