In part 1 of this series we tackled some of the "Things You Should Know About InDesign," we will continue on with that theme today.
Importing Image Formats
InDesign can import a whole host of file formats including JPEG, PDF, PNG, PICT, EPS, TIFF and PSD. JPEG's are frowned in the printing profession because they re-compress themselves degrading the quality of the image every time they are saved, hence why they call it a lossy format, but if forced to use them make sure they are at 300 PPI, and are in CMYK mode or else your printer will have a fit.
Try not to enlarge an image more than 100% of its size or else the quality of the image will evaporate and you will get blurry pixelated images that will make your printer think you are a noob.
Although you can import PSD files, which are great for transparencies and complicated images with tons of layers their file size could be unwieldy and have been known to cause issues at times when you export your multi-page document to a high quality print pdf, so try to avoid using them on images you can flatten into a TIFF or EPS file as that method will give you less problems in the end. If you do have to use them make sure that the transparency flattening is set to high when you export to PDF File>Export>PDF and then in the Advanced Tab, you can change the settings Transparency Flattener Preset to High Resolution.
Know Your Blacks
Rich Black & Process Black are the two kinds we are referring to. What is the difference? Rich Black uses a 4 colour CMYK process (C 40%, M 30%, Y 40%, K 100%) and Process Black just uses 100% of the K Channel, meaning it only uses black ink instead of all 4 CMYK colours.
Now 100% K Process Black is perfect for text as in the print process it is placed on the paper once, Rich Black requires the press with 4 colour plates (CMYK) to make 4 cycles to make it all happen and then you might have trapping issues as the paper will move slightly each time, creating a muddy affect with the text or thin lines.
So why use Rich Black mainly because 100% K Channel ink in large areas tends to come out as a dull black, or greyish black, where as Rich Black in art work with lots of big black coloured areas gets a Richer looking black.
So if it is a graphic make sure it is Rich Black in the colour pallete in your design program (Photoshop or Illustrator) if it i a print job. Use the Colour Picker to test to see what type of black it is. For text and thin black line-art make sure it 100% K Channel for good results.
See A Clear Workspace
You can hide your guides, oultines, & margins by hitting the W key on your keyboard and hit the w key again to bring them back, this allows you to have an unobstructed view of your design in the document.The clarity sometimes can help you with composition. Try it clear your mind of all those impediments, that are necessary most of the time.
Bleeding with Margins is not a Crime in InDesign
If you don't want a white border around your whole document than you have to bleed, unfortunately it is mandatory and so literally us Designers have to bleed to get a project done right.
Now don't go slicing yourself just yet, what I am referring to is that the ink (design) has to go beyond the area that will be trimmed. In Photoshop to get your 8.5 x 11 Letter sized flyer to print with colour & graphics to the edges you have to actually add .125 of an inch to each side of the document and then set up your guides to show you the bleed area. So in total that letter sized document would be 8.75 x 11.250 to have the two bleed areas on each of the width & the height.
In InDesign it is much easier. In your new document window you have a bleed area and you can just type it in, .125 of an inch or 3mm to automatically give you the bleed area you have to cover with your graphics to make it work.
For special designs just contact your Printer so he can suggest the bleed area for you, if it is large formats, etc.
Also you should be wary of the Safe area, what is that you ask. Well you should also create for yourself margins from inside the bleed area to roughly the same size as the bleed to be safe you can go with .250 of an inch or 6mm's from the trim line, just to be extra cautious. You would keep your text and important graphical elements inside of the safe area in the document to avoid getting it accidentally trimmed off.
Again you have different sized media going through a press and paper tends to shift not only on the rollers but also in the cutting process that trims the excess so you have a document with colour or graphical elements going right to the edges.
Your Characters Have Style Your Paragraphs Can Too
You can creat custom character styles and paragraph styles in the aptly named panels. Which is a huge help across a huge multi-paged document, and is a real time saver. Create the styles for each and then you are just one click away from adding it to other portions of text.
That concludes this session on the 15 Things You Should Know About InDesign.
Let me know which one is your favourite tip so far, and don't forget to share us on all your social mediums if you found it useful.
I've been known to give good grades to a student that has good marketing skills.
Till next time.
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