InDesign
This will be the software that is most used to put things together - the final piece of software.
The choice of pagesize is determined by the finished trimmed size that we are going to choose - i.e if doing a business card, do it the size of this, or an A0 size poster do it this size.
Always use the bleed guide when setting up a document - this allows any element of the page that goes to the edge to bleed over the edge. This is to compensate any errors when trimming the finished piece. It ensures there isn't any white edges.
- standard size of bleed is 3mm.
Have 'facing pages' checked if you're making a book. It will assist in the layout and when it comes to printing. If it's just something like a poster then it's not needed.
On the new page, the black line is the actual edge of the page. The blue line is the margin within the page, and the red line is the bleed line. The shortcut to hide the margin lines is W.
Shortcut to make text bigger within a text box is Cmd + Shift and >. The other arrow makes it smaller.
To add colour on InDesign is easiest by using the colour swatches like in the other software, but there is less available in comparison. Theres CMYK and RGB, and white.
To add colour, you need to either select the text or make a box to fill.
To add a stroke (outline) to the box, use the little things at the top of the swatches pallet to switch from fill to stroke, and select a colour. In order to see it the width needs to be increased.
To create a custom colour swatch pallet, the menu in the top corner has the option to create a new colour swatch.
Having a colour as global or not global like in Illustrator is the same in InDesign, although there is no where to determine if it is on or not, it just does it automatically. This is what allows you to change everything with that colour update to the new colour if it is edited.
This also allows you to create tints as well by going to the menu button, and clicking create new tints.
Also, then with it being a global colour, when you go and edit the colour it edits all the tints as well as the original colour.
All the pantone libraries are also available the same with the other software.
This allows us to use a specific spot colour.
Also, like all others you can save new swatch pallets if you wish by using the menu button on the swatch pallet and clicking save. Doing this ensures that it will be available if you come to wanting to use it again.
Just to recap
When preparing an image in Photoshop:
- check colour mode - prefers to work in RGB but they must be CMYK
- can also be greyscale
- have the resolution for print at 300dpi
- make sure the document is the actual size you need it
- save as the right file type
- .tiff - these don't support transparency
- .psd - still has layers, and uses transparency across in InDesign
When preparing an image in Illustrator
- has to be CMYK
- uses vectors so can enlarge if need to in InDesign
- save as a .Ai file
When you put an image across into InDesign, never copy and paste from one software to another, make sure you save and place it.
There are two ways you can do this, you can prepare a frame or not.
When spot colours have been used on an image like this where it is duo tone only using two colours, it places the two colours into the swatches pallet so you can continue to use them rather than having to go into creating new swatches and matching them up.
When using a vector image
If you want to add a colour frame behind the artwork, when an Illustrator artwork is placed into InDesign, all it places is the artwork and the transparencies are automatically in place.
When placing artwork, sometimes you may need to edit the place options.
This allows you to do things such as wether the transparency option is in place or not.
When you place files in InDesign, it doesn't actually put the image on there it just puts a low quality preview, and establishes a link to the original file.
Keep the document and images all in one single folder, then if you want to move the file on to another computer or what ever then make sure the whole folder is moved at once.
Keeping track of all the files and an eye on the file management is very important.
The advantages of it working like this ensures InDesign will work faster, and the fact that it works as linked files. This means if you want to go back to the original file after it has been placed on InDesign, once the updated version is saved it will automatically update the placed file. A quick way to edit it is to hold down Alt and double click the image, this opens up the software that was used to produce it.
Then once you click save, it automatically updates on InDesign.
If you want to do this with a .TIFF file, you need to go to the finder window, get info and change the open with section from preview to photoshop. Click change all and it will ensure it opens up Photoshop if/once you want to come back to editing it.
When working with an image that has been set to greyscale before being placed in InDesign, there is a technique that allows you to change it to being a monotone image to have it print with just one colour.
To do this, when you hover over the image it comes up with the circles, select the image by clicking these.
Then select the specific colour from the swatches pallet.
Next we are doing an exercise on a provided file.
We are now going to double check everything will turn out fine once it is sent to print.
Go to file and print. Then what you would then get out of the printer is composite print.
It is slightly different when it is sent to commercial print. Go to output.
For commercial print, need to change the output to Separations.
This then shows how much of each ink will be used. As well as the number of inks.
There is a way to get a preview without having to go into the print window bit. Go to separations preview.
Turn the view to separations.
This shows you the number of inks that will be used, and you can choose to see a selected colour to see how each plate would look.
write about this next bit about over printing.
Before sending to print, you need to make sure any unused spot colours in the swatches pallet is deleted to avoid any unnecessary costs or charges from a commercial printers. Just keep the ones that have actually been used. This is good practice.
If you are wanting to use a print finish, then select a spot colour that isn't actually being used, then specify to the printer your intentions. To make sure it would work, select the area for the specific print finish, and go to attributes and select 'overprint fill'.
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