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ADOBE INDESIGN CS4
®

Updated 18 June 2009

Using Adobe® InDesign® CS4 for Windows® and Mac OS
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Updated 18 June 2009

Contents
Chapter 1: Resources
Activation and registration
Help and support

............................................................................................ 1

...................................................................................................... 2

Services, downloads, and extras
InDesign video tutorials
Getting started in InDesign
What’s new

........................................................................................ 3

............................................................................................... 4
............................................................................................ 6

........................................................................................................... 7

Chapter 2: Workspace
Workspace basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Customize menus and keyboard shortcuts
Toolbox

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Viewing the workspace

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Manage connections to web services
Working with ConnectNow

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Setting preferences

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Recovery and undo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Common InDesign error messages
Chapter 3: Layout
Creating documents

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Rulers and measurement units
Grids

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Ruler guides

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Pages and spreads
Master pages
Layers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Laying out frames and pages

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Numbering pages, chapters, and sections
Text variables

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Chapter 4: Working with documents
Working with files and templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Saving documents

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Converting QuarkXPress and PageMaker documents
Exporting

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Chapter 5: Text
Creating text and text frames
Adding text to frames
Threading text
Editing text
Find/Change

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Glyphs and special characters

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Updated 18 June 2009

USING INDESIGN CS4 v
Contents

Spell-checking and language dictionaries
Footnotes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Chapter 6: Styles
Paragraph and character styles
Drop caps and nested styles
Object styles

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Working with styles

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Chapter 7: Combining text and objects
Anchored objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Wrapping text around objects
Creating type on a path

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Chapter 8: Typography
Formatting text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Using fonts
Leading

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Kerning and tracking

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

Formatting characters

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Formatting paragraphs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Aligning text

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Tabs and indents

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Bullets and numbering
Text composition

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

Chapter 9: Tables
Creating tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Selecting and editing tables
Formatting tables

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Table strokes and fills
Table and cell styles

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Chapter 10: Long document features
Creating book files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Creating a table of contents
Creating an index

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

Working with markers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315

Chapter 11: Drawing
Understanding paths and shapes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Drawing with the line or shape tools
Drawing with the Pencil tool
Drawing with the Pen tool
Editing paths

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Applying line (stroke) settings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

Compound paths and shapes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

Updated 18 June 2009

USING INDESIGN CS4 vi
Contents

Chapter 12: Graphics
Understanding graphics formats

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

Importing files from other applications
Placing graphics

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

Managing graphics links

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366

Reusing graphics and text

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373

Chapter 13: Frames and objects
Selecting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Transforming objects

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384

Aligning and distributing objects

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400

Grouping, locking, and duplicating objects
Working with frames and objects
Clipping paths

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410

Chapter 14: Transparency effects
Adding transparency effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Blending colors

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

Flattening transparent artwork

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426

Chapter 15: Color
Understanding spot and process colors
Applying color

Working with swatches
Tints

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451

Gradients

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452

Mixing inks

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457

Using colors from imported graphics
Chapter 16: Color management
Understanding color management
Keeping colors consistent

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463

Color-managing imported images

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467

Color-managing documents for online viewing
Proofing colors

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469

Color-managing documents when printing
Working with color profiles
Color settings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479

Chapter 17: Trapping color
Trapping documents and books
Trap presets

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488

Adjusting ink options for trapping
Chapter 18: PDF
Exporting to Adobe PDF
Adobe PDF options

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501

Updated 18 June 2009

USING INDESIGN CS4 vii
Contents

Preparing PDFs for service providers
Structuring PDFs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512

Chapter 19: Dynamic documents
Dynamic web documents for Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Dynamic PDF documents

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523

Bookmarks

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524

Hyperlinks

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526

Cross-references

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532

Movies and sounds
Page transitions
Buttons

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545

Chapter 20: XML
Working with XML
Importing XML

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556

Tagging content for XML

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567

Structuring documents for XML
Exporting XML

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580

Chapter 21: Printing
Printing documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583
Printer’s marks and bleeds

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593

Printing thumbnails and oversized documents
Printing graphics and fonts
Managing color

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599

Preflighting files before handoff

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603

Creating PostScript and EPS files

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609

Printing booklets

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614

Chapter 22: Color separations
Preparing to print separations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 619
Overprinting

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624

Inks, separations, and screen frequency

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628

Chapter 23: Automation
Scripting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 634
Plug-ins

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 636

Data merge

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637

Chapter 24: Sharing content between InCopy and InDesign
Understanding a basic managed-file workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647
Sharing content

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 654

Assignment packages

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 659

Working with managed files
Adjusting your workflow

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 667

Chapter 25: Comparison of PageMaker and InDesign menus
PageMaker menu commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 672

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Contents

Chapter 26: Keyboard shortcuts
Default keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679
Index

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693

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Chapter 1: Resources
Before you begin working with your software, take a few moments to read an overview of activation and the many
resources available to you. You have access to instructional videos, plug-ins, templates, user communities, seminars,
tutorials, RSS feeds, and much more.

Activation and registration
Help with installation
For help with installation issues, see the Installation Support Center at www.adobe.com/go/cs4install.

License activation
During the installation process, your Adobe software contacts Adobe to complete the license activation process. No
personal data is transmitted. For more information on product activation, visit the Adobe website at
www.adobe.com/go/activation.
A single-user retail license activation supports two computers. For example, you can install the product on a desktop
computer at work and on a laptop computer at home. If you want to install the software on a third computer, first
deactivate it on one of the other two computers. Choose Help > Deactivate.

Register
Register your product to receive complimentary installation support, notifications of updates, and other services.
❖ To register, follow the on-screen instructions in the Registration dialog box, which appears after you install the

software.
If you postpone registration, you can register at any time by choosing Help > Registration.

Adobe Product Improvement Program
After you have used your Adobe software a certain number of times, a dialog box appears, asking whether you want
to participate in the Adobe Product Improvement Program.
If you choose to participate, data about your use of Adobe software is sent to Adobe. No personal information is
recorded or sent. The Adobe Product Improvement Program only collects information about the features and tools
that you use in the software and how often you use them.
You can opt in to or opt out of the program at any time:

• To participate, choose Help > Adobe Product Improvement Program and click Yes, Participate.
• To stop participating, choose Help > Adobe Product Improvement Program and click No, Thank You.

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ReadMe
A ReadMe file for your software is available on-line and on the installation disc. Open the file to read important
information about topics such as the following:

• System requirements
• Installation (including uninstalling the software)
• Activation and registration
• Font installation
• Troubleshooting
• Customer support
• Legal notices

Help and support
Community Help
Community Help is an integrated environment on Adobe.com that gives you access to community-generated content
moderated by Adobe and industry experts. Comments from users help guide you to an answer.
Community Help draws on a number of resources, including:

• Videos, tutorials, tips and techniques, blogs, articles, and examples for designers and developers.
• Complete on-line product Help, which is updated regularly by the Adobe documentation team.
• All other content on Adobe.com, including knowledgebase articles, downloads and updates, Developer
Connection, and more.
Choose Help > product name Help in the application to access the Help and Support page, the portal to all of the
Community Help content for your product. You can also use the Help search field in some Creative Suite 4
applications, or press F1 (Windows), to access Community Help for your product.
The sites searched by the default Community Help search engine are hand-selected and reviewed for quality by Adobe
and Adobe Community Experts. Adobe experts also work to ensure that the top search results include a mixture of
different kinds of content, including results from on-line product Help.
For more information on using Community Help, see http://help.adobe.com/en_US/CommunityHelp/.
For a video overview of Community Help, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4117_xp.
For frequently asked questions about Community Help, see http://community.adobe.com/help/profile/faq.html

Product Help
Adobe provides a comprehensive user guide for each product in several formats, including on-line product Help, PDF,
and printed book. Results from on-line product Help are included in your results whenever you search Community Help.
If you’re connected to the Internet, the Help menu within the product opens the product Help and Support page by
default. This page is a portal to all of the Community Help content for the product. If you want to consult or search
on-line product Help only, you can access it by clicking the product Help link in the upper-right corner of the Help
and Support page. Be sure to select the This Help System Only option before you do your search.

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If you’re not connected to the Internet, the Help menu within the product opens local Help, a subset of the content
available in on-line product Help. Because local Help is not as complete or up-to-date as on-line product Help, Adobe
recommends that you use the PDF version of product Help if you want to stay offline. A downloadable PDF of
complete product Help is available from two places:

• The product’s Help and Support page (upper-right corner of the page)
• Local and web Help (top of the Help interface)
For more information on accessing product help, see http://help.adobe.com/en_US/CommunityHelp/.
If you are working in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Fireworks, or Dreamweaver, and you want to turn
off Community Help so that local Help opens by default, do the following:
1 Open the Connections panel (Window > Extensions > Connections).
2 From the Connections panel menu

, select Offline Options.

3 Select Keep Me Offline and click OK.

Note: When you disable web services from the Connections panel, all other web services (such as Adobe Kuler and Adobe
ConnectNow) are also disabled.

Printed resources
Printed versions of the complete on-line product Help are available for the cost of shipping and handling at
www.adobe.com/go/store.

Support resources
Visit the Adobe Support website at www.adobe.com/support to learn about free and paid technical support options.

Services, downloads, and extras
You can enhance your product by integrating a variety of services, plug-ins, and extensions in your product. You can
also download samples and other assets to help you get your work done.

Adobe creative on-line services
Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 includes new on-line features that bring the power of the web to your desktop. Use these
features to connect with the community, collaborate, and get more from your Adobe tools. Powerful creative on-line
services let you complete tasks ranging from color matching to data conferencing. The services seamlessly integrate
with desktop applications so you can quickly enhance existing workflows. Some services offer full or partial
functionality when you’re offline too.
Visit Adobe.com to learn more about available services. Some Creative Suite 4 applications include these initial
offerings:
Kuler™ panel Quickly create, share, and explore color themes on-line.
Adobe® ConnectNow Collaborate with dispersed working teams over the web, sharing voice, data, and multimedia.
Resource Central Instantly access tutorials, sample files, and extensions for Adobe digital video applications.

For information on managing your services, see the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/learn_creativeservices_en.

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Resources

Adobe Exchange
Visit the Adobe Exchange at www.adobe.com/go/exchange to download samples as well as thousands of plug-ins and
extensions from Adobe and third-party developers. The plug-ins and extensions can help you automate tasks,
customize workflows, create specialized professional effects, and more.

Adobe downloads
Visit www.adobe.com/go/downloads to find free updates, tryouts, and other useful software.

Adobe Labs
Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/labs gives you the opportunity to experience and evaluate new and emerging
technologies and products from Adobe. At Adobe Labs, you have access to resources such as these:

• Prerelease software and technologies
• Code samples and best practices to accelerate your learning
• Early versions of product and technical documentation
• Forums, wiki-based content, and other collaborative resources to help you interact with like-minded users.
Adobe Labs fosters a collaborative software development process. In this environment, customers quickly become
productive with new products and technologies. Adobe Labs is also a forum for early feedback. The Adobe
development teams use this feedback to create software that meets the needs and expectations of the community.

Adobe TV
Visit Adobe TV at http://tv.adobe.com to view instructional and inspirational videos.

Extras
The installation disc contains a variety of extras to help you make the most of your Adobe software. Some extras are
installed on your computer during the setup process; others are located on the disc.
To view the extras installed during the setup process, navigate to the application folder on your computer.

• Windows®: [startup drive]\Program Files\Adobe\[Adobe application]
• Mac OS®: [startup drive]/Applications/[Adobe application]
To view the extras on the disc, navigate to the Goodies folder in your language folder on the disc. Example:

•

/English/Goodies/

InDesign video tutorials
Click any of these links to view a video tutorial that teaches you how to use InDesign.
Work area
Introducing InDesign CS4
Creating a new document (Basic)
Using the Control panel

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Using keyboard shortcuts
Working with smart guides (New)
Using Live Preflight (New)
Rotating the spread view (New)
Layout
Setting up a new document
Managing pages
Working with master pages
Synchronizing master pages
Setting pagination
Defining sections
Using layers
Making selections
Text and typography
Making a text frame (Basic)
Character-level formatting (Basic)
Paragraph-level formatting (Basic)
Making a paragraph style (Basic)
Placing and flowing text (Basic)
Working with text
Working with text styles
Creating conditional text
Applying GREP styles (New)
Creating bullets and numbering
Creating running headers and footers
Finding and changing expressions, text, and object formatting
Working with Microsoft Word and Excel tables in InDesign
Creating footnotes
Tables
Creating and formatting tables
Adding headers and footers to tables
Placing images in tables
Using table styles

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Combining text and graphics
Wrapping text around a graphic (Basic)
Using the Text Wrap panel
Working with anchored objects
Importing, exporting, and outputting files
Importing content into InDesign
Exporting from InDesign to SWF (New)
Editing the exported XFL file in Flash Pro (New)
Designing websites with InDesign and exporting to XHTML
Preparing files for output
Creating JDF job definitions
Long document videos
Creating cross-references
Creating a table of contents
Creating an index
Graphics, objects, and effects
Placing an image (Basic)
Using the Links panel (New)
Working with objects
Using object styles
Creating drop shadows
Applying feathering to objects
Applying opacity effects
Setting opacity
Other video resources
AdobeTV How-to channel
Lynda.com videos

Getting started in InDesign
If you’re new to InDesign, get a good overview by viewing these video tutorials.
Introducing InDesign CS4
Creating a new document video
Making a text frame video

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Resources

Character-level formatting video
Paragraph-level formatting video
Making a paragraph style video
Placing and flowing text video
Placing an image video
Wrapping text around a graphic video
To learn more about InDesign, step through the free “Getting Started with Adobe InDesign CS4” chapter of the
InDesign CS4 Classroom in a Book:
Getting Started with Adobe InDesign CS4 Lesson

See also
“InDesign video tutorials” on page 4

What’s new
Choose Window > Workspace > [What’s New] to highlight menu commands of new and enhanced features.
For more information on new Adobe® InDesign® features, see www.adobe.com/go/id_newfeatures_en.

Productivity enhancements
Live preflight
Preflight while you design for better results, greater time savings, and lower production costs. Continuous preflighting
alerts you to potential production problems in real time. The new Preflight panel lets you navigate to and select the
objects that are triggering the preflight error. View contextual tips to help you correct errors directly in layout. See
“Preflighting files before handoff” on page 603.
Spread view rotation
Temporarily rotate the spread view without physically turning your monitor. Enjoy full editing capability at 90 and
180 degree angles so that you can work on non-horizontal design elements, such as rotated calendar spreads and tables.
See “Rotate the spread view” on page 66.
Smart Guides
Align, space, rotate, and resize multiple objects in one step. Align to the horizontal, vertical, or center of page edges.
The guides, object dimensions, rotation, and X,Y coordinates appear dynamically so you can snap objects in relation
to other objects in the layout. See “Use smart guides” on page 60.
Smart Dimensions When you create, resize, or rotate one object, Smart Dimensions shows the width, height, or
rotation of your object, highlighting when the dimensions or rotation matches nearby objects.
Smart Spacing Evenly space multiple items on your page by snapping objects into position without having to use the

Align panel.

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Smart Cursors When transforming objects, the cursor displays X and Y position, width and height, or rotation

information. The Show Transformation Values option in Interface preferences lets you turn smart cursors on and off.
Versatile Links panel
Find, sort, and organize placed content with the redesigned Links panel. Scan link attributes and click to view details
such as scale, rotation, and resolution. Customize the Links panel to suit your working preferences.
Quickly replace low-resolution images used as placeholders with high-resolution images based on filename. Filename
extensions are ignored. Simply relink to a new folder. See “Links panel overview” on page 366.
Visual Pages panel
See thumbnails of your pages in the Pages panel for easy navigation and page arrangement. If transparency, page
transitions, or spread rotation have been applied to pages, you can turn off their associated icons for a cleaner Pages
panel. See “Change the page and spread display” on page 61.
New pages sizes
New common monitor resolution sizes are available in the Page Size menu in the New Document dialog box. These
options make it easier to design a document to a specific monitor size for interactive SWF, XFL, and PDF workflows.
See “Create interactive SWF (Flash) files for the web” on page 518.
Quick guide deletion
Instantly clear all selectable guides on your current spread or master page by right-clicking (Windows) or Ctrl-clicking
(Mac OS) a ruler and choosing Delete All Guides.
Data merge output to PDF
Run a data merge operation and output directly to PDF in a single pass, thanks to the Export to PDF command now
included in the Data Merge panel. An intermediate InDesign document is no longer created. The PDF file takes
advantage of PDF XObjects for static parts of the page, resulting in a reduced-size PDF.
See “Merge records” on page 644.
Ruler origin on spine
Correctly place the ruler’s zero position of X at the spine of your document so that the X values are positive for right
sided pages and negative for left sided pages when Facing Pages is enabled.
Leading-based baseline grid increments
If you specify a different measurement system, such as millimeters or inches, baseline grid values still use points to
match text size and leading.
Slug area enhancements
Move pages and see that your objects in the slug and bleed area also move. Page numbers in the slug area display a
number rather than the pasteboard index entry (PB).
Undo improvements
Viewing actions such as Set Preview and Show Guides are no longer included as Undo items.

