# Help: InDesign newbie with questions: pdfs, spot colors



## larry98765 (May 3, 2003)

Hi All,

I've made the move from Quark to InDesign2.

I thought there was a way to output color seps as pdfs directly, but it seems as though when I choose export pdf, it only outputs a composite.

Of course, I can print ps files, then distill, but this requires launching distiller under OS9. Isn't there an easier way?

That was my first question. My second: I placed an illustrator graphic into my inDesign file, and I gave a spot color in that image the SAME EXACT name as my spot color in my inDesign document. But they're separating onto different plates. Any ideas?

Thanks!


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## JeffCGD (May 6, 2003)

When you are exporting your PDF, in the colour setting, switch from CMYK to 'Leave unchanged'. You can see in the ink manager (button below) that your separations are preserved.

As for your seperating same colour issue, check whether your colour builds include two colours with the same name & build, but one is maked as uncoated, and the other is marked as coated (for target stock). I appear to get the same result with imported spot EPS files that are constructed with this discrepancy.

Thanks for bringing these issues to my attention, as I am shortly about to output my first commercial spot colour job from InDesign also.


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## larry98765 (May 6, 2003)

JeffCGD,

Thanks for your response.

I see in the Ink manager that my seps are preserved, but what if I want to output separate plates, rather than a composite? I want a pdf where I have a different page for each plate. Unlike when printing to postscript, in the ink manager there doesn't seem to be a way to "disable" the plates in the list.

Re the second issue, I'll give it a try. But what I found works nicely is to create the spot color in inDesign, then drag an object with that color into Illustrator, then simply use the swatch created by that in Illustrator -- that guarantees the same definition for the color ( er, I mean colour.   )

Thanks


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## JeffCGD (May 6, 2003)

I now see there is also an 'Output' section, that allows you to specify seperations (at least in the print dialogue). Check if you can access those features in the PDF export.

NOTE: Make sure you have your trapping right for your print house, as they can't always edit it once it's a PDF (at least that's what our one says).


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## larry98765 (May 7, 2003)

JeffCGD

No, that option doesn't exist when I choose export to pdf.

But thanks for your trapping warning


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## JeffCGD (May 8, 2003)

I think your only option is to PRINT seperations to a single postscript file.
Printers outputting film would print postscript seps to their image setter or to file; I can't think of a reason they would want to print seps as indiviual PDF files (I don't think Indesign can even split image data like that, come to think of it).


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## larry98765 (May 8, 2003)

Here's my scenario:

I've put together a brochure with only one spot color (no black, just various tints of the one spot color.) For simplicity, let's call it PMS X.

So InDesign assumes I'm using CMYK as well as the spot color, but I'm not. 

So when I output a PDF to send to the printer, I want to provide him with the single plate. If I send him the composite, the spot color is represented in an approximation of that color, and not grayscale as it should be for a plate. Plus, embedded in that file are four unneccessary plates, namely CMY and K.

Also, I find checking how the file outputs to plates to be good practice, just to be sure that everything seps properly, especially if I was using multiple plates. Of course I can do this by outputting ps files, then running through distiller, but again, this requires classic mode and, unless someone can tell me different, Distiller isn't avalable for OSX.

Maybe someone knows if Acroboat 6 Professional is what I need?


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## JeffCGD (May 11, 2003)

Yup, Acrobat 6.0 Pro finally has a native Distiller (unlike the crippled version 5.0), although you shouldn't need it since you are printing to PDF from InDesign. If you Print with "Leave Unchanged" on, it should only print the Spot colour in the PDF; or at least the extra CMYK plates (if they are indeed included for some reason) will have no data in them so should take up very little space, although your printer would have to make sure no to output the blank plates.


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## larry98765 (May 12, 2003)

Thanks JeffCGD,

I'll probably invest in Acrobat 6 real soon. Though I'm still disappointed that I can't export to PDF with just the plates I select.

Thanks again for your help!


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## Boyko (Jun 11, 2003)

I'm thinking about picking up InDesign myself soon at Academic prices (I'm an amature, but I have use for page layout software.)  I have a quick question though.  At $150, InCopy is cheaper than MS Word - would it be possible to use InCopy as my primary word processor?


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## JeffCGD (Jun 14, 2003)

Boyko
If you are in need of a word processor, you will find that TextEdit, which you comes with OSX, has most of the functionality of Word. TextEdit (which is hugely underrated) is all you really need for a word processor, and supports most of your text layout needs, including hanging paragraphs, ligatures etc. We have Office for OSX on our workstations at work, but find Word to be unnecessary, bloated, slow and poorly designed.


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