One of the most prominent things to be familiar with when working with InDesign deals with placing images into the document through the use of the Place function. InDesign offers the option to place graphics with or without creating a box for it to rest in before placement. If you chose to make a box, you can use the Rectangle Frame tool or the Rectangle tool (any other form of enclosed shape will also accept placement of a graphic). The Rectangle Frame tool will create a shape with a fill and stroke value of None, whereas the other tools create objects with strokes and nothing in the middle. This can become an issue if these objects are at the top of the stacking order, because when you go to place a graphic, it can be put inside that empty object instead of the one you were aiming for. Placing an image without first creating a frame can save you a lot of time since InDesign will automatically create a frame for the image once you place it.
If you don't like going through the menus to place an image, you also have the option to drag and drop an image onto the layout. Dragging and dropping from a folder within the Finder or Windows Explorer (depending on if you are using Macintosh or Windows) is equivalent to the Place command, and it provides links for the graphics. You can do the same thing through Adobe Bridge, which can more easily be placed over the InDesign window. Additionally, Bridge will display high-quality thumbnails. However, you should be aware of the potential issues caused when doing so from some applications. Dragging and dropping or copy/pasting an image from Photoshop will leave you with a number of issues and will not provide a link in the Links panel. Also, using this method to insert content from Illustrator can also cause some problems with transparencies and shadows.
The Links panel will show you information on all of the graphics placed into the document, and it will show which of these have been modified or are missing. Modified links will be indicated by a small yellow triangle next to the filename, while missing links will be indicated by a red stop sign. Additionally, you can view other details about each link within the panel. To resolve missing links, you much Relink them, using the button at the bottom of the panel. Then you will navigate to the file you wish to relink to. You can also click Update Link to update any modified graphics within the document.
Transforming graphics in InDesign can be done in several ways. Using the Selection tool, select the object, then use either the Scale or Free Transform tool to scale both frame and its contents. Also, you can change the percentage values into the scale fields of the Control panel. Command+Shift and dragging a frame corner will also allow you to scale an object. Note that using the Selection tool will only select the frame, thus the scale will always appear to be 100%. Clicking on the frame with the Direct Selection tool will select only the graphic placed inside. This is where you will fine the true scale percentage of the object.
You can use Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign to add a drop shadow to an object, and each will do a good enough job. InDesign and Illustrator are especially good for making drop shadows which will interact with other objects within the document. For more complicated shadowing, it's best to do so in Photoshop. However, keep in mind that InDesign can only handle these to a certain extent. Shadows falling onto other elements in InDesign will not necessarily work out. Special options can resolve this issue.
The Swatches panel provides a place to keep colors used within the document as well as ones created in the Color panel. Those created in the Color panel will only appear if you have gone into the Swatches panel menu and selected Add Unnamed Colors. This option will find all used colors made from the Color panel and adds them to the Swatches. Pay close attention to the color mode of the swatches, that is, if they are process or spot colors. A process color will display a gray square next to the swatch name, and a spot color will show a white square with a gray circle (spot) in the center. Also, note any swatches that should be the same, but have different names. A RIP will see each of these as a different color and will output each one separately. A solution is to use Ink Manager, which intended to fix spot-color errors through remapping. This will remap each of the extra, differently named swatches to a single ink color. You can access the Ink Manager through the Separations Preview panel menu, the Swatches panel menu, and in the Print and Export dialogs. First, select the spot color you intend to remap, then select the correct color from the Ink Alias list. All of these changes take place for output and will have no effect on the document itself, including the Swatches panel.
Chapter 12 -- Acrobat Production Tips
Though PDFs (Portable Document Files) are generally viewed in an application like Adobe Acrobat Reader, they are created elsewhere. PDFs can come from scanners, images, web pages, and software like InDesign and Illustrator, and a few other places. There are several settings associated with PDF creation. These include Standard, Smallest File Size, and Press Quality, which are self-explanatory, as well as various PDF/X and PDF/A settings, which are based on specific standards. The "X" stands for "exchange," meaning it can be exchanged between creators and recipients. The "A" stands for "archive," meaning that they are aimed for towards record keeping and, of course, archival. Each standard enables certain specific settings within the PDF and will be intended for different viewing, outputting, etc. The most common standard, and the best to choose when no standard is specified, is PDF/X-1a. This standard will have a PDF version of 5.0, a downsample/threshold of 300/450, and maximum compression image quality. Also, no changes will be made to the color policy, and it will be available in Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Distiller.
To make a PDF in InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop using the Export command. This will retain layers, live transparency, and interactivity. Some printers still prefer you use Distiller to create PDFs, but in most cases exporting is faster and easier, while Distiller is simply a longer way of doing things.
Editing PDFs in Acrobat is rather limited. However, there are three Advanced Editing tools available for your use. TouchUp Text will select and edit text as long as the proper fonts are installed. TouchUp Object will select raster and vector images to edit in Photoshop or Illustrator. TouchUp Reading Order, though rarely used, can modify objects to make files for visually impaired users. These options are limited because PDFs are intended to maintain the integrity of the document.
Sources:
McCue, Claudia. "InDesign CS4 Production Tips." Real World Print Production with Adobe Creative Suite Applications. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit, 2009. 203-258. Print.
McCue, Claudia. "Acrobat Production Tips." Real World Print Production with Adobe Creative Suite Applications. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit, 2009. 259-296. Print.
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