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Text and tables improvements
Conditional text
Use conditional text deliver multiple versions of a document for different users and channels. Create conditions and
apply them to text for audience customization. If you hide conditions, the remaining text and anchored objects reflows
automatically in your layout. See “Use conditional text” on page 144.
All language user dictionary
Add a custom word, name, or phrase to a user dictionary and all languages treat the term as correctly spelled. See “Add
words to dictionaries” on page 174.
Smart Text Reflow
Treat InDesign as a word processor. Let InDesign add or remove pages automatically when you type text, hide
conditions, or change or your text flow. See “Use Smart Text Reflow” on page 137.
Autocorrect editing
Edit entries on your Autocorrect misspelling list without having to delete and add entries.
Table enhancements
Tables in the Story Editor display text in sequential columns and rows for easy editing. See “Working with tables in
Story Editor” on page 276.
Apply changes to cell and table borders without reselecting the stroke proxy borders.
Add inline notes in tables to collaborate more effectively. Store alternate text, designer communications, and other
annotations in notes linked to specific text in a table. See “Adding editorial notes and tracking changes in InDesign”
on page 670.
Nested line styles
Use nested line styles to apply complex character formatting through the end of a line. Formatting remains unchanged
when text is edited. See “Create nested line styles” on page 191.
Style creation in context
In dialog boxes where you can select a character or paragraph style, you can create a style without having to exit the
dialog box. This ability is especially useful when you’re generating a table of contents, creating nested styles or GREP
styles, or using Find/Change to change text formatting to a style.
GREP styles
Apply character styles to any text in a paragraph that matches the GREP expression you specify. See “Create GREP
styles” on page 194.
Better style group management
Move styles in or out of style groups when synchronizing a book without creating duplicate styles. See “Synchronize
book documents” on page 293.

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Graphics and drawing improvements
Edit Original flexibility
Use the Edit With command to choose which application to use to edit a placed item instead of relying on the operating
system to default to the appropriate program. See “Edit original artwork” on page 372.
Constrained placement of graphics
A frame drawn while an image is in the loaded cursor constrains to the proportions of the graphic. The graphic then
fits to the frame proportionally and is centered unless frame fitting options have been applied to the frame. While
dragging out a frame with the loaded cursor, the scale is displayed as part of the cursor. Hold down Shift to drag a nonconstrained frame.
Placing multiple graphics as a contact sheet
Quickly create a contact sheet by placing multiple images in a grid arrangement. When placing multiple images, hold
down Ctrl+Shift (Windows) or Command+Shift (Mac OS) to drag a grid of images. Use the arrow keys to control the
number of rows and columns in the grid.
Multiple artboard placement
Cycle through multiple artboards created in Adobe Illustrator® CS4 for quick placement in your InDesign document.
See “Importing PDF pages” on page 351.
New Pathfinder panel buttons
Use one step to join paths, open paths, or reverse paths by clicking a button in the new Paths row in the Pathfinder
panel.
Convert Point menu commands
Convert corner points to smooth or line end points using the Convert Point commands that are now accessible
through the menus.
Text stroke control
Adjust stroke cap, end join, miter limit, and stroke alignment on text without having to convert characters to outlines.
These stroke options are also available in styles. See “Change the color, gradient, or stroke of text” on page 235.
Free Transform tool improvements
Resize an object more easily using the Free Transform tool, thanks to larger hit zones around object handles and the
ability to resize along object edges. See “Transform objects with the Free Transform tool” on page 389.
Keyboard shortcuts for scaling and sizing
Use new options in the keyboard shortcut editor to easily create shortcuts for increasing and decreasing size. Separate
keyboard shortcuts are included for scaling and sizing objects.
See “Keys for transforming objects” on page 681.

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Interactivity features
Page transitions in PDF and SWF files
Apply page transitions directly in InDesign to individual pages or all spreads at once with a single click. See previews
of available transition types, and control the direction and speed of your transitions for output to SWF and PDF files.
See “Page transitions” on page 543.
Enhanced buttons
Build interactive buttons using the updated Button panel. Design custom buttons or select a button from the integrated
button library. Create buttons that let you navigate within a dynamic document, launch a movie, or play a sound. See
“Buttons” on page 545.
Redesigned Hyperlinks panel
Use the redesigned Hyperlinks panel to easily create hyperlinks that navigate to external URLs, link to files with
supplemental information, launch an e-mail client, or jump to a page or section of a page within the same or even a
different document. Verify your hyperlinks directly in InDesign CS4 with no need to export the document to a PDF
or SWF file for testing. See “Hyperlinks” on page 526.
Cross-references
Insert and edit cross-references. Choose among different formats, or create your own. Cross-references are easily
updated when pagination changes. See “Cross-references” on page 532.

Extensive integration
Export to Flash (SWF)
Create dynamic content without having to work in the authoring environment of Adobe Flash. Export SWF files
directly from within InDesign, complete with page transitions, interactive buttons, rollovers, and hyperlinks.
Automatically launch the Adobe Flash Player and preview a SWF file simply by exporting your InDesign layout.
See “Export content to SWF” on page 117 and “Create interactive SWF (Flash) files for the web” on page 518.
Export to Flash (XFL)
Export your InDesign document in the new XFL file format for opening in Adobe Flash® CS4 Professional. Use the
Flash authoring environment to add video, audio, animation, and complex interactivity.
InDesign text exported as XFL remains fully editable when the XFL file is opened in Adobe Flash CS4 Professional.
InDesign automatically converts high-resolution print assets (CMYK) to low-resolution web assets (RGB) upon
export as an XFL file.
An image placed multiple times in your InDesign document is saved as a single image asset with shared locations when
exported as an XFL file.
See “Export content to XFL” on page 118.
Interactive PDF enhancements
Author interactive PDF documents by adding SWF files, Quicktime movies, and sound clips to your page layouts.
Create interactive buttons, apply page transitions, and embed hyperlinks, cross-references, and bookmarks to create
an immersive reading experience.

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See “Creating interactive documents for PDF” on page 523.
Integration with Adobe Bridge CS4
Browse, organize, label, and preview graphics and InDesign documents, templates, and snippets in Adobe Bridge.
Drag and drop assets from Bridge into layouts easily and efficiently. Search for files using metadata that specifies
keywords, fonts, colors, and more. See “About Adobe Bridge” on page 100.
Integration with Adobe Version Cue CS4
Connect to Version Cue Server projects using Adobe Drive. The connected server appears like a hard drive or mapped
network drive in Windows Explorer, Mac OS Finder, and dialog boxes such as Open and Save As. See “Adobe
Version Cue” on page 101.
InDesign Markup Language (IDML)
InDesign Markup Language, an XML- based file format, allows developers to assemble and disassemble InDesign
documents using standard XML tools and without having to open INDD files. See “Save an InDesign Markup (IDML)
document” on page 104.
As a result of the new markup language, many filename extensions have changed in the InCopy workflow.
File Type

CS3 extension

CS4 extension

Assignment files

.inca

.icma

Content files

.incx

.icml

Exported files

.incx

.icml

Package files for InCopy

.incp

.icap

Package files for InDesign

.indp

.idap

InCopy template files

.inct

.icmt

Assignments improvements
New assignment operations in InCopy workflows are now enabled for unsaved InDesign documents. You are now
prompted to save the document.
The Assignments panel also included different options to update assignments. These options include Selected, Outof-Date, and All. The All option updates all assignments, including those that aren’t out of date, thereby letting you
view design changes that don’t affect the composition of assignment text.
Adobe Services
Adobe community help Get help from the biggest talent pool out there, quickly, with targeted searches.
ConnectNow Collaborate with clients, colleagues, and vendors by sharing your desktop so that you can quickly

complete group reviews and show your work with ease. Choose File > Share My Screen.
Adobe kuler panel Explore, create, and share colors using Adobe kuler, a web-hosted application for experimenting

with color and sharing themes with the online kuler community. Designed to both stand alone and complement
Adobe Creative Suite software, kuler uses Adobe Flash technology to bring you online tools for color theme creation.
You can save themes to your own Mykuler space, share them publicly, receive themes via RSS feeds, and more.

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User interface enhancements
Customized workspace enhancements
Select a task-based workspace that unclutters your screen and presents only the menu commands and panel
arrangements best for the current task. Customize your own menus and workspaces that can be shared and saved. See
“Save and switch workspaces” on page 20.
Tabbed documents
Manage and work across multiple documents by tabbing through open documents to find the one you need without
having to maximize each document individually. See “Manage Document windows” on page 17.
N-up view
Arrange viewing multiple documents in a single window so that you can compare content and drag objects across
documents. Use a button to switch your views side by side, top and bottom, or however you want.
Application frame (Mac OS)
For Mac OS users, you have the option to work with documents and panels in a single window. Move or resize the
window without losing access to panels or other opened documents. See “Workspace overview” on page 14.
Application bar
Use a new control buttons in the menu bar to switch to a new workspace, modify the view of a document, perform a
search, or quickly access elements such as Adobe Bridge CS4.
Reactive panels
Drag related content from one panel to another without first opening the receiving panel. For example, drag a swatch
from the Swatch panel into the Color panel without opening it first.
More nudge buttons
Use the up and down arrows to nudge values for paragraph and character styles, find/change formats, object styles,
object corner options, and more.
Dialog box positioning
Dialog boxes open in the same screen location in which they were closed.
Command bar removed
The Command bar (also called PageMaker Toolbar) that appears in InDesign CS3 is no longer available in InDesign CS4.
Mouse scroll wheel support
Navigate through document pages using the mouse scroll wheel. The longer you hold the mouse at the top or bottom
of the application window, the faster the pages scroll. See “Scroll the view” on page 33.
Power zoom
Use the Hand tool to zoom out by holding down your mouse button. Continue to hold, and you can move the zoom
area marquee across pages. Release, and the view returns to your original zoom level in your new location. Increase or
decrease the size of the zoom area marquee using the up and down arrows or scroll wheel on the mouse. See “Use
power zoom” on page 33.

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Chapter 2: Workspace
The Adobe® InDesign® CS4 workspace is arranged to help you focus on designing and producing pages efficiently.
When you first start InDesign, you see the default workspace, which you can customize to suit your needs.

Workspace basics
Workspace overview
You create and manipulate your documents and files using various elements, such as panels, bars, and windows. Any
arrangement of these elements is called a workspace. The workspaces of the different applications in Adobe® Creative
Suite® 4 share the same appearance so that you can move between the applications easily. You can also adapt each
application to the way you work by selecting from several preset workspaces or by creating one of your own.
Although the default workspace layout varies in different products, you manipulate the elements much the same way
in all of them.

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Workspace

E
G

F
H

Default Illustrator workspace
A. Tabbed Document windows B. Application bar C. Workspace switcher D. Panel title bar E. Control panel F. Tools panel G. Collapse To
Icons button H. Four panel groups in vertical dock

• The Application bar across the top contains a workspace switcher, menus (Windows only), and other application
controls. On the Mac for certain products, you can show or hide it using the Window menu.

• The Tools panel contains tools for creating and editing images, artwork, page elements, and so on. Related tools are
grouped.

• The Control panel displays options for the currently selected tool. The Control panel is also known as the options
bar in Photoshop. (Adobe Flash®, Adobe Dreamweaver®, and Adobe Fireworks® have no Control panel.)

• Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks have a Property inspector that displays options for the currently selected
element or tool.

• The Document window displays the file you’re working on. Document windows can be tabbed and, in certain cases,
grouped and docked.

• Panels help you monitor and modify your work. Examples include the Timeline in Flash, the Layers panel in Adobe
Photoshop®, and the CSS Styles panel in Dreamweaver. Panels can be grouped, stacked, or docked.

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• On the Mac, the Application frame groups all the workspace elements in a single, integrated window that lets you
treat the application as a single unit. When you move or resize the Application frame or any of its elements, all the
elements within it respond to each other so none overlap. Panels don’t disappear when you switch applications or
when you accidentally click out of the application. If you work with two or more applications, you can position each
application side by side on the screen or on multiple monitors. If you prefer the traditional, free-form user interface
of the Mac, you can turn off the Application frame. In Adobe Illustrator®, for example, select Window > Application
Frame to toggle it on or off. (In Flash, the Application frame is on permanently. Dreamweaver does not use an
Application frame.)

Hide or show all panels
• (Illustrator, Adobe InCopy®, Adobe InDesign®, Photoshop, Fireworks)To hide or show all panels, including the
Tools panel and Control panel, press Tab.

• (Illustrator, InCopy, InDesign, Photoshop) To hide or show all panels except the Tools panel and Control panel,
press Shift+Tab.
You can temporarily display hidden panels if Auto-Show Hidden Panels is selected in Interface preferences. It’s
always on in Illustrator. Move the pointer to the edge of the application window (Windows®) or to the edge of the
monitor (Mac OS®) and hover over the strip that appears.

• (Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks) To hide or show all panels, press F4.

Display panel options
❖ Click the panel menu icon

in the upper-right corner of the panel.

You can open a panel menu even when the panel is minimized.

(Illustrator) Adjust panel brightness
❖ In User Interface preferences, move the Brightness slider. This control affects all panels, including the Control

panel.

Reconfigure the Tools panel
You can display the tools in the Tools panel in a single column, or side by side in two columns. (This feature is not
available in the Tools panel in Fireworks and Flash.)
In InDesign and InCopy, you also can switch from single-column to double-column (or single-row) display by setting
an option in Interface preferences.
❖ Click the double arrow at the top of the Tools panel.

Manage windows and panels
You can create a custom workspace by moving and manipulating Document windows and panels. You can also save
workspaces and switch among them.
Note: The following examples use Photoshop for demonstration purposes. The workspace behaves the same in all the
products.

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A
B

Narrow blue drop zone indicates Color panel will be docked on its own above the Layers panel group.
A. Title bar B. Tab C. Drop zone

In Photoshop, you can change the font size of the text in the Control panel, in the panels, and in tool tips. Choose a
size from the UI Font Size menu in Interface preferences.

Manage Document windows
When you open more than one file, the Document windows are tabbed.

• To rearrange the order of tabbed Document windows, drag a window’s tab to a new location in the group.
• To undock a Document window from a group of windows, drag the window’s tab out of the group.
• To dock a Document window to a separate group of Document windows, drag the window into the group.
Note: Dreamweaver does not support docking and undocking Document windows. Use the Document window’s
Minimize button to create floating windows.

• To create groups of stacked or tiled documents, drag the window to one of the drop zones along the top, bottom, or
sides of another window. You can also select a layout for the group by using the Layout button on the Application bar.
Note: Some products do not support this functionality. However, your product may have Cascade and Tile commands
in the Window menu to help you lay out your documents.

• To switch to another document in a tabbed group when dragging a selection, drag the selection over the document’s
tab for a moment.
Note: Some products do not support this functionality.

Dock and undock panels
A dock is a collection of panels or panel groups displayed together, generally in a vertical orientation. You dock and
undock panels by moving them into and out of a dock.
Note: Docking is not the same as stacking. A stack is a collection of floating panels or panel groups, joined top to bottom.

• To dock a panel, drag it by its tab into the dock, at the top, bottom, or in between other panels.
• To dock a panel group, drag it by its title bar (the solid empty bar above the tabs) into the dock.
• To remove a panel or panel group, drag it out of the dock by its tab or title bar. You can drag it into another dock
or make it free-floating.

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Navigator panel being dragged out to new dock, indicated by blue vertical highlight

Navigator panel now in its own dock

You can prevent panels from filling all the space in a dock. Drag the bottom edge of the dock up so it no longer meets
the edge of the workspace.

