8 replies to this topic

[Martin Gamache]

Anyone hanging out here have experience outputing complex files setup in Indesign (multiple placed EPSs, and images). I am having some difficulty outputting PDFs from InDesign and would appreciate some advice.

mg

[Nick Springer]

I completed a project with a very large complex (>12MB) Illustrator map placed in an InDesign file which contained a map index and lots of placed ads. I did have few difficulties in the end but I managed to get it to work.

I'd be glad to help if I can. Post here or email me if it's easier.

[Martin Gamache]

I'm having a hard time getting ID to spit out a Press quality PDF or even an EPS that I can RIP with Distiller. This is a 2 sided 28 x 20 document. Each side has a a placed EPS generated in Illustrator 10. The EPS contains an embeded CMYK TIFF with linework, some of which overprints. Its difficult to describe so I'll direct you to a link of a ratserized low res preview for my editor to proof read the text. It is likely that I will have to rasterize parts of this to make it work...

Side 1
side 2

You can see on side 2 where the overprints are not being output correctly (white halo around text elements).

Anyways, any insight on how to set this up to output will be appreciated.

mg

[Nick Springer]

Have you tried placing the AI file directly into ID, instead of making it an EPS?

I have found better compatibility with effects that way.

Are you overprinting the ink, or using transparency in AI?

[Martin Gamache]

I have tried placing he ai file. However because earlier on I had problems saving with the PDF option checked I was no longer able to place the file in ID. I should try resaving the document with this PDF option checked .

There is overprinting (which I think is handled the same way as transparency) and one small bit of transparency that has been rasterized.

I've now come up with a workflow that will have me rasterize all the overprinting stuff in Photoshop and add it to my TIFF background (we've discussed this approach before). I hate rasterizing vectors when I should not have to, but this thing also needs to get printed in a couple of weeks and I need to figure out if the printer will be able to handle these files.


mg

[Nick Springer]

It's so hard to troubleshoot things without doing it hands-on. It sounds like you have some kind of solution, even if it's not optimal.

I'll try and play around with a simple file that tries to reproduce your conditions and see if I come up with anything else.

[Rick Dey]

It's been our experience that to have any consistency in producing film output from InDesign all placed images have needed to be AI EPS v8. We use AI 10 with PDF compatibility while working on the InDesign file and then at the end do a final replace with the EPS. Although there have been cases where everything worked well, more often than not overprints worked like InDesign wanted them to, not like what we had defined in the original AI file. These are typically large pages 20 x 28 to 25 x 37 (inches) with 1 to 4 placed AI files some with embedded TIFFs for relief.

As has been noted elsewhere as cartographers we use such a small amount of the features of these graphic programs, but those features we do use weren't ever meant to be used as heavily as we do.

Rick

[Martin Gamache]

.  We use AI 10 with PDF compatibility while working on the InDesign file and then at the end do a final replace with the EPS.  Although there have been cases where everything worked well, more often than not overprints worked like InDesign wanted them to, not like what we had defined in the original AI file.

Rick.

What file format are you providing to your printer, are you delivering the ID files or exporting to PDF or EPS? Who is doing the file swapping and at which stage.
What kind of overprinting chages have you seen?

mg

[Rick Dey]

Martin,

When working with an InDesignCS file we "package" the native .indd file with any Illustrator files in AI EPS 8. We send the entire package folder to the service bureau.

When sending a full map side that is Illustrator only we send an AI EPS 8 file only (the service bureau has our fonts on file).

As far as the swapping of the files from working version AI 10 to EPS we do that just prior to the final package, or printing of separations on our DesignJet to check for overprint issues.

The kinds of problems we have typically seen show up as changes in the overprinting when we don't use EPS or when we get someone not paying attention at the service bureau. Typically they consist of type knocking out fills (we almost always set all type to overprint) or anything that we set to overprint.

Now the possibility could be in the output process that the bureau is using, old versions of software or even hardware, Ican't address that part of the issue at all.

Rick