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Converting text to outlines and the “Package”
Hi all.
I created a 8.5″x11″ flyer in InDesign that I’d like to set up for printing. I was reading in this articlehttps://indesignsecrets.com/converting-text-to-outlines-the-right-way.php that it’s better to flatten than to convert. In this article it mentions about creating a Transparency Flattener Preset, and then putting a transparent object on each page with text.
Can I create an object in Indesign with a tint of .1% and an Opacity of .01% to-put on that page? (creating an object, would that be creating a text box then tint and opacity its fill?)
The article mentions to creating a one-pixel large Photoshop file as this object.
Do I create a JDF of this project for the printer.
Do I create a PDF for this project or will the PDF be created when I set up the “package”?
What about the Submission Manager… JMF Devices…? Setting ink…..?Briefly, I put together a small project recording studio. To learn how to use the software for this studio has taken an immense amount of time. Tutorials, reading, clicking. So I know it takes time to learn these programs and the importance of finding out how these programs work.
I picked up the InDesign to put together a flyer to promote what I do for a living which is construction.
I need to get this flyer out like yesterday.I’ve been hitting it hard ( InDesign) for a couple weeks now, tutorials, reading ,clicking……….my can someone please teach me another key command…ha, ha ha…).
I’m probably like 6 clicks away from having what I need to send to the printer but this converting text and packaging has me bouncing into a wall.
Could anyone tell me to click this and this. One 8×11 page with text and two images.
or if I should flatten rather than convert?Thank you,
RichNever Say Never
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6 Replies
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Rich,
Actually, you don’t have to do any of that. It’s all geared for those rare occasions when there are problems embedding a font, or there is some other in-RIP hangup causing font substitution or mis-mapping, etc. Embed fonts. Send live type.
It would be easier to advise you if I could see your page, but all you really should have to do is export to PDF with appropriate settings and send the PDF file to your printer. Packaging is an alternative for cases in which you want the printer to have all the native input material. You don’t need to do both, and no, generating a PDF is not part of the packaging process.
If your design is as simple as it sounds, just export to PDF directly from InDesign using the PDFx-1a preset, (assuming your printer hasn’t provided a PDF preset). That will flatten transparency, keep your images at appropriate resolution, preserve vectors and live type, and most likely pose no problems at output. I send such PDF’s to printers all the time.
John M:
All of the vim with none of that annoying vigor. -
Thank you John,
I so appreciate your advice.
I checked with the printer and they said they should be able to work with the PDFx-1a preset. We’ll see if it works out. You mentioned in another post that if there’s a problem printing I should change a Optimized Subsampling to all. Should I change that setting before creating the PDF and sending to printer, or leave that setting alone and wait for the proof from the printer?Thanks again for the help,
RichNever Say Never
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I was thinking. I’ll be sending to the printer Monday (presses aren’t running on the weekend). I may have to Flatten or Convert or get the “package” together at this time instead of just the PDF. Reason being is I’m not sure the layout I did is as simple as I first made it sound. There are several layers,feathers, couple fonts,etc…
I’ll be opening photoshop and see about creating that “pixel” as mentioned in the article mentioned.Any more advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Opening up Photoshop, here we go again, hope this doesn’t take a week or to to figure out…ha,ha… but I’m sure it might.
Rich
Never Say Never
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You really should set-up an output preset to exactly the output parameters that your printer tells you they prefer.
Over the years, we have used a few printers who specialize in certain kinds of printing, and so we have varying presets we’ve created that are named for the printers and the type of project. For example: for Creative COW Magazine, we have one called DartmouthMagazine; another is PSPrintBusinesscards.
This way, when we output, we know that the output settings are exactly set to do what the printer expects in each case.
Nearly always, in the case of the magazine, we send “live fonts.” The only time we have had to use outlines fonts is when Adobe refuses to support the live “fonting” of one of the typefaces we use and so we are forced to outline on a case-by-case basis.
Best regards,
Ron Lindeboom
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Rich,
When I mentioned the simplicity/complexity factor with regard to your layout, I was more alluding to things like bleeds, trim, etc., which may have prompted me to include additional tips or instructions. It was not relevant to type/font conversion. I am never in favor of the type conversion you seem to think you need until it’s the last resort. Actually, the more complex your layout is, the “safer” you’ll be just sending off the PDFx-1a.
You’re just driving screws. All that other stuff you’re putting yourself through is a “hammer,” whereas a simple one-step export to PDFx-1a is the right-size screwdriver.
John M:
All of the vim with none of that annoying vigor. -
All good advise from those above. Just wanted to add a comment on the 1 pixel thing.
WHEN, I need to do this, I just draw a small rectangle on the master page, preferably in a “white space” area. I then make sure the rectangle is on the top layer (in the front), tinted at 0.1% with 0.1% transparency. This avoids adding another step/outside link.
ps-typically, I do this for “security” purposes rather than printer compatibility. Much more difficult to alter “outlined” fonts.
Tech-T Productions
http://www.technical-t.com
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