Move panels
As you move panels, you see blue highlighted drop zones, areas where you can move the panel. For example, you can
move a panel up or down in a dock by dragging it to the narrow blue drop zone above or below another panel. If you
drag to an area that is not a drop zone, the panel floats freely in the workspace.

• To move a panel, drag it by its tab.
• To move a panel group or a stack of floating panels, drag the title bar.
Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) while moving a panel to prevent it from docking. Press Esc while
moving the panel to cancel the operation.
Note: The dock is stationary and can’t be moved. However, you can create panel groups or stacks and move them
anywhere.

Add and remove panels
If you remove all panels from a dock, the dock disappears. You can create a dock by moving panels to the right edge
of the workspace until a drop zone appears.

• To remove a panel, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) its tab and then select Close, or deselect it from
the Window menu.

• To add a panel, select it from the Window menu and dock it wherever you want.

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Manipulate panel groups
• To move a panel into a group, drag the panel’s tab to the highlighted drop zone in the group.

Adding a panel to a panel group

• To rearrange panels in a group, drag a panel’s tab to a new location in the group.
• To remove a panel from a group so that it floats freely, drag the panel by its tab outside the group.
• To move a group, drag the title bar (the area above the tabs).

Stack floating panels
When you drag a panel out of its dock but not into a drop zone, the panel floats freely. The floating panel allows you
to position it anywhere in the workspace. You can stack floating panels or panel groups so that they move as a unit
when you drag the topmost title bar. (Panels that are part of a dock cannot be stacked or moved as a unit in this way.)

Free-floating stacked panels

• To stack floating panels, drag a panel by its tab to the drop zone at the bottom of another panel.
• To change the stacking order, drag a panel up or down by its tab.
Note: Be sure to release the tab over the narrow drop zone between panels, rather than the broad drop zone in a title bar.

• To remove a panel or panel group from the stack, so that it floats by itself, drag it out by its tab or title bar.

Resize panels
• To minimize or maximize a panel, panel group, or stack of panels, double-click a tab. You can also single-click the
tab area (the empty space next to the tabs).

• To resize a panel, drag any side of the panel. Some panels, such as the Color panel in Photoshop, cannot be resized
by dragging.

Manipulate panels collapsed to icons
You can collapse panels to icons to reduce clutter on the workspace. In some cases, panels are collapsed to icons in the
default workspace.

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Panels collapsed to icons

Panels expanded from icons

• To collapse or expand all panel icons in a dock, click the double arrow at the top of the dock.
• To expand a single panel icon, click it.
• To resize panel icons so that you see only the icons (and not the labels), adjust the width of the dock until the text
disappears. To display the icon text again, make the dock wider.

• To collapse an expanded panel back to its icon, click its tab, its icon, or the double arrow in the panel’s title bar.
In some products, if you select Auto-Collapse Icon Panels from the Interface or User Interface Options preferences,
an expanded panel icon collapses automatically when you click away from it.

• To add a floating panel or panel group to an icon dock, drag it in by its tab or title bar. (Panels are automatically
collapsed to icons when added to an icon dock.)

• To move a panel icon (or panel icon group), drag the icon. You can drag panel icons up and down in the dock, into
other docks (where they appear in the panel style of that dock), or outside the dock (where they appear as floating,
expanded panels).

Restore the default workspace
• Select the default, Essentials workspace from the workspace switcher in the Application bar.
• (Photoshop) Select Window > Workspace > Essentials (Default).
• (InDesign, InCopy) Select Window > Workspace > Reset [Workspace Name].

Save and switch workspaces
By saving the current size and position of panels as a named workspace, you can restore that workspace even if you
move or close a panel. The names of saved workspaces appear in the workspace switcher in the Application bar.
In Photoshop, the saved workspace can include a specific keyboard shortcut set and menu set.

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Save a custom workspace
1 With the workspace in the configuration you want to save, do one of the following:

• (Photoshop, Illustrator) Choose Window > Workspace > Save Workspace.
• (InDesign, InCopy) Choose Window > Workspace > New Workspace.
• (Dreamweaver) Choose Window > Workspace Layout > New Workspace.
• (Flash) Choose New Workspace from the workspace switcher in the Application bar.
• (Fireworks) Choose Save Current from the workspace switcher in the Application bar.
2 Type a name for the workspace.
3 (Photoshop, InDesign) Under Capture, select one or more options:
Panel Locations Saves the current panel locations.
Keyboard shortcuts Saves the current set of keyboard shortcuts (Photoshop only).
Menus Saves the current set of menus.

4 Click OK or Save.

Display or switch workspaces
❖ Select a workspace from the workspace switcher in the Application bar.

In Photoshop, you can assign keyboard shortcuts to each workspace to navigate among them quickly.

Delete a custom workspace
• Select Manage Workspaces from the workspace switcher in the Application bar, select the workspace, and then
click Delete. (The option is not available in Fireworks.)

• (Photoshop, InDesign, InCopy) Select Delete Workspace from the workspace switcher.
• (Illustrator) Choose Window > Workspace > Manage Workspaces, select the workspace, and then click the Delete icon.
• (InDesign) Choose Window > Workspace > Delete Workspace, select the workspace, and then click Delete.

(Photoshop) Start with the last or default panel locations
When you start Photoshop, panels can either appear in their original default locations, or appear as you last used them.
In Interface preferences:

• To display panels in their last locations on startup, select Remember Panel Locations.
• To display panels in their default locations on startup, deselect Remember Panel Locations.

About view modes
You can change the visibility of the document window using the Mode buttons at the bottom of the toolbox or by
choosing commands from the View > Screen Mode menu. When the toolbox is displayed in a single column, you can
select view modes by clicking the current mode button and selecting a different mode from the menu that appears.
Normal Mode
Displays artwork in a standard window with all visible grids and guides showing, non-printing
objects showing, and a white pasteboard.
Preview Mode
Displays artwork as if it were output, with all non-printing elements suppressed (grids, guides, nonprinting objects), and the pasteboard set to the preview background color defined in Preferences.

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Bleed Mode
Displays artwork as if it were output, with all non-printing elements suppressed (grids, guides, nonprinting objects), the pasteboard set to the preview background color defined in Preferences, and any printing
elements within the document's bleed area (defined in Document Setup) showing.

Displays artwork as if it were output, with all non-printing elements suppressed (grids, guides, nonprinting objects), the pasteboard set to the preview background color defined in Preferences, and any printing
elements within the document's slug area (defined in Document Setup) showing.

Slug Mode

Using the status bar
The status bar (at the lower left of a document window) shows information about the status of a file and lets you change
the document zoom percentage or turn to a different page. Click the status bar menu to do any of the following:

• Access Adobe Version Cue® commands.
• Show the current file in the file system by choosing Reveal In Explorer (Windows®) or Reveal In Finder (Mac OS®).
• Show the current file in Adobe® Bridge® by choosing Reveal in Bridge.

See also
“About Adobe Bridge” on page 100
“Adobe Version Cue” on page 101

Control panel overview
The Control panel (Window > Control) offers quick access to options, commands, and other panels related to the
current page item or objects you select. By default, the Control panel is docked to the top of the document window;
however, you can dock it to the bottom of the window, convert it to a floating panel, or hide it altogether.
Options displayed in the Control panel vary depending on the type of object you select:

• When you select a frame, the Control panel displays options for resizing, repositioning, skewing, and rotating the
frame, or applying an object style.

• When you select text inside a frame, the Control panel displays either character or paragraph options. Click the
paragraph and character icons on the left side of the Control panel to determine whether paragraph or character
options are displayed. If your monitor size and resolution allows, the Control panel displays additional options. For
example, if the character icon is selected, all the character options are displayed, and some paragraph options
appear on the right of the Control panel. If you click the paragraph icon, all paragraph options are displayed, and
some character options appear on the right.

• When you select a table cell, the Control panel displays options for adjusting row and column dimensions, merging
cells, aligning text, and adding strokes.
As the options in the Control panel change, you can get more information about each option by using tool tips—
pop-up descriptions that appear when you hover over an icon or option label with the pointer.

Control panel with tool tip displayed

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Control panel menu

To open dialog boxes associated with Control panel icons, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) as you click
a Control panel icon. For example, when a frame is selected, hold down Alt or Option and click the Rotation Angle
icon to open the Rotate dialog box.
For a video tutorial on using the Control panel, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0064.

See also
“Keys for the Control panel” on page 688
Control Panel video

Display the panel menu
❖ Click the icon

to the right of the Control panel.

Dock or float the Control panel
❖ Do one of the following:

• Drag the vertical bar on the left side of the Control panel until the toolbar is docked to the top or bottom of the
application window (Windows) or screen (Mac OS).

• Choose Dock At Top, Dock At Bottom, or Float from the Control panel menu.

About the Navigator panel
If you’re familiar with previous versions of InDesign, you may wonder why you can’t find the Navigator panel. The
Navigator panel does not appear in InDesign CS4. The Power Zoom feature effectively replaces the Navigator panel.
See “Use power zoom” on page 33.

Use context menus
Unlike the menus that appear at the top of your screen, context-sensitive menus display commands related to the
active tool or selection. You can use context menus as a quick way to choose commonly used commands.
1 Position the pointer over the document, object, or panel.
2 Click the right mouse button.

Note: (Mac OS) If you don’t have a two-button mouse, you can display a context menu by pressing the Control key as you
click with the mouse.

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Change Interface preferences
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Interface (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Interface (Mac OS).
2 Choose the settings you want to specify, and click OK.
Tool Tips Tool tips appear when you hold the mouse pointer over interface items such as tools in the toolbar and
options in the Control panel. Choose None to turn off tool tips.
Show Thumbnails On Place When you place a graphic, a thumbnail of the image appears in the loaded graphics cursor.

Similarly, a thumbnail of the first few lines of text appears in the loaded text cursor. Deselect this option if you don’t
want thumbnails to appear when placing graphics or text.
Show Transformation Values When you’re creating, sizing, or rotating an object, the cursor displays the [x,y]
coordinates, width and height, or rotation information.
Floating Tools Panel Specify whether the toolbar appears as a single column, double column, or single row.
Auto-Collapse Icon Panels When this option is selected, clicking the document window closes the open panel

automatically.
Auto-Show Hidden Panels When you hide panels by pressing Tab, holding the mouse pointer over the side of the

document window temporarily reveals the panels if this option is selected. If this option is not selected, you must press
Tab again to display panels.
Open Documents As Tabs When this option is deselected, documents you create or open appear as floating windows
rather than tabbed windows.
Enable Floating Document Window Docking If this option is selected, you can dock floating documents with each
other as tabbed windows. If this option is deselected, floating document windows aren’t docked with other document
windows, unless you hold down the Control key while dragging.

Customize menus and keyboard shortcuts
Customize menus
Hiding and colorizing menu commands is a way to remove menu clutter and emphasize commands you frequently
use. Note that hiding menu commands simply removes the menu command from view; it doesn’t disable any features.
At any time, you can view hidden commands by selecting the Show All Menu Items command at the bottom of a menu,
or you can choose Window > Workspace > Show Full Menus to show all the menus for the selected workspace. You
can include customized menus in workspaces you save.
You can customize the main menu, context menus, and panel menus. Context menus appear when you right-click
(Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) an area. Panel menus appear when you click the icon in the upper right of a
panel.
Note: If you select a different workspace, such as Getting Started, some menu commands are hidden. To display menu
commands, choose Show All Menu Items at the bottom of the menu, or choose a different workspace, such as Advanced.

See also
“Save a custom workspace” on page 21

Create a custom menu set
1 Choose Edit > Menus.

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You cannot edit the default menu set.
2 Click Save As, type the name of the menu set, and click OK.
3 From the Category menu, choose Application Menus or Context & Panel Menus to determine which menus are

customized.
4 Click the arrows to the left of the menu categories to display subcategories or menu commands. For each command

you want to customize, click the eye icon under Visibility to show or hide the command; click None under Color
to select a color from the menu.
5 Click Save, and then click OK.

Select a custom menu set
1 Choose Edit > Menus.
2 Choose the menu set from the Set menu, and then click OK.

Edit or delete a custom menu set
1 Choose Edit > Menus.
2 Choose the menu set from the Set menu, and then do one of the following:

• To edit a menu set, change the visibility or color of menu commands, click Save, and then click OK.
• To delete a menu set, click Delete and then click Yes. If you’ve modified the menu set without saving it, you’re
prompted to save the current menu set. Click Yes to save the menu set, or click No to discard changes.

Show hidden menu items
• Choose Window > Workspace > Show Full Menus. This command turns on all menus for the selected workspace.
You can hide the menus again by resetting the workspace.

• Choose Show All Menu Items at the bottom of the menu that includes hidden commands.
Holding down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) and clicking a menu name temporarily displays any menu
commands you’ve hidden by customizing menus.

Missing menu commands
If you can’t find a menu command, it may be hidden. If you select a workspace other than Advanced, some menu
commands are hidden. It’s also possible that you or someone else used the Menus command to hide menu items.
If you can’t find a command you’re looking for, try any of these techniques:

• Choose Show All Menu Items at the bottom of the menu.
• Choose Window > Workspace > Show Full Menus.
• Choose Window > Workspace, and select a different workspace (Advanced shows all menu items).
• Choose Edit > Menus, locate the menu command, and make sure it isn’t hidden.
If menu commands are still missing, try restoring preferences.

See also
“Restore all preferences and default settings” on page 39

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Use keyboard shortcut sets
Tool tips provide an instantaneous reference for shortcuts. InDesign also provides a shortcut editor in which you can
view and generate a list of all shortcuts, and edit or create your own shortcuts. The shortcut editor includes all the
commands that accept shortcuts, but some of these commands are undefined in the Default shortcut set.
You can also associate keyboard shortcuts with paragraph or character styles (see “Add paragraph and character styles”
on page 182) or scripts.
For a video tutorial on using keyboard shortcuts, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0066.

See also
“Default keyboard shortcuts” on page 679
“Scripting” on page 634

Change the active shortcut set
1 If you want the shortcut set to be active for all documents, make sure that no documents are open.
2 Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
3 Select a shortcut set in the Set menu. For example, select Shortcuts for QuarkXPress® 4.0.
4 Click OK.

View shortcuts
1 Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2 For Set, select a shortcut set.
3 For Product Area, select the area containing the commands you want to view.
4 From Commands, select a command. The shortcut is displayed in the Current Shortcut section.

Generate a list of shortcuts for printing
1 Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2 For Set, select a shortcut set.
3 Click Show Set.

A text file opens with all current and undefined shortcuts for that set.

Create a new shortcut set
1 Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2 Click New Set.
3 Type a name for the new set, select a shortcut set in the Based On Set menu, and click OK.

Create or redefine a shortcut
1 Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2 For Set, select a shortcut set or click New Set to create a new shortcut set.

Note: You cannot edit the Default or the QuarkXPress shortcut sets. Instead, create a new set based on one of these sets,
and then edit the new set.
3 For Product Area, select the area containing the command you want to define or redefine.

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4 In the Commands list, select the command that you want to define or redefine.
5 In the New Shortcut box, press the keys for your new keyboard shortcut. If the key sequence is currently being used

for another command, InDesign displays that command under Current Shortcuts. You can choose to change the
original shortcut also, or try another shortcut.
Note: Do not assign single-key shortcuts to menu commands, because they interfere with the typing of text. If an insertion
point is active when you type a single-key shortcut, InDesign actives the keyboard shortcut instead of inserting the
character in the text.
6 In the Context list, select the context in which you want the keyboard shortcut to function. The context ensures that

the shortcut performs the way you intended. For example, you can assign Ctrl+G to merge table cells (Table
context) and Ctrl+G to insert special characters (Text context).
Note: Assign shortcuts in the Default context when you want them to function regardless of the current state of the
document. Shortcuts you assign in other contexts, such as Table or Text, override shortcuts assigned in the Default
context.
7 Do one of the following:

• Click Assign to create a new shortcut where none currently exists.
• Click Assign to add another shortcut to a command. Menu commands can have multiple keyboard shortcuts.
8 Click OK to close the dialog box, or click Save to keep the dialog box open while you enter more shortcuts.

Copying keyboard shortcut sets
Keyboard shortcut sets (*.indk) are saved in two locations. The application preset shortcuts appear in the Presets folder
in the main application folder. The shortcut sets you create appear in the Shortcut Sets folder in the following locations:
Windows XP Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\[version]\[language]InDesign

Shortcut Sets
Windows Vista Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\[Version]\[Language]\InDesign Shortcut Sets
Mac OS Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign/[version]/[language]/InDesign Shortcut Sets

If you created a keyboard shortcut set on one computer and want to use it on a different computer, copy the *.indk file
to the same location on the other computer.
You can move a keyboard set from the custom location to the application folder. Doing so makes the custom shortcuts
available to all the users sharing a computer. However, make sure that you do not have two sets with the same name,
one in each place. Make sure that the application keyboard sets and the custom sets have different names.

