Operation Manual

604
Printing
Last updated 11/30/2015
• If your artwork contains transparency (including overprints and drop shadows) and you require high-resolution
output, it’s a good idea to preview the effects of flattening using the Flattener Preview panel before saving the file.
• If your artwork contains transparency, ask your prepress service provider if they want to receive flattened or
unflattened PDF files. Flattening is performed as late in the workflow as possible, preferably by the service provider.
However, if your service provider wants you to flatten transparency, submit a PDF/X-1a compliant file.
• If your document is going to be separated, you can preview the separations and ink coverage limits using the
Separations Preview panel.
• Use only high-resolution images in your document.
• For best results, use only CMYK images in a four-color-process job. Alternatively, you can choose to convert RGB
images to CMYK in the Export Adobe PDF dialog box (Output category).
• You can exclude hidden or nonprinting layers from the exported PDF document. (See Choose which layers are
printed or exported to PDF.)
For detailed information about preparing InDesign documents for high-resolution PDF output, see the Adobe
InDesign CS Printing Guide for Prepress Service Providers.
PDF pass-through printing
PDF Print Engine printer manufactures release new drivers based on Adobe PDFDriver SDK which have the
capabilities of handling PDF in the pass-through mode. When such a printer is selected via InDesign, its PPD can
indicate that it is a PDF printer (depends on the Printer manufacturer).
Since InDesign can generate a high-quality PDF via PDF export, printing to a PDF printer leverages that functionality,
and this high quality PDF is passed on to the printer, rather than via intermediate postscript route. In general, print
quality from applications through PDF Driver is equivalent to (or better than) PostScript printing. PDF printing
through the Adobe PDF printer also supports live transparency and ICC color management. At InDesign print dialog,
options related to Color Management, Color Separation, and Graphics options are disabled because all the color
management operations are done on the device for better quality printout.
Composite Leave Unchanged is selected by default and it can’t be changed.