Toolbox
Toolbox overview
Some tools in the toolbox are for selecting, editing, and creating page elements. Other tools are for choosing type,
shapes, lines, and gradients. You can change the overall layout of the toolbox to fit your preferred window and panel
layout. By default, the toolbox appears as a single vertical column of tools. You can also set it up as a double vertical
column or as one horizontal row. However, you can’t rearrange the positions of individual tools in the toolbox. You
can drag the top of the toolbox to move it.

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Select a tool from the default toolbox by clicking it. The toolbox also contains several hidden tools related to the visible
tools. Hidden tools are indicated by arrows to the right of the tool icons. Select a hidden tool by clicking and holding
the current tool in the toolbox and then selecting the tool that you want.
The name of the tool and its keyboard shortcut appear when you hold the pointer over the tool—this text is called the
tool tip. You can turn off tool tips by choosing None from the Tool Tips menu in Interface preferences.

Toolbox overview
A
A

Selection tools

Rotate (R)

Direct Selection (A)
Position (Shift+A)

Scale (S)

Shear (O)
Scissors (C)

Drawing and
Type tools

Free Transform (E)

Pen (P)
Add Anchor Point (=)
Delete Anchor Point (-)
Convert Direction
Point (Shift+C)
C

Transformation tools

Selection (V, Escape)*

Type (T)
Type On a Path (Shift+T)

Gradient Swatch (G)
Gradient Feather
(Shift+G)
D

Modification and
Navigation tools
Note

Pencil (N)
Smooth
Erase

Eyedropper (I)
Measure (K)

Line (\)

Zoom (Z)

Hand (H)

Rectangle Frame (F)
Ellipse Frame
Polygon Frame
Rectangle (M)
Ellipse (L)
Polygon

Indicates default tool * Keyboard shortcuts appear in parenthesis

Display the toolbox
❖ Choose Window > Tools.

Display tool options
❖ Double-click a tool in the toolbox.

This procedure works only for some tools, such as the Eyedropper, Pencil, and Polygon tools.

Display and select hidden tools
1 In the toolbox, position the pointer over a tool that has hidden tools and hold down the mouse button.
2 When the hidden tools appear, select a tool.

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Hidden tools menu

Change the toolbox layout
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Interface (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Interface (Mac OS).
2 Choose a layout option from the Floating Tools Panel menu and click OK.

You can also click the double arrow icon at the top of the toolbox to change the toolbox layout.

Tools overview
Type tools Create and format type in standard or customized blocks or paths. (See “Create text frames” on page 120.)
Drawing tools Draw and style simple and complex objects, including rectangles, ellipses, polygons, freeform shapes.

(See “Drawing” on page 317.)
Selection tools Select (activate) objects, points, or lines. (See “Selecting objects” on page 378.)
Transform tools Reshape, reorient, and resize objects. (See “Transforming objects” on page 384.)
Navigation tools Move around in, control the view of, and measure distances in a document. (See “Zoom in and out”
on page 32 and “Rulers and measurement units” on page 48.)
The Scissors tool Splits paths and frames. (See “Split a path” on page 333.)

Gallery of selection tools

Selection tool lets you select entire
objects.

Direct Selection tool lets you select
points on a path or contents within
a frame.

Position tool lets you crop and move
images in a frame.

See also
“Selecting objects” on page 378

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Gallery of drawing and type tools

Pen tool lets you draw
straight and curved paths.

Add Anchor Point tool
lets you add anchor points
to a path.

Delete Anchor Point tool
lets you remove anchor
points from a path.

Convert Direction Point
tool lets you convert
corner points and smooth
points.

Type tool lets you create
text frames and select
text.

Type on a Path tool lets
you create and edit type
on paths.

Pencil tool lets you draw a
freeform path.

Smooth tool lets you
remove excess angles from
a path.

Erase tool lets you delete
points on a path.

Line tool lets you draw a
line segment.

Rectangle Frame tool lets
you create a square or
rectangle placeholder.

Ellipse Frame tool lets you
create a circle or oval
placeholder.

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Polygon Frame tool lets
you create a multi-sided
shape placeholder.

Rectangle tool lets you
create a square or
rectangle.

Ellipse tool lets you create
a circle or oval.

Polygon tool lets you
create multi-sided shape.

Shear tool lets you skew
objects around a fixed
point.

Free Transform tool lets
you rotate, scale, or shear
an object.

See also
“Understanding paths and shapes” on page 317

Gallery of transformation tools

Rotate tool lets you rotate
objects around a fixed
point.

Scale tool lets you resize
objects around a fixed
point.

See also
“Transforming objects” on page 384

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Gallery of modification and navigation tools

Eyedropper tool lets you
sample color or type
attributes from objects
and apply them to other
objects.

Measure tool measures
the distance between two
points.

Gradient Swatch tool lets
you adjust the beginning
and ending points and
angle of gradients within
objects.

Scissors tool cuts paths at
specified points.

Hand tool moves the page
view within the document
window.

Zoom tool increases and
decreases the view
magnification in the
document window.

Gradient Feather tool lets
you fade an object into the
background.

Viewing the workspace
Zoom in and out
Use the Zoom tool or the Zoom commands to magnify the size of documents.

See also
“Keys for tools” on page 679

Zoom in or out
• To zoom in, select the Zoom tool

and click the area you want to magnify. Each click magnifies the view to the
next preset percentage, centering the display around the point you click. At maximum magnification, the center of
the Zoom tool appears blank. To zoom out, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click the area you
want to reduce. Each click reduces the view.

• To magnify to the next preset percentage, activate the window you want to view and choose View > Zoom In. To
reduce the view to the previous preset percentage, choose View > Zoom Out.

• To set a specific magnification level, type or choose a level in the Zoom Level box in the application bar.

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• To zoom in or out, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while using the mouse scroll wheel or sensor.
• To magnify by dragging, select the Zoom tool and drag around the area you want to magnify.

Use power zoom
Power zoom offers a quick way to scroll through your document pages. Using the grabber hand, you can use zoom in
or out and scroll through your entire document. This feature is especially useful for long documents.
1 Click the Hand tool

To activate the grabber hand, you can also hold down the spacebar or hold down Alt/Option while in text mode.
2 With the grabber hand active, click and hold down the mouse button.

The document zooms out so that you can see more of the spread. A red box indicates the view area.
3 With the mouse button still held down, drag the red box to scroll through the document pages. Press arrow keys or

use the mouse scroll wheel to change the size of the red box.
4 Release the mouse button to zoom in on the new area of the document.

The document window returns to its original zoom percentage or to the size of the red box.

Zoom to Actual Size
• Double-click the Zoom tool.
• Choose View > Actual Size.
• Type or choose a magnification level of 100 in the Zoom Level box in the application bar.

Adjust the view
Focus on the desired area of your document by fitting pages and spreads within the active window and by scrolling the view.

See also
“Keys for viewing documents and document workspaces” on page 685

Fit the page, spread, or pasteboard within the active window
• Choose View > Fit Page In Window.
• Choose View > Fit Spread In Window.
• Choose View > Entire Pasteboard.

Scroll the view
You can easily adjust the degree to which pages or objects are centered in the document window. These techniques are
also useful for navigating between pages.
❖ Do any of the following:

• Select the Hand tool

from the Tools panel, and then click and drag in the document window. Holding down Alt
(Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and pressing the spacebar temporarily activates the Hand tool.

• Click the horizontal or vertical scroll bars or drag the scroll box.
• Press Page Up or Page Down.

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• Use the mouse scroll wheel or sensor to scroll up and down. To pan left or right, press Ctrl (Windows) or Command
(Mac OS) as you use the mouse scroll wheel or sensor.

Turn pages
InDesign makes it easy to jump from page to page in a document. For example, just as most web browsers provide
Back and Forward buttons to navigate through pages you’ve visited, InDesign keeps track of the order in which you’ve
viewed pages in a document.
❖ Do any of the following:

• To move through pages in the order in which you viewed them during the current session, choose Layout > Go
Back or Go Forward.

• To go to the next or previous page, click the Next Page button

or Previous Page button
the document window, or choose Layout > Next Page or Previous Page.

• To go to the first or last page, click the First Spread button

or Last Spread button
the document window, or choose Layout > First Page or Last Page.

at the bottom of

at the lower left of

• To go to a specific page, choose Layout > Go To Page, specify the page number, and click OK. Or, click the
downward-facing arrow at the right of the page box, and then choose a page.

Choose page from page box to go to specific page

• To go to a master page, click in the page box at the lower left of the document window. Type the first few letters
of the master page name, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS). Or, in the Pages panel, double-click a
master page icon.

Work with additional windows
You can open additional windows for the same document or for other InDesign documents. With additional windows,
you can compare different spreads simultaneously, especially spreads that aren’t adjacent. You can also display
different magnifications of the same page, so that you can work closely on details while watching how the changes
affect the overall layout. In addition, you can display a master page in one window, and pages based on it in other
windows, to see how editing the master page affects various parts of the document.
When you reopen the document, only the last-used window appears.

• To create a new window for the same document, choose Window > Arrange > New Window.
• To cascade or tile windows, choose Window > Arrange > Cascade to arrange all windows into a stack, with each
window offset slightly. Or, choose Window > Arrange > Tile Horizontally or Tile Vertically to display all windows
equally without overlapping.

• To activate a window, click the window tab or title bar. Or, choose the name of the view in the Window menu.
Multiple windows for a document are numbered in the order they were created.

• To close all windows for the active document, press Shift+Ctrl+W (Windows) or Shift+Command+W (Mac OS).

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• To close all windows for all open documents, press Shift+Ctrl+Alt+W (Windows) or Shift+Command+Option+W
(Mac OS).

Use anti-aliasing for smoothing edges
Anti-aliasing smooths the jagged edges of type and bitmap images by softening the color transition between edge pixels
and background pixels. Since only the edge pixels change, no detail is lost.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Display Performance (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Display Performance

(Mac OS).
2 From the Adjust View Settings menu, choose the view setting for which you want to turn on anti-aliasing.

You can enable or disable anti-aliasing for each of the view settings. For example, you can enable anti-aliasing for High
Quality view and disable it for Fast view.
3 Select Enable Anti-aliasing.

Greek type
When display capabilities are insufficient to show text at a small size, InDesign displays the text as a dimmed bar. This
behavior is called greeking type. Any type at or below the specified type size is replaced on-screen with non-letterforms
that act as placeholders.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Display Performance (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Display Performance

(Mac OS).
2 From the Adjust View Settings menu, choose the view setting for which you want to change the Greek Type setting.

You can specify different Greek Type values for each of the view settings.
3 For Greek Type Below, type a value.
4 To control whether to greek text and images when you scroll a document, drag the Hand Tool slider to the desired

level of performance versus quality, and then click OK.

Calculate values in panels and dialog boxes
You can perform simple math in any numerical edit box. For example, if you want to move a selected object 3 units to
the right using the current measurement units, you don’t have to work out the new horizontal position—simply type
+3 after the current value in the Transform panel.
Panels use the measurement system selected in the Preferences dialog box; however, you can specify values in another
measurement instead.
1 In a text box that accepts numerical values, do one of the following:

• To replace the entire current value with a mathematical expression, select the entire current value.
• To use the current value as part of a mathematical expression, click before or after the current value.
2 Type a simple mathematical expression using a single mathematical operator, such as + (plus), - (minus),

* (multiplication), / (division), or % (percent).
For example, 0p0+3 or 5mm + 4.
3 Press Enter or Return to apply the calculation.

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In the Control panel and the Transform panel, you can duplicate the selected object and apply the calculation to the
duplicate (instead of the original). Enter the calculation and press Alt+Enter (Windows) or Option+Return
(Mac OS).

See also
“Enter values in panels and dialog boxes” on page 36

Enter values in panels and dialog boxes
Panels and dialog boxes use the measurement units and increments defined in the Edit > Preferences > Units &
Increments (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Units & Increments (Mac OS) dialog box. However, you can
specify values using any of the supported measurement units at any time by temporarily overriding the current
preference settings.
❖ Do any of the following:

• Type a value in the box, and then press Enter or Return.
• Drag the slider.
• Drag the dial.
• Click the arrow buttons in the panel to change the value.
• Click in the box and then use the up or down arrow keys on the keyboard to change the value.
• Select a value from the menu associated with the box.
Note: When you make a change using the arrow buttons, arrow keys, or pop-up menus, InDesign applies the change
immediately.

See also
“Rulers and measurement units” on page 48
“Calculate values in panels and dialog boxes” on page 35

Manage connections to web services
In Adobe® Creative Suite® 4, the Connections panel lets you manage connections to web services and the locally
installed extensions that interact with them. The Connections panel itself is an extension. Additional extensions
installed with Creative Suite applications include the following:
Adobe ConnectNow Collaborate with dispersed working teams over the web, sharing voice, data, and multimedia.
Kuler™ panel Quickly create, share, and explore color themes online.
Search for Help In the upper-right corner of applications, enter search terms to access Community Help. Community
Help includes Adobe product Help, plus additional content from the design and production communities.

Visit www.adobe.com to learn about additional services and extensions.

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Log into Adobe web services
Regardless of which application you use to access the Connections panel, logging in automatically connects you to
services such as ConnectNow meetings.
1 In Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Fireworks, or Dreamweaver, choose Window > Extensions >

Connections.
2 Enter your Adobe ID and password. (If you lack an ID or can’t remember it, click the appropriate link.)
3 (Optional) To remain logged in when you restart the computer, select Remember Me On This Computer.
4 Click Log In.

Disable automatic extension updates
By default, the Connections panel automatically updates installed extensions. However, you can disable automatic
updates and instead check for them manually.
1 From the Connections panel menu

, select Update Preferences.

2 Deselect Check For Updates Automatically.
3 Restart any open Adobe Creative Suite applications.

Manually check for updated extensions
❖ From the Connections panel menu

, select Check For Updates.

Disable web services
If your work environment disallows online connections, you can disable web services. You can also use this option to
disable your product from accessing online Community Help. When you disable web services and search for help, the
product provides results from the local help system only.
Note: Local Help includes only a portion of the full version of online product Help.
1 From the Connections panel menu

, select Offline Options.

2 Select Keep Me Offline.

To disable the Connections panel and web services only in Photoshop, deselect Allow Extensions To Connect in the
Plug-Ins section of the Preferences dialog box.

See also
“Help and support” on page 2

Working with ConnectNow
Working with ConnectNow
Adobe® ConnectNow provides you with a secure, personal online meeting room where you can meet and collaborate
with others via the web in real time. With ConnectNow, you can share and annotate your computer screen, send chat
messages, and communicate using integrated audio. You can also broadcast live video, share files, capture meeting
notes, and control an attendee's computer.

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You can access ConnectNow directly from the application interface.
1 Choose File > Share My Screen.
2 In the Share My Screen dialog box, enter your Adobe ID and password, and click Sign In. If you don’t have an

Adobe ID and password, click the Create a Free Adobe ID link at the top of the dialog box.
3 To share your screen, click the Share My Computer Screen button at the center of the ConnectNow application

window.
For complete instructions on using ConnectNow, see
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Acrobat.com/ConnectNow/index.html.
For a video tutorial about using ConnectNow, see Using ConnectNow to share your screen (7:12). (This
demonstration is in Dreamweaver.)

Setting preferences
About preferences and defaults
Preferences include settings such as panel positions, measurement options, and display options for graphics and
typography. Preference settings specify how InDesign documents and objects behave initially.
Numerous program preferences and default settings are stored in the Adobe InDesign preferences files. These files,
including the InDesign Defaults file, are saved each time you exit from InDesign. The settings files are located here:
Windows XP Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\[Version]\[language]
Windows Vista Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\[version]\[language]
Mac OS [username]/Library/Preferences/Adobe/InDesign/[version]/[language]

Note: InDesign preference settings are fully scriptable. To share a consistent set of preferences across user groups, develop
a script to set the preferences, and then have all users in the group run the script on their computers. Don’t copy and paste
one user’s preferences files onto another computer, as doing so might cause application instability. For more information
about scripting, see the Scripting Guide on the InDesign CS4 DVD.

Set general preferences
This section covers preference settings in the General tab of the Preferences dialog box. For information on other
preferences, search for the appropriate setting.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > General (Mac OS), and then choose

the type of preferences you want to specify.
2 In the Page Numbering section, choose a page numbering method from the View menu. (See “Display absolute or

section numbering in the Pages panel” on page 88.)
3 In the Font Downloading and Embedding section, specify a threshold to trigger font subsetting based on the

number of glyphs a font contains. This setting affects font downloading options in the Print and Export dialog
boxes.

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4 In the When Scaling section, you can determine how scaled objects are reflected in panels and how the content of

scaled frames behaves.

• Select Apply To Content if you want the point size to change when a text frame is scaled. (See “Scale type” on
page 238.) If this option is selected when a graphics frame is scaled, the percentage size of the image changes, but
the frame reverts its percentage to 100%. (See “Scale objects” on page 395.)

• Select Adjust Scaling Percentage to display the original point size with the new point size in parentheses when you
scale text. If this option is selected when you scale graphics frames, the percentage size of both the frame and image
changes.
5 In the Scripting section, select Enable Attached Scripts to allow JavaScript actions to be attached to features in

InDesign. You may want to turn off this option if you’re opening an InDesign document from an unknown source.
6 Click Reset All Warning Dialogs to display all warnings, even the ones you’ve already checked not to display. (As

warnings appear, you can select a check box to prevent the warning from appearing again.)

Set defaults
If you change settings when no documents are open, your changes set the defaults for new documents. If a document
is open when you change settings, the changes affect only that document.
Similarly, if you change settings when no objects are selected, your changes set the defaults for new objects.

Change default settings for new documents
1 Close all documents.
2 Change any menu items or panel or dialog box settings.

If you use the same page size and language for most of your documents, you can change these defaults with no
document open. For example, to change the default page size, close all documents, choose File > Document Setup, and
select a desired page size. To set a default dictionary, close all documents, choose Edit > Preferences > Dictionary
(Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Dictionary (Mac OS), and select an option from the Language menu.

Specify default settings for new objects in a document
1 With document open, choose Edit > Deselect All.
2 Change any menu items or panel or dialog box settings.

Restore all preferences and default settings
When InDesign is behaving erratically, deleting preferences (also referred to as “trashing preferences” or “removing
preferences”) often solves the problem.
❖ Do one of the following:

• (Windows) Start InDesign, and then press Shift+Ctrl+Alt. Click Yes when asked if you want to delete preference
files.

• (Mac OS) While pressing Shift+Option+Command+Control, start InDesign. Click Yes when asked if you want to
delete preference files.

About InDesign styles and presets
You can store settings for reuse, including settings for the following items:

• Creating paragraph and character styles. (See “Add paragraph and character styles” on page 182.)

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• Creating object styles. (See “Object styles” on page 196.)
• Creating table and cell styles. (See “Table and cell styles” on page 285.)
• Creating PDF export presets. (See “Customize Adobe PDF presets” on page 500.)
• Creating print presets. All the attributes in the Print dialog box are included in the style. (See “Print a document or
book” on page 584.)

• Creating trap presets. (See “Trapping color” on page 484.)
• Creating transparency flattener presets. (See “Flattening transparent artwork” on page 426.)
• Creating table of contents styles. (See “Create or import TOC styles” on page 299.)
• Saving the workspace configuration.
• Creating document presets. (See “Define document presets” on page 45.)
• Creating stroke styles. (See “Define custom stroke styles” on page 338.)
In general, change the feature settings in the dialog box, and then save the settings. Styles and presets are stored in the
document in which they are created. You can use the settings from another document by importing or loading the
styles and presets from that document. In addition, most presets can be exported or saved to a separate file and
distributed to other computers.
You can also share styles and presets across all documents in a book file. For more information, see “Synchronize book
documents” on page 293.

Recovery and undo
Recover documents
InDesign guards your data against unexpected power or system failures using an automatic recovery feature.
Automatically recovered data exists in a temporary file that is separate from the original document file on disk. Under
normal circumstances you don’t need to think about automatically recovered data, because any document updates
stored in the automatic recovery file are automatically added to the original document file when you choose the Save
or Save As command or exit from InDesign normally. Automatically recovered data is important only if you’re unable
to save successfully before an unexpected power or system failure.
Even though these features exist, you should save your files often and create backup files in case of unexpected power
or system failures.

See also
“Adobe Version Cue” on page 101

Find recovered documents
1 Restart your computer.
2 Start InDesign.

If automatically recovered data exists, InDesign automatically displays the recovered document. The word
[Recovered] appears after the filename in the title bar of the document window to indicate that the document contains
unsaved changes that were automatically recovered.
Note: If InDesign fails after attempting to open a document using automatically recovered changes, the automatically
recovered data may be corrupted.

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3 Do one of the following:

• To save the recovered data, choose File > Save As, specify a location and a new filename, and click Save. The Save
As command keeps the recovered version that includes the automatically recovered data; the word [Recovered]
disappears from the title bar.

• To discard automatically recovered changes and use the most recent version of the document that was explicitly
saved to disk before the failure occurred, close the file without saving it and open the file on disk, or choose File >
Revert.

Change the location of recovered documents
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > File Handling (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > File Handling (Mac OS).
2 Under Document Recovery Data, click Browse (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS).
3 Specify the new location for the recovered document, click Select (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS), and then

click OK.

Undo mistakes
If necessary, you can cancel a lengthy operation before it’s completed, undo recent changes, or revert to a previously
saved version. You can undo or redo up to several hundred of the most recent actions (the amount is limited by the
amount of RAM available and the kinds of actions you performed). The series of actions is discarded when you choose
the Save As command, close a document, or when you exit from the program.
❖ Do one of the following:

• To undo the most recent change, choose Edit > Undo [action]. (You cannot undo certain actions, such as scrolling.)
• To redo an action, choose Edit > Redo [action].
• To undo all changes made since the last time you saved the project, choose File > Revert (InDesign) or File > Revert
Content (InCopy).

• To close a dialog box without applying changes, click Cancel.

What to do if InDesign freezes
Unfortunately, system errors may occur while you use Adobe InDesign. System errors can manifest in many different
ways, including a blank or flickering dialog box, a frozen cursor or screen, a blue screen, an unexpected restart, or an
error such as “Application Error.” If you’re experiencing multiple system errors while using InDesign, see one of the
following tech notes:
Troubleshoot system errors and freezes in InDesign and InCopy (Windows)
Troubleshoot system errors and freezes in InDesign and InCopy (Mac OS)

Common InDesign error messages
This is an incomplete list of error messages you may encounter while installing or using InDesign. If you’re looking
for information for an error that’s not on this list, please leave a comment below.
Windows crash errors
The following errors may appear if InDesign crashes in Windows:

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“Application Error”
“The instruction at ‘[memory address]’ referenced memory at ‘[memory address]’. The memory could not be
‘read’.”“[filename] has generated errors and will be closed by Windows.”“This program has performed an illegal
operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.”“InDesign caused a General
Protection Fault in module [filename].”“InDesign caused an Invalid Page Fault in module [filename].”“Unhandled
exception detected. Application will be terminated.”“Illegal Instruction.”“Segment load failure in
[filename].”“InDesign has encountered a problem and needs to close.”“Fatal System Error.”
If any of these errors recur, see the tech note on Troubleshooting system errors and crashes in InDesign (Windows).
Mac OS crash errors
“The application ‘InDesign/InCopy’ has unexpectedly quit. The system and other applications have not been affected.”
See the tech note on Troubleshooting system errors and crashes in InDesign (Mac OS).
Installation and licensing errors
“Licensing for this product has stopped working.” See this tech note.
“Error 1603. A fatal error occurred during installation.” See tech note
“Unable to read Adobe file version for path /Library/Fonts/MinionPro-Bold.otf.” See tech note.
“The feature... is on a network resource that is unavailable" or “Error 1714.” See tech note.
“Please insert Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection Disk 1.” See tech note.
Other installation errors or problems for Windows XP (see tech note), Windows Vista (see tech note), or Mac OS (see
tech note).
Other InDesign errors
“Cannot open the document... not a valid InDesign Interchange document.” See tech note.
“Failed to export PDF.” See tech note.
Looking for an error message not listed? Leave a comment.

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Chapter 3: Layout
The decisions you make when you first set up a document affect how efficiently you can design and produce pages.
Proper planning helps you and your vendors save money and time.

Creating documents
Create new documents
Page design begins with the basics: starting a new document, setting up pages, and positioning margins and columns
or changing grid settings.
For a video tutorial on setting up new documents, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4273_id.

See also
“Recommended workflow for InDesign documents” on page 97
“Use document templates” on page 102
“Add documents to a book file” on page 291

Create a new document
1 Choose File > New > Document.

The New Document dialog box combines the Document Setup and the Margins And Columns dialog boxes, so that
you can set up the page size, margins, and page columns all in one place. You can change these settings at any time.
2 Choose a Page Size or specify a custom Width and Height for your document.
3 Click the orientation for the page, either Portrait

(tall) or Landscape

(wide).

4 Specify options in the Margins and Columns sections, if necessary.
5 To specify the dimensions of the bleed and slug areas, click More Options. The bleed and slug areas extend out from

the edges of the defined Page Size. To make the bleed or slug areas extend evenly on all sides, click the Make All
Settings The Same icon
. (See “New Document options” on page 43.)
6 Click OK to open a new document with the settings you specified.

To set default layout settings for all new documents, choose File > Document Setup or Layout > Margins And
Columns, and set options when no documents are open.

New Document options
Facing Pages Select this option to make left and right pages face each other in a double-page spread, such as for books
and magazines. Deselect this option to let each page stand alone, such as when you’re printing flyers or posters or when
you want objects to bleed in the binding.

After you’ve created a document, you can use the Pages panel to create spreads with more than two pages or force the
first two pages to open as a spread. (See “Control spread pagination” on page 64.)

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Master Text Frame Select this option to create a text frame the size of the area within the margin guides, matching the

column settings you specified. The master text frame is added to the A-Master. (See “Using text frames on master
pages” on page 122.)
The Master Text Frame option is available only when you’ve chosen File > New > Document.
Page Size Choose a page size from the menu, or type values for Width and Height. Page size represents the final size

you want after bleeds or other marks outside the page are trimmed.
Orientation Click Portrait

(tall) or Landscape
(wide). These icons interact dynamically with the dimensions
you enter in Page Size. When Height is the larger value, the portrait icon is selected. When Width is the larger value,
the landscape icon is selected. Clicking the deselected icon switches the Height and Width values.
To specify the dimensions of the bleed and slug areas, click More Options in the New Document dialog box. To make
the bleed or slug areas extend evenly on all sides, click the Make All Settings The Same icon
.

Bleed The Bleed area allows you to print objects that are arranged at the outer edge of the defined page size. For a page

of the required dimensions, if an object is positioned at its edge, some white may appear at the edge of the printed area
due to slight misalignment during printing or trimming. For this reason, you should position an object that is at the
edge of the page of the required dimensions a little beyond the edge, and trim after printing. Bleed area is shown by a
red line on the document. You can set bleed area settings from Bleed in the Print dialog box.
Slug The slug area is discarded when the document is trimmed to its final page size. The slug area holds printing

information, customized color bar information, or displays other instructions and descriptions for other information
in the document. Objects (including text frames) positioned in the slug area are printed but will disappear when the
document is trimmed to its final page size.
Objects outside the bleed or slug area (whichever extends farther) do not print.
Note: You can also click Save Preset to save document settings for future use.

Document window overview
Each page or spread in your document has its own pasteboard and guides, which are visible in Normal View mode.
(To switch to Normal View, choose View > Screen Mode > Normal.) The pasteboard is replaced with a gray
background when the document is viewed using one of the Preview modes. (See “Preview documents” on page 590.)
You can change the color of this preview background and guides in Guides & Pasteboard preferences.
A

E
F

Document and guides in Normal View Mode
A. Spread (black lines) B. Page (black lines) C. Margin guides (magenta lines) D. Column guides (violet lines) E. Bleed area (red lines) F. Slug
area (blue lines)

Document window notes:

• Lines of other colors are ruler guides which, when present, appear in the layer color when selected. See “Layers” on
page 75.

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• Column guides appear in front of margin guides. When a column guide is exactly in front of a margin guide, it hides
the margin guide.

Creating custom page sizes
If you routinely specify a custom page size, you can add it to the Page Size menu in the New Document dialog box.
You add custom page sizes to the Page Size menu by editing the New Doc Sizes text file in the Presets folder (in the
InDesign application folder). This text file is self-documenting; to define custom page sizes, open the file in a text editor
and follow the instructions in the file itself.
Page sizes defined in the New Doc Sizes file will appear in the New Document dialog box and the Document Settings
dialog box.
Note: You can also specify a custom page size in the New Document dialog box or the Document Settings dialog box;
however, custom page sizes specified in these dialog boxes are not available to other documents you create.

See also
“Change document setup, margins, and columns” on page 46

Define document presets
You can save document settings for page size, columns, margins, and bleed and slug areas in a preset to save time and
ensure consistency when creating similar documents.
1 Choose File > Document Presets > Define.
2 Click New in the dialog box that appears.
3 Specify a name for the preset and select basic layout options in the New Document Preset dialog box. (See “New

Document options” on page 43 for a description of each option.)
4 Click OK twice.

You can save a document preset to a separate file and distribute it to other users. To save and load document preset
files, use the Save and Load buttons in the Document Presets dialog box.

Create a document using a preset
1 Do one of the following:.

• Choose File > Document Preset > [name of preset]. (Hold down Shift while choosing the preset to create a new
document based on the preset without opening the New Document dialog box.)

• Choose File > New > Document, and then choose a preset from the Document Preset menu in the New
Document dialog box.
The New Document dialog box displays the preset layout options.
2 Make changes to the options (if desired) and click OK.

To skip the New Document dialog box, press the Shift key as you select a preset from the Document Preset menu.

Customize the pasteboard and guides
You can control the colors used to display guides for page margins and columns, as well as the guides for the bleed and
slug areas on the pasteboard. To make it easier to distinguish between the Normal and Preview modes, you can change
the color of the preview background.

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InDesign also lets you control how close an object needs to be to snap to a guide, whether guides should be displayed
in front of or behind objects, as well as the size of the pasteboard.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Guides & Pasteboard (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Guides & Pasteboard

(Mac OS).
2 Under Color, choose the desired colors from each of the following menus, or choose Custom to specify a custom

color using the color picker.
Margins Sets the color of the page margins.
Columns Sets the color of the column guides for the page.
Bleed Sets the color of the bleed area (which is set in the Document Setup dialog box).
Slug Sets the color of the slug area (which is set in the Document Setup dialog box).
Preview Background Sets the color of the pasteboard when in the Preview mode.

3 To set how close an object must be to snap to a guide or grid, specify a value in pixels for Snap To Zone.
4 To display guides behind objects, select Guides In Back.
5 To specify how far the pasteboard extends out from the page or spread (or the bleed or slug area, if specified), enter

a value for Minimum Vertical Offset.
6 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog box.

You can change the on-screen color of your paper. With no text or objects selected, double-click the Paper color in the
Swatches panel (choose Window > Swatches). The Paper color appears on-screen only and does not affect output; it
is intended only to simulate designing for nonwhite paper.

See also
“Kuler panel” on page 449

Import selected swatches from a file
1 Choose New Color Swatch from the Swatches panel menu.
2 Choose Other Library from the Color Mode list, and then select the file from which you want to import swatches.
3 Click Open.
4 Select the swatches you want import.
5 Click OK.

Import all swatches from a file
1 From the Swatches panel menu, choose Load Swatches.
2 Double-click an InDesign document.

Copy swatches between InDesign documents
You can copy or drag a swatch (or objects with a swatch applied) from one document to another. When you do so, the
swatch is added to the destination document’s Swatches panel. If you want to copy the swatch’s tints and gradients as
well, you need to copy the original object, not just the swatch.
❖ Do one of the following:

• Copy an object into the current document using drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste.
• Select the swatches you want to copy and drag them from the Swatches panel to the document window of another
InDesign document.
Note: If you drag a swatch that has an identical name as an existing swatch (including capitalization) but has different
color values, InDesign renames the swatch “[original swatch
name] 2.”

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Load swatches from predefined custom color libraries
You can select from a range of color libraries—including the PANTONE Process Color System, Toyo™ Ink Electronic
Color Finder™ 1050, the Focoltone® color system, the Trumatch™ color swatch system, the DIC Process Color Note,
and libraries created especially for web use. Before using swatches from a color matching system, consult with your
prepress service providers to determine which ones they support.
1 Choose New Color Swatch from the Swatches panel menu.
2 Do one of the following:

• Choose the library file from the Color Mode list.
• Choose Other Library from the Color Mode list, locate the library file, and then click Open.
3 Select one or more swatches from the library, and click Add. (To exit the dialog box without adding swatches,

click OK.)
4 When you are done adding swatches, click Done.

Color libraries installed with InDesign
InDesign installs color libraries for the color matching systems described below. You can install additional color
libraries and load swatches from them in InDesign.
ANPA Color Consists of 300 colors selected by ANPA (American Newspaper Publishers Association). Colors in this

library are primarily used as spot colors in newspapers.
DIC Color Provides 1280 CMYK spot colors from the DIC Process Color Note. Colors may be matched against the DIC
Color Guide, published by Dainippon Ink & Chemicals, Inc. For more information, contact Dainippon Ink &
Chemicals, Inc., in Tokyo, Japan.
Focoltone Consists of 763 CMYK colors. You can use Focoltone colors to help avoid prepress trapping and

registration problems by viewing the Focoltone charts that show the overprints that make up the colors.
A swatch book with specifications for process and spot colors, overprint charts, and a chip book for marking up layouts
are available from Focoltone. For more information, contact Focoltone International, Ltd., in Stafford, United
Kingdom.
HKS Use when your job specifies colors from the HKS color system, which is used in Europe.
PANTONE® PANTONE® Colors are the worldwide standards for spot color reproduction. In 2000, a major revision was
made to the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® Color guides. 147 new solid colors and seven additional metallic
colors have been added to the System to now include a total of 1,114 colors. PANTONE Color guides and chip books
are now printed on coated, uncoated, and matte paper stocks to ensure accurate visualization of the printed result and
better on-press control.

You can print a solid PANTONE Color in CMYK. To compare a solid PANTONE Color to its closest process color
match, use the PANTONE solid to process guide. The CMYK screen tint percentages are printed under each color.
The guide is now printed on a brighter coated stock and includes comparisons of the 147 new solid colors to CMYK.
PANTONE process guides let you choose from over 3,000 process combinations now printed on coated and uncoated
stocks. Displayed in chromatic order in fan-guide format, it's easy to select colors and specify CMYK screen values.
For more information, contact Pantone, Inc., in Carlstadt, New Jersey, U.S.A.
System (Windows) Includes 256 colors of the Windows default 8-bit panel, which is based on a uniform sampling of

RGB colors.
System (Mac OS) Includes 256 colors of the Mac OS default 8-bit panel, which is based on a uniform sampling of RGB

colors.

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Toyo Color Finder Includes 1050 colors based on the most common printing inks used in Japan. You can use the Toyo
94 Color Finder or the newer Toyo Color Finder. Consult the color guide that illustrates printed samples of Toyo Ink.
This color guide is available at print publishers and graphic arts supply stores. For more information, contact Toyo Ink
Manufacturing Co., Ltd., in Tokyo, Japan.
Trumatch Provides predictable CMYK color matching with over 2000 achievable, computer-generated colors.
Trumatch colors cover the visible spectrum of the CMYK gamut in even steps. The Trumatch Color Finder displays
up to 40 tints and shades of each hue, each originally created in four-color process and each reproducible in four colors
on electronic imagesetters. In addition, four-color grays using different hues are included. For more information,
contact Trumatch Inc., in New York, New York, U.S.A.
Web Includes the 216 RGB web-safe colors most often used by web browsers to display 8-bit images. This library helps

you create artwork for the web using colors that display consistently across Windows and Macintosh systems.

Kuler panel
About the Kuler panel
The Kuler™ panel is your portal to groups of colors, or themes, created by an online community of designers. You can
use it to browse thousands of themes on Kuler™, and then download some to edit or to include in your own projects.
You can also use the Kuler panel to create and save themes, and then share them with the Kuler community by
uploading them.
The Kuler panel is available in Adobe Photoshop® CS4, Adobe Flash® Professional CS4, Adobe InDesign® CS4, Adobe
Illustrator® CS4, and Adobe Fireworks® CS4. The panel is not available in the French versions of these products.
For a video on the Kuler panel, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4088_xp.
For an article on Kuler and color inspiration, see Veerle Pieters' blog at
http://veerle.duoh.com/blog/comments/adobe_kuler_update_and_color_tips/.

Browse themes
An Internet connection is required to browse themes online.
Search themes
1 Select Window > Extensions > Kuler, and then select the Browse panel.
2 Do either of the following:

• In the Search box, enter the name of a theme, tag, or creator.
Note: Use only alphanumerical characters (Aa-Zz, 0-9) in searches.

• Filter the search results by selecting an option from the pop-up menus above the results.
View a theme online on Kuler
1 In the Browse panel, select a theme in the search results.
2 Click the triangle on the right side of the theme and select View Online in Kuler.

Saving frequent searches
1 Select the Custom option in the first pop-up menu in the Browse panel.
2 In the dialog box that opens, enter your search terms and save them.

When you want to run the search, select it from the first pop-up menu.

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To delete a saved search, select the Custom option in the pop-up menu. Then clear the searches you want to delete,
and click Save.

Working with themes
You can use the Kuler panel to create or edit themes, and include them in your projects.
Note: In Illustrator, you create and edit themes with the Edit Color/Recolor Artwork dialog box, rather than the Create
panel. For details, see Illustrator Help.
Add a theme to the Swatches panel of your application
1 In the Browse panel, select a theme you want to use.
2 Click the triangle on the right side of the theme and select Add To Swatches Panel.

You can also add a theme from the Create panel by clicking the Add To Swatches button at the bottom of the panel.
Edit a theme
1 In the Browse panel, locate a theme you want to edit and then double-click the theme in the search results. The

theme opens in the Create panel.
2 In the Create panel, edit the theme using the tools at your disposal. For more information, see the Create Panel

Tools topic that follows.
3 Do one of the following:

• Save your theme by clicking the Save Theme button.
• Add the theme to your application’s Swatches panel by clicking the Add To Swatches Panel button at the bottom
of the panel.

• Upload the theme to the Kuler service by clicking the Upload button at the bottom of the panel.
Create panel tools
The Create panel provides a variety of tools to create or edit themes.

• Select a harmony rule from the Select Rule pop-up menu. The harmony rule uses the base color as the basis for
generating the colors in the color group. For example, if you choose a blue base color and the Complementary
harmony rule, a color group is created using the base color, blue, and its complement, red.

• Select the Custom rule to create a theme using free-form adjustments.
• Manipulate the colors in the color wheel. As you make your adjustments, the selected harmony rule continues to
govern the colors generated for the color group.

•

Move the Brightness slider beside the wheel to adjust the color brightness.

• Set the base color by dragging the Base color marker (the largest, double-ringed color marker) around the wheel.
You can also set the base color by adjusting the color sliders at the bottom of the dialog box.

• Set one of the four other colors in the color group as the base color. Select the color’s swatch and click the bull’s-eye
button below the color group.

• Set the host application’s foreground/background color or stroke/fill color as the base color. Click one of the first
two buttons below the color group.

• Remove a color from the color group by selecting the color’s swatch and clicking the Remove Color button below
the color group. Add a new color by selecting an empty color swatch and clicking the Add Color button.

• Try different color effects by selecting a new harmony rule and by moving the markers in the color wheel.

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• Double-click any of the swatches in the color group to set the active color (foreground/background or stroke/fill)
in your application. If the application doesn't have an active or selected color feature, the Kuler panel sets the
foreground color or the fill color as appropriate.

Tints
About tints
A tint is a screened (lighter) version of a color. Tinting is an economical way to make additional spot color variations
without having to pay for additional spot color inks. Tinting is also a quick way to create lighter versions of process
colors, although it doesn’t reduce the cost of printing process colors. As with non-tinted colors, it’s best to name and
store tints in the Swatches panel so that you can easily edit all instances of that tint in your document.

Spot color and tints

A tint of a spot color is printed on the same printing plate as the spot color. A tint of a process color multiplies each of
the CMYK process inks by the tint percentage; for example, an 80% tint of C10 M20 Y40 K10 results in C8 M16 Y32 K8.
Because colors and tints update together, if you edit a swatch, all objects that use a tint of that swatch update
accordingly. You can also edit the base swatch of a named tint using the Swatch Options command in the Swatches
panel menu; this updates any other tints based on the same swatch.
The tint range in Adobe Creative Suite 3 is 0% to 100%; the lower the number, the lighter the tint.

Create and edit tints
You can adjust the tint of an individual object, or create tints by using the Tint slider in the Swatches panel or Color
panel. The tint range is from 0% to 100%; the lower the number, the lighter the tint will be.
Because colors and tints update together, if you edit a swatch, all objects that use a tint of that swatch update
accordingly. You can also edit the base swatch of a named tint using the Swatch Options command in the Swatches
panel menu; this updates any other tints based on the same swatch.

Create a tint swatch using the Swatches panel
1 In the Swatches panel, select a color swatch.
2 Select the arrow next to the Tint box.
3 Drag the Tint slider, and click the New Swatch button

or select New Tint Swatch in the Swatches panel menu.

The tint appears in the Swatches panel with the name of its base color and the percentage of the tint.

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Create a tint swatch using the Color panel
1 In the Swatches panel, select a swatch.
2 In the Color panel, drag the Tint slider, or enter a tint value in the Percentage box.
3 In the Color panel menu, click Add To Swatches.

Drag the Tint slider and then click Add To Swatches.

Create an unnamed tint
1 In the Swatches panel, select the Fill box or the Stroke box.
2 Drag the Tint slider, or enter a tint value in the percentage box.

Edit a tint or base color swatch
1 In the Swatches panel, double-click the tint swatch.
2 Do one of the following, and click OK:

• To edit the tint, change the Tint value. This updates all objects using that tint swatch.
• To edit the tint’s base color swatch, change the Color Mode or the Color Mode values. This also updates all other
tints based on that same color swatch.

Gradients
About gradients
A gradient is a graduated blend between two or more colors or between two tints of the same color. The output device
you use affects how gradients color separate.
Gradients can include Paper, process colors, spot colors, or mixed ink colors using any color mode. Gradients are
defined by a series of color stops in the gradient bar. A stop is the point at which a gradient changes from one color to
the next, and is identified by a color square under the gradient bar. By default, a gradient starts with two colors and a
midpoint at 50%.
Note: When you create a gradient using colors of different modes and then print or color separate the gradient, all colors
are converted to CMYK process colors. Because of the color mode change, colors may shift. For best results, specify
gradients using CMYK colors.

See also
“About printing” on page 583

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Create a gradient swatch
You can create, name, and edit gradients using the same Swatches panel you use to work with solid colors and tints.
You can also create unnamed gradients using the Gradient panel.
1 Choose New Gradient Swatch in the Swatches panel menu.
2 For Swatch Name, type a name for the gradient.
3 For Type, choose Linear or Radial.
4 Select the first color stop in the gradient.

First color stop

5 For Stop Color, do one of the following:

• To choose a color that’s already in the Swatches panel, choose Swatches, and select a color from the list.
• To mix a new unnamed color for the gradient, choose a color mode, and enter color values or drag the sliders.
By default, the first stop of the gradient is set to white. To make it transparent, apply the Paper swatch.
6 To change the last color in the gradient, select the last color stop, and repeat step 5.
7 To adjust the position of gradient colors, do one of the following:

• Drag the color stops located under the bar.
• Select a color stop under the bar, and enter a Location value to set the position of that color. This position represents
the percentage of distance between the previous color and the next color.
8 To adjust the midpoint between two gradient colors (the point at which the colors are at 50%), do one of the

following:

• Drag the diamond icon located above the bar.
• Select the diamond icon above the bar, and enter a Location value to set the position of that color. This position
represents the percentage of distance between the previous color and the next color.
9 Click OK or Add. The gradient is stored in the Swatches panel with its name.

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Apply an unnamed gradient using the Gradient panel
Although the Swatches panel is the recommended panel for creating and storing gradients, you can also work with
gradients by using the Gradient panel (Window > Gradient), with which you may be familiar if you also use Adobe
Illustrator. You can add the current gradient to the Swatches panel at any time. The Gradient panel is useful for
creating an unnamed gradient that won’t be used often.

Gradient panel
A. Gradient fill B. Gradient type menu C. Reverse button D. Starting color stop E. Midpoint F. Ending color stop

Note: If you select an object that currently uses a named gradient, editing the gradient by using the Gradient panel will
change the color of that object only. To edit every instance of a named gradient, double-click its swatch in the Swatches
panel.
1 Select the object or objects you want to change.
2 Click the Fill or Stroke box in the Swatches panel or the Toolbox. (If the Gradient Fill box is not visible, choose Show

Options in the Gradient panel menu.)
3 To open the Gradient panel, choose Window > Gradient, or double-click the Gradient tool

in the Toolbox.

4 To define the starting color of a gradient, click the leftmost color stop below the gradient bar, and then do one of

the following:

• Drag a swatch from the Swatches panel and drop it on the color stop.
• Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) a color swatch in the Swatches panel.
• In the Color panel, create a color using the sliders or the color bar.
5 To define the ending color of the gradient, click the rightmost color stop below the gradient bar. Then choose the

color you like, as described in the previous step.
6 Select either Linear or Radial in the Type menu, and adjust color and midpoint positions as explained in “Create a

gradient swatch” on page 453.
Note: When you change the gradient type, it will reset the gradient’s starting and ending points to its original default for
the currently selected object.
7 To adjust the gradient angle, type a value for Angle.

Modify gradients
You can modify gradients by adding colors to create multicolor gradients, and by adjusting color stops and midpoints.
It’s a good idea to fill an object with the gradient you plan to adjust, so that you can preview the effect on the object
while you adjust the gradient.
You can modify gradients pasted from Adobe Illustrator, provided that the gradient was pasted using AICB (Adobe
Illustrator Clipboard) format. (See “Pasting Illustrator graphics into InDesign” on page 349.) To select the gradient,
use the Direct Selection tool.
Note: If you edit a color swatch, any gradient stops that use that swatch will update accordingly, changing the gradient.

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Add intermediate colors to a gradient
1 Double-click a gradient swatch in the Swatches panel, or display the Gradient panel.
2 Click anywhere below the gradient bar to define a new color stop. The new color stop is automatically defined by

the color values at that position along the existing gradient.
3 Adjust the new color stop.

You can also drag a swatch from the Swatches panel onto the gradient bar in the Gradient panel to define a new color
stop.

Remove an intermediate color from a gradient
❖ Select the intermediate color stop, and drag it to the edge of the panel.

Reverse a gradient’s color progression
1 Activate a gradient.
2 In the Gradient panel, click the Reverse button

Adjust a gradient with the Gradient tools
Once you have filled an object with a gradient, you can modify the gradient by using the Gradient Swatch tool
or
the Gradient Feather tool
to “repaint” the fill by dragging along an imaginary line. The Gradient tools let you
change the direction of a gradient, change its beginning point and endpoint, and apply a gradient across multiple
objects. The Gradient Feather tool lets you soften the gradient in the direction in which you drag.
1 In the Swatches panel or Toolbox, select the Fill box or the Stroke box, depending on where the original gradient

was applied.
2 Select the Gradient Swatch or Gradient Feather tool, and position it at the place where you want to define the

beginning point of the gradient. Drag across the object in the direction you want the gradient to be applied. Hold
down Shift to constrain the tool to multiples of 45°.
Dragging the Gradient Feather tool across the gradient progressively softens the colors in the gradient within the area
you drag.
3 Release the mouse button at the place where you want to define the endpoint of the gradient.

Apply a gradient across multiple objects
1 Make sure that all selected objects already use a gradient.
2 In the Toolbox, select the Fill box or the Stroke box.
3 Select the Gradient tool

, and position it where you want to define the beginning point of the gradient. Drag
across the object in the direction you want the gradient to be applied. Hold down Shift to constrain the tool to
multiples of 45°.

4 Release the mouse button at the place where you want to define the endpoint of the gradient.

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Default gradient fill (left) and gradient applied across objects (right)

If a compound path with a gradient is selected, you can edit the gradient across all of its subpaths by using the
Gradient panel alone, without having to use the Gradient tool.

Applying gradients to text
Within a single text frame, you can create multiple ranges of gradient text alongside default black text and color text.
A gradient’s endpoints are always anchored in relation to the bounding box of the gradient’s path or text frame.
Individual text characters display the part of the gradient over which they are positioned. If you resize the text frame
or make other changes that cause text characters to reflow, the characters are redistributed across the gradient, and the
colors of individual characters change accordingly.

Working with gradient-filled text characters
A. Underlying gradient fill B. Text characters with gradient applied C. Text added, and text shifting position relative to gradient fill

If you want to adjust a gradient so that its complete color range spans a specific range of text characters, you have two
options:

• Use the Gradient tool to reset the gradient’s endpoints, so that they span only the characters you selected when you
applied the gradient.

• Select the text and convert it to outlines (editable paths), and then apply a gradient to the resulting outlines. This is
the best option for a short run of display type in its own text frame. The gradient will be permanently anchored to
the outlines, not the text frame, and the outlines will continue to flow with the rest of the text. However, the outlines
will function as a single inline graphic within the text frame, so you won’t be able to edit the text. Also, typographic
options will no longer apply; for example, text converted to outlines will not hyphenate.

By default, type that shifts position will change relative to its gradient (left); when type is converted to outlines, an applied gradient moves with
the type (right).

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For information on converting text outlines to paths, see “Create paths from text outlines” on page 344.

See also
“Change the color, gradient, or stroke of text” on page 235

Multiple gradients in a single text frame
Within a single text frame, you can select different ranges of text and apply a unique gradient to each range. Each
gradient is added to the text frame and tracked separately with the characters you selected when you applied each
gradient. However, the endpoints of the gradient are still anchored to the text frame’s bounding box, not to individual
ranges of text.

Mixing inks
Create and edit mixed ink swatches
When you need to achieve the maximum number of printed colors with the fewest number of inks, you can create new
ink swatches by mixing two spot inks or by mixing a spot ink with one or more process inks. Using mixed ink colors
lets you increase the number of colors available without increasing the number of separations used to print the
document.
You can create a single mixed ink swatch or use a mixed ink group to generate multiple swatches at once. A mixed ink
group contains a series of colors created from incremental percentages of different process and spot color inks. For
example, mixing four tints of process cyan (20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%) with five tints of a spot color (10%, 20%, 30%,
40%, and 50%) results in a mixed ink group that contains 20 different swatches.

A
B
C

Swatches panel with mixed ink swatches
A. Parent of mixed ink group B. Child in mixed ink group C. Mixed ink swatch (standalone)

Before you can create a mixed ink swatch or a mixed ink group, you must add at least one spot color to the Swatches
panel.

See also
“Create color swatches” on page 443
“Manage swatches” on page 444

Create a mixed ink swatch
1 From the Swatches panel menu, choose New Mixed Ink Swatch. (This option is dimmed until you add a spot color

to the Swatches panel.)
2 Type a name for the swatch.

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3 To include an ink in the mixed ink swatch, click the empty box next to its name. An ink icon

appears. A mixed

ink swatch must contain at least one spot color.
4 Adjust the percentage of each ink included in the swatch by using the slider bar or typing a value in the percentage box.
5 To add the mixed ink to the Swatches panel, click Add or OK.

Colors on a monitor often look different when they print. For best results, ask your commercial printer to output a
sample of any mixed inks you want to print.

Create a mixed ink group
1 From the Swatches panel menu, choose New Mixed Ink Group. (This option is dimmed until you add a spot color

to the Swatches panel.)
2 Type a name for the Mixed Ink Group. Colors in the group will use this name followed by an incremented Swatch

suffix (Swatch 1, Swatch 2, and so on).
3 To include an ink in the mixed ink group, click the empty box next to its name.
4 For each ink you select, do the following:

• For Initial, enter the percentage of ink you want to start mixing to create the group.
• For Repeat, specify the number of times you want to increment the ink percentage.
• For Increment, specify the percentage of ink you want to add for each repetition.
5 Click Preview Swatches to generate the swatches without closing the dialog box; you can then see whether your

current ink selections and values produce the results you want, and make adjustments if they don’t.
Note: An alert appears if the values you enter for Initial, Repeat, and Increment add up to more than 100% of any one
ink. If you decide to proceed anyway, InDesign caps the ink percentages at 100%.
6 Click OK to add all inks in the mixed ink group to the Swatches panel.

Edit mixed ink swatches
You modify a mixed ink swatch using the same methods used to edit other swatches. As you edit a mixed ink swatch
or group, be aware of the following:

• If you use the Swatches panel to delete an ink that is used in a mixed ink swatch, InDesign prompts you for a
replacement. A mixed ink must contain at least one spot color, or it will be converted to a process color.

• Changes you make to the parent

of a mixed ink group apply to all mixed inks in that group. (Changes you make
to a swatch in a mixed ink group apply to that swatch only.)

• Converting a mixed ink to a process or spot color removes its association with its mixed ink group.
• Deleting the parent of a mixed ink group deletes all swatches in the group.
1 In the Swatches panel, double-click the parent

of the mixed ink group you want to change.

2 Do any of the following:

• Select a new ink to replace an existing component ink.
• Click the box next to an ink to exclude or include it as a component of the mixed ink group.
Note: You cannot change the initial percentages, repeats, or increments used to create the mixed ink group.
3 Click OK.

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Manage mixed ink groups
Use the Swatches panel to delete mixed ink groups, add swatches, and convert mixed ink swatches to process colors.

Delete mixed ink groups
❖ In the Swatches panel, select the parent of the mixed ink group you want to delete, and click the Delete button.

Add a swatch to a mixed ink group
1 In the Swatches panel, select the parent of the mixed ink group.
2 Choose New Color Swatch from the panel menu.
3 Specify a name for the swatch, if desired.
4 For each ink listed, specify the percentage you want in the mixed ink swatch. (You cannot add or delete inks.)
5 Click OK.

Convert a single mixed ink swatch to a process color
You can convert mixed inks to process colors to reduce printing costs. When you convert the parent of a mixed ink
group to process, the parent swatch disappears, and the other swatches in the mixed ink group are converted to process
colors.
1 Double-click the mixed ink swatch you want to convert.
2 For Color Type, select Process, and then click OK.

Convert all inks in a mixed ink group to process
❖ Double-click the parent

of the mixed ink group, and select Convert Mixed Ink Swatches To Process in the

dialog box that appears.

Using colors from imported graphics
Using colors from imported graphics
InDesign provides various ways for you to sample and redefine colors from the graphics you import into your
document. Spot colors from placed PDF or EPS files and spot-color channels in Adobe Photoshop (PSD) and TIFF
files appear as spot colors in the Swatches panel. You can apply these colors to objects in your document or convert
them to process colors; however, you cannot redefine the color values or delete the imported swatches. If you delete
the placed graphic, the colors remain but are converted to native InDesign colors, which can then be edited or deleted.

Using the Eyedropper tool to sample colors
You can use the Eyedropper tool
to add colors from imported graphics to your document, or to apply them to
objects in your document. This is useful for coordinating layout colors with images.
For best results with color separations, you may want to make sure that color names, types (such as spot and process),
and models (such as RGB and CMYK) of the colors sampled in InDesign are consistent with the color definitions in
the imported graphics. If you’re not sure about the best settings to use, consult with your prepress service provider.

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See also
“Apply colors using the Eyedropper tool” on page 441

Working with spot-color channels in an Adobe Photoshop (PSD) file
When you place a native Photoshop file (PSD) or TIFF file in InDesign, any spot-color channels the file contains
appear in the Swatches panel as spot-color inks. You can select and apply these swatches to other objects in your
document; to delete these swatches, however, you must first delete the placed image.
If you import a file that has a spot-color channel with the same name as a spot color in your document, but with
different color values, you will be asked whether you want to use the color values in the placed file or the ones in the
document.

Working with colors from EPS or PDF files
When you place a PDF file, EPS graphic, or Adobe Illustrator (.AI) file, names of spot colors used in the graphic are
added to the Swatches panel in your document, so that you can be aware that they can cause additional printing costs
later, and also so that you can use the spot colors in your document.
If the graphic you are importing contains a spot color with the same name as a spot color in your document but
different color values, the color values in the document are used.

Change an imported spot color to a process color
When you import an EPS, PSD, TIFF or PDF graphic containing a spot color (or a spot-color channel), InDesign adds
the spot color name and definition to the Swatches panel. You can change an imported spot color swatch to a process
color swatch. This provides flexibility for adapting colors—even those in imported graphics—to your current output
requirements.
1 In the Swatches panel, double-click the swatch you want to edit.
2 In the Swatch Options dialog box, choose Process in the Color Type menu.

Note: This changes the color type in the InDesign document only. To permanently change the color type of colors within
a graphic, open the graphic in the program in which it was created, and then edit the color in that program.

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Chapter 16: Color management
A color management system reconciles color differences among devices so that you can be reasonably certain of the
colors your system ultimately produces. Viewing color accurately allows you to make sound color decisions
throughout your workflow, from digital capture through final output. Color management also allows you to create
output based on ISO, SWOP, and Japan Color print production standards.

Understanding color management
Why colors sometimes don’t match
No device in a publishing system is capable of reproducing the full range of colors viewable to the human eye. Each
device operates within a specific color space that can produce a certain range, or gamut, of colors.
A color model determines the relationship between values, and the color space defines the absolute meaning of those
values as colors. Some color models (such as CIE L*a*b) have a fixed color space because they relate directly to the way
humans perceive color. These models are described as being device-independent. Other color models (RGB, HSL, HSB,
CMYK, and so forth) can have many different color spaces. Because these models vary with each associated color space
or device, they are described as being device-dependent.
Because of these varying color spaces, colors can shift in appearance as you transfer documents between different
devices. Color variations can result from differences in image sources; the way software applications define color; print
media (newsprint paper reproduces a smaller gamut than magazine-quality paper); and other natural variations, such
as manufacturing differences in monitors or monitor age.
RGB
CMYK
A

Color gamuts of various devices and documents
A. Lab color space B. Documents (working space) C. Devices

What is a color management system?
Color-matching problems result from various devices and software using different color spaces. One solution is to
have a system that interprets and translates color accurately between devices. A color management system (CMS)
compares the color space in which a color was created to the color space in which the same color will be output, and
makes the necessary adjustments to represent the color as consistently as possible among different devices.

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A color management system translates colors with the help of color profiles. A profile is a mathematical description of
a device’s color space. For example, a scanner profile tells a color management system how your scanner “sees” colors.
Adobe color management uses ICC profiles, a format defined by the International Color Consortium (ICC) as a crossplatform standard.
Because no single color-translation method is ideal for all types of graphics, a color management system provides a
choice of rendering intents, or translation methods, so that you can apply a method appropriate to a particular graphics
element. For example, a color translation method that preserves correct relationships among colors in a wildlife
photograph may alter the colors in a logo containing flat tints of color.
Note: Don’t confuse color management with color correction. A color management system won’t correct an image that
was saved with tonal or color balance problems. It provides an environment where you can evaluate images reliably in
the context of your final output.

See also
“About color profiles” on page 474
“About rendering intents” on page 483

Do you need color management?
Without a color management system, your color specifications are device-dependent. You might not need color
management if your production process is tightly controlled for one medium only. For example, you or your print
service provider can tailor CMYK images and specify color values for a known, specific set of printing conditions.
The value of color management increases when you have more variables in your production process. Color
management is recommended if you anticipate reusing color graphics for print and online media, using various kinds
of devices within a single medium (such as different printing presses), or if you manage multiple workstations.
You will benefit from a color management system if you need to accomplish any of the following:

• Get predictable and consistent color output on multiple output devices including color separations, your desktop
printer, and your monitor. Color management is especially useful for adjusting color for devices with a relatively
limited gamut, such as a four-color process printing press.

• Accurately soft-proof (preview) a color document on your monitor by making it simulate a specific output device.
(Soft-proofing is subject to the limitations of monitor display, and other factors such as room lighting conditions.)

• Accurately evaluate and consistently incorporate color graphics from many different sources if they also use color
management, and even in some cases if they don’t.

• Send color documents to different output devices and media without having to manually adjust colors in
documents or original graphics. This is valuable when creating images that will eventually be used both in print and
online.

• Print color correctly to an unknown color output device; for example, you could store a document online for
consistently reproducible on-demand color printing anywhere in the world.

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Creating a viewing environment for color management
Your work environment influences how you see color on your monitor and on printed output. For best results, control
the colors and light in your work environment by doing the following:

• View your documents in an environment that provides a consistent light level and color temperature. For example,
the color characteristics of sunlight change throughout the day and alter the way colors appear on your screen, so
keep shades closed or work in a windowless room. To eliminate the blue-green cast from fluorescent lighting, you
can install D50 (5000° Kelvin) lighting. You can also view printed documents using a D50 lightbox.

• View your document in a room with neutral-colored walls and ceiling. A room’s color can affect the perception of
both monitor color and printed color. The best color for a viewing room is neutral gray. Also, the color of your
clothing reflecting off the glass of your monitor may affect the appearance of colors on-screen.

• Remove colorful background patterns on your monitor desktop. Busy or bright patterns surrounding a document
interfere with accurate color perception. Set your desktop to display neutral grays only.

• View document proofs in the real-world conditions under which your audience will see the final piece. For
example, you might want to see how a housewares catalog looks under the incandescent light bulbs used in homes,
or view an office furniture catalog under the fluorescent lighting used in offices. However, always make final color
judgements under the lighting conditions specified by the legal requirements for contract proofs in your country.

Keeping colors consistent
About color management in Adobe applications
Adobe color management helps you maintain the appearance of colors as you bring images in from external sources,
edit documents and transfer them between Adobe applications, and output your finished compositions. This system
is based on conventions developed by the International Color Consortium, a group responsible for standardizing
profile formats and procedures so that consistent and accurate color can be achieved throughout a workflow.
By default, color management is turned on in color-managed Adobe applications. If you purchased the Adobe Creative
Suite, color settings are synchronized across applications to provide consistent display for RGB and CMYK colors.
This means that colors look the same no matter which application you view them in.

Color settings for Adobe Creative Suite are synchronized in a central location through Adobe Bridge.

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If you decide to change the default settings, easy-to-use presets let you configure Adobe color management to match
common output conditions. You can also customize color settings to meet the demands of your particular color
workflow.
Keep in mind that the kinds of images you work with and your output requirements influence how you use color
management. For example, there are different color-consistency issues for an RGB photo printing workflow, a CMYK
commercial printing workflow, a mixed RGB/CMYK digital printing workflow, and an Internet publishing workflow.

Basic steps for producing consistent color
1. Consult with your production partners (if you have any) to ensure that all aspects of your color management
workflow integrate seamlessly with theirs.

Discuss how the color workflow will be integrated with your workgroups and service providers, how software and
hardware will be configured for integration into the color management system, and at what level color management
will be implemented. (See “Do you need color management?” on page 462.)
2. Calibrate and profile your monitor.

A monitor profile is the first profile you should create. Seeing accurate color is essential if you are making creative
decisions involving the color you specify in your document. (See “Calibrate and profile your monitor” on page 476.)
3. Add color profiles to your system for any input and output devices you plan to use, such as scanners and
printers.

The color management system uses profiles to know how a device produces color and what the actual colors in a
document are. Device profiles are often installed when a device is added to your system. You can also use third-party
software and hardware to create more accurate profiles for specific devices and conditions. If your document will be
commercially printed, contact your service provider to determine the profile for the printing device or press condition.
(See “About color profiles” on page 474 and “Install a color profile” on page 476.)
4. Set up color management in Adobe applications.

The default color settings are sufficient for most users. However, you can change the color settings by doing one of the
following:

• If you use multiple Adobe applications, use Adobe® Bridge to choose a standard color management configuration
and synchronize color settings across applications before working with documents. (See “Synchronize color
settings across Adobe applications” on page 465.)

• If you use only one Adobe application, or if you want to customize advanced color management options, you can
change color settings for a specific application. (See “Set up color management” on page 465.)
5. (Optional) Preview colors using a soft proof.

After you create a document, you can use a soft proof to preview how colors will look when printed or viewed on a
specific device. (See “About soft-proofing colors” on page 469.)
Note: A soft proof alone doesn’t let you preview how overprinting will look when printed on an offset press. If you work
with documents that contain overprinting, turn on Overprint Preview to accurately preview overprints in a soft proof. For
Acrobat, the Overprint Preview option is automatically applied.

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6. Use color management when printing and saving files.

Keeping the appearance of colors consistent across all of the devices in your workflow is the goal of color management.
Leave color management options enabled when printing documents, saving files, and preparing files for online
viewing. (See “Printing with color management” on page 472 and “Color-managing documents for online viewing” on
page 468.)

Synchronize color settings across Adobe applications
If you use Adobe Creative Suite, you can use Adobe Bridge to automatically synchronize color settings across
applications. This synchronization ensures that colors look the same in all color-managed Adobe applications.
If color settings are not synchronized, a warning message appears at the top of the Color Settings dialog box in each
application. Adobe recommends that you synchronize color settings before you work with new or existing documents.
1 Open Bridge.

To open Bridge from a Creative Suite application, choose File > Browse. To open Bridge directly, either choose Adobe
Bridge from the Start menu (Windows) or double-click the Adobe Bridge icon (Mac OS).
2 Choose Edit > Creative Suite Color Settings.
3 Select a color setting from the list, and click Apply.

If none of the default settings meet your requirements, select Show Expanded List Of Color Setting Files to view
additional settings. To install a custom settings file, such as a file you received from a print service provider, click Show
Saved Color Settings Files.

Set up color management
1 Do one of the following:

• (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) Choose Edit > Color Settings.
• (Acrobat) Select the Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
2 Select a color setting from the Settings menu, and click OK.

The setting you select determines which color working spaces are used by the application, what happens when you
open and import files with embedded profiles, and how the color management system converts colors. To view a
description of a setting, select the setting and then position the pointer over the setting name. The description appears
at the bottom of the dialog box.
Note: Acrobat color settings are a subset of those used in InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
In certain situations, such as if your service provider supplies you with a custom output profile, you may need to customize
specific options in the Color Settings dialog box. However, customizing is recommended for advanced users only.
Note: If you work with more than one Adobe application, it is highly recommended that you synchronize your color
settings across applications. (See “Synchronize color settings across Adobe applications” on page 465.)

See also
“Customize color settings” on page 479

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Change the appearance of CMYK black (Illustrator, InDesign)
Pure CMYK black (K=100) appears jet black (or rich black) when viewed on-screen, printed to a non-PostScript
desktop printer, or exported to an RGB file format. If you prefer to see the difference between pure black and rich black
as it will appear when printed on a commercial press, you can change the Appearance Of Black preferences. These
preferences do not change the color values in a document.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Appearance Of Black (Windows) or [application name] > Preferences > Appearance

Of Black (Mac OS).
2 Choose an option for On Screen:
Display All Blacks Accurately Displays pure CMYK black as dark gray. This setting allows you to see the difference

between pure black and rich black.
Display All Blacks As Rich Black Displays pure CMYK black as jet black (RGB=000). This setting makes pure black and
rich black appear the same on-screen.

3 Choose an option for Printing/Exporting:
Output All Blacks Accurately When printing to a non-PostScript desktop printer or exporting to an RGB file format,

outputs pure CMYK black using the color numbers in the document. This setting allows you to see the difference
between pure black and rich black.
Output All Blacks As Rich Black When printing to a non-PostScript desktop printer or exporting to an RGB file format,

outputs pure CMYK black as jet black (RGB=000). This setting makes pure black and rich black appear the same.

Managing process and spot colors
When color management is on, any color you apply or create within a color-managed Adobe application automatically
uses a color profile that corresponds to the document. If you switch color modes, the color management system uses
the appropriate profiles to translate the color to the new color model you choose.
Keep in mind the following guidelines for working with process and spot colors:

• Choose a CMYK working space that matches your CMYK output conditions to ensure that you can accurately
define and view process colors.

• Select colors from a color library. Adobe applications come with several standard color libraries, which you can load
using the Swatches panel menu.

• (Illustrator, and InDesign) Turn on Overprint Preview to get an accurate and consistent preview of spot colors.
• (Acrobat, Illustrator, and InDesign) Use Lab values (the default) to display predefined spot colors (such as colors
from the TOYO, PANTONE, DIC, and HKS libraries) and convert these colors to process colors. Using Lab values
provides the greatest accuracy and guarantees the consistent display of colors across Creative Suite applications. If
you want the display and output of these colors to match earlier versions of Illustrator or InDesign, use CMYK
equivalent values instead. For instructions on switching between Lab values and CMYK values for spot colors,
search Illustrator or InDesign Help.
Note: Color-managing spot colors provides a close approximation of a spot color on your proofing device and monitor.
However, it is difficult to exactly reproduce a spot color on a monitor or proofing device because many spot color inks exist
outside the gamuts of many of those devices.

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Color-managing imported images
Color-managing imported images (Illustrator, InDesign)
How imported images are integrated into a document’s color space depends on whether or not the image has an
embedded profile:

• When you import an image that contains no profile, the Adobe application uses the current document profile to
define the colors in the image.

• When you import an image that contains an embedded profile, color policies in the Color Settings dialog box
determine how the Adobe application handles the profile.

See also
“Color management policy options” on page 481

Using a safe CMYK workflow
A safe CMYK workflow ensures that CMYK color numbers are preserved all the way to the final output device, as
opposed to being converted by your color management system. This workflow is beneficial if you want to
incrementally adopt color management practices. For example, you can use CMYK profiles to soft-proof and hardproof documents without the possibility of unintended color conversions occurring during final output.
Illustrator and InDesign support a safe CMYK workflow by default. As a result, when you open or import a CMYK
image with an embedded profile, the application ignores the profile and preserves the raw color numbers. If you want
your application to adjust color numbers based on an embedded profile, change the CMYK color policy to Preserve
Embedded Profiles in the Color Settings dialog box. You can easily restore the safe CMYK workflow by changing the
CMYK color policy back to Preserve Numbers (Ignore Linked Profiles).
You can override safe CMYK settings when you print a document or save it to Adobe PDF. However, doing so may
cause colors to be reseparated. For example, pure CMYK black objects may be reseparated as rich black. For more
information on color management options for printing and saving PDFs, search in Help.

See also
“Color management policy options” on page 481

Preparing imported graphics for color management
Use the following general guidelines to prepare graphics for being color-managed in Adobe applications:

• Embed an ICC-compliant profile when you save the file. The file formats that support embedded profiles are JPEG,
PDF, PSD (Photoshop), AI (Illustrator), INDD (InDesign), Photoshop EPS, Large Document Format, and TIFF.

• If you plan to reuse a color graphic for multiple final output devices or media, such as for print, video, and the web,
prepare the graphic using RGB or Lab colors whenever possible. If you must save in a color model other than RGB
or Lab, keep a copy of the original graphic. RGB and Lab color models represent larger color gamuts than most
output devices can reproduce, retaining as much color information as possible before being translated to a smaller
output color gamut.

See also
“Embed a color profile” on page 477

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View or change profiles for imported bitmap images (InDesign)
InDesign allows you to view, override, or disable profiles for imported bitmap images. This may be necessary when
you are importing an image containing no profile or an incorrectly embedded profile. For example, if the scanner
manufacturer’s default profile was embedded but you have since generated a custom profile, you can assign the newer
profile.
1 Do one of the following:

• If the graphic is already in layout, select it and choose Object > Image Color Settings.
• If you’re about to import the graphic, choose File > Place, select Show Import Options, select and open the file, and
then select the Color tab.
2 For Profile, choose the source profile to apply to the graphic in your document. If a profile is currently embedded,

the profile name appears at the top of the Profile menu.
3 (Optional) Choose a rendering intent, and then click OK. In most cases, it’s best to use the default rendering intent.

Note: You can also view or change profiles for objects in Acrobat.

See also
“Convert document colors to another profile (Photoshop)” on page 478

Color-managing documents for online viewing
Color-managing documents for online viewing
Color management for online viewing is very different from color management for printed media. With printed
media, you have far more control over the appearance of the final document. With online media, your document will
appear on a wide range of possibly uncalibrated monitors and video display systems, significantly limiting your control
over color consistency.
When you color-manage documents that will be viewed exclusively on the web, Adobe recommends that you use the
sRGB color space. sRGB is the default working space for most Adobe color settings, but you can verify that sRGB is
selected in the Color Settings dialog box (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) or the Color Management preferences
(Acrobat). With the working space set to sRGB, any RGB graphics you create will use sRGB as the color space.
When working with images that have an embedded color profile other than sRGB, you should convert the image’s
colors to sRGB before you save the image for use on the web. If you want the application to automatically convert the
colors to sRGB when you open the image, select Convert To Working Space as the RGB color management policy.
(Make sure that your RGB working space is set to sRGB.) In Photoshop and InDesign, you can also manually convert
the colors to sRGB using the Edit > Convert To Profile command.
Note: In InDesign, the Convert To Profile command only converts colors for native, not placed, objects in the document.

See also
“About color working spaces” on page 479
“Color management policy options” on page 481

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Color-managing PDFs for online viewing
When you export PDFs, you can choose to embed profiles. PDFs with embedded profiles reproduce color consistently
in Acrobat 4.0 or later running under a properly configured color management system.
Keep in mind that embedding color profiles increases the size of PDFs. RGB profiles are usually small (around 3 KB);
however, CMYK profiles can range from 0.5 to 2 MB.

See also
“Printing with color management” on page 472

Color-managing HTML documents for online viewing
Many web browsers do not support color management. Of the browsers that do support color management, not all
instances can be considered color-managed because they may be running on systems where the monitors are not
calibrated. In addition, few web pages contain images with embedded profiles. If you manage a highly controlled
environment, such as the intranet of a design studio, you may be able to achieve some degree of HTML color
management for images by equipping everyone with a browser that supports color management and calibrating all
monitors.
You can approximate how colors will look on uncalibrated monitors by using the sRGB color space. However, because
color reproduction varies among uncalibrated monitors, you still won’t be able to anticipate the true range of potential
display variations.

Proofing colors
About soft-proofing colors
In a traditional publishing workflow, you print a hard proof of your document to preview how its colors will look when
reproduced on a specific output device. In a color-managed workflow, you can use the precision of color profiles to
soft-proof your document directly on the monitor. You can display an on-screen preview of how your document’s
colors will look when reproduced on a particular output device.
Keep in mind that the reliability of the soft proof depends upon the quality of your monitor, the profiles of your
monitor and output devices, and the ambient lighting conditions of your work environment.
Note: A soft proof alone doesn’t let you preview how overprinting will look when printed on an offset press. If you work
with documents that contain overprinting, turn on Overprint Preview to accurately preview overprints in a soft proof. For
Acrobat, the Overprint Preview option is automatically applied.

Using a soft proof to preview the final output of a document on your monitor
A. Document is created in its working color space. B. Document’s color values are translated to color space of chosen proof profile (usually the
output device’s profile). C. Monitor displays proof profile’s interpretation of document’s color values.

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Soft-proof colors
1 Choose View > Proof Setup, and do one of the following:

• Choose a preset that corresponds to the output condition you want to simulate.
• Choose Custom (Photoshop and InDesign) or Customize (Illustrator) to create a custom proof setup for a specific
output condition. This option is recommended for the most accurate preview of your final printed piece.
2 Choose View > Proof Colors to toggle the soft-proof display on and off. When soft proofing is on, a check mark

appears next to the Proof Colors command, and the name of the proof preset or profile appears at the top of the
document window.
To compare the colors in the original image and the colors in the soft proof, open the document in a new window before
you set up the soft proof.

Soft-proof presets
Working CMYK Creates a soft proof of colors using the current CMYK working space as defined in the Color Settings

dialog box.
Document CMYK (InDesign) Creates a soft proof of colors using the document’s CMYK profile.
Working Cyan Plate, Working Magenta Plate, Working Yellow Plate, Working Black Plate, or Working CMY Plates
(Photoshop) Creates a soft proof of specific CMYK ink colors using the current CMYK working space.
Macintosh RGB or Windows RGB (Photoshop and Illustrator) Creates a soft proof of colors in an image using either a
standard Mac OS or Windows monitor as the proof profile space to simulate. Both options assume that the simulated
device will display your document without using color management. Neither option is available for Lab or CMYK
documents.
Monitor RGB (Photoshop and Illustrator) Creates a soft proof of colors in an RGB document using your current

monitor color space as the proof profile space. This option assumes that the simulated device will display your
document without using color management. This option is unavailable for Lab and CMYK documents.
Color Blindness (Photoshop and Illustrator) Creates a soft proof that reflects colors visible to a person with color

blindness. The two soft proof options, Protanopia and Deuteranopia, approximate color perception for the most
common forms of color blindness. For more information, see “Soft-proof for color blindness (Photoshop and
Illustrator)” on page 471.

Custom soft-proof options
Device To Simulate Specifies the color profile of the device for which you want to create the proof. The usefulness of

the chosen profile depends on how accurately it describes the device’s behavior. Often, custom profiles for specific
paper and printer combinations create the most accurate soft proof.
Preserve CMYK Numbers or Preserve RGB Numbers Simulates how the colors will appear without being converted to
the color space of the output device. This option is most useful when you are following a safe CMYK workflow.
Rendering Intent (Photoshop and Illustrator) When the Preserve Numbers option is deselected, specifies a rendering
intent for converting colors to the device you are trying to simulate.
Use Black Point Compensation (Photoshop) Ensures that the shadow detail in the image is preserved by simulating the
full dynamic range of the output device. Select this option if you plan to use black point compensation when printing
(which is recommended in most situations).
Simulate Paper Color Simulates the dingy white of real paper, according to the proof profile. Not all profiles support

this option.

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Simulate Black Ink Simulates the dark gray you really get instead of a solid black on many printers, according to the
proof profile. Not all profiles support this option.

In Photoshop, if you want the custom proof setup to be the default proof setup for documents, close all document
windows before choosing the View > Proof Setup > Custom command.

Soft-proof for color blindness (Photoshop and Illustrator)
Color Universal Design (CUD) ensures that graphical information is conveyed accurately to people with various types
of color vision, including people with color blindness. Several countries have guidelines that require CUD-compliant
graphics in public spaces.
The most common types of color blindness are protanopia (reduced sensitivity to red) and deuteranopia (reduced
sensitivity to green). A third of color blind people are affected strongly; the remainder have milder forms of color
blindness.

A. Original image B. Color-blind proof C. Optimized design

To determine whether a document is CUD-compliant, do the following:
1 Convert the document to RGB color mode, which provides the most accurate soft-proofs for color blindness.
2 (Optional) To simultaneously view the original document and a soft-proof, choose Window > New Window

(Illustrator) or Window > Arrange > New Window (Photoshop).
3 Choose View > Proof Setup > Color Blindness, and then choose either Protanopia-type or Deuteranopia-type. (To

comply with CUD, check your document in both views.)
In Photoshop, you can print the proof. For more information, search for “Print a hard proof” in Photoshop Help.
If objects are difficult to distinguish in color blind proofs, adjust the design by doing any of the following:

• Change color brightness or hue:
• Pure red tends to appear dark and muddy; orange-red is easier to recognize.
• Bluish green is less confusing than yellowish green.
• Gray may be confused with magenta, pale pink, pale green, or emerald green.
• Avoid the following combinations: red and green; yellow and bright green; light blue and pink; dark blue and
violet.

• Avoid red items on dark-colored backgrounds, or white items on yellow or orange-red backgrounds.
• Apply different patterns or shapes.
• Add white, black, or dark-colored borders on color boundaries.
• Use different font families or styles.

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Save or load a custom proof setup (Photoshop, InDesign)
1 Choose View > Proof Setup > Custom.
2 Do either of the following:

• To save a custom proof setup, click Save. To ensure that the new preset appears in the View > Proof Setup menu,
save the preset in the default location.

• To load a custom proof setup, click Load.

Soft-proof colors (Acrobat)
1 Choose Advanced > Print Production > Output Preview.
2 Choose the color profile of a specific output device from the Simulation Profile menu.
3 Choose a soft-proof option:
Simulate Black Ink Simulates the dark gray you really get instead of a solid black on many printers, according to the
proof profile. Not all profiles support this option.
Simulate Paper Color Simulates the dingy white of real paper, according to the proof profile. Not all profiles support

this option.

Color-managing documents when printing
Printing with color management
Color management options for printing let you specify how you want Adobe applications to handle the outgoing
image data so the printer will print colors consistent with what you see on your monitor. Your options for printing
color-managed documents depend on the Adobe application you use, as well as the output device you select. In
general, you have the following choices for handling colors during printing:

• Let the printer determine colors.
• Let the application determine colors.
• (Photoshop and InDesign) Do not use color management. In this workflow, no color conversion occurs. You may
also need to turn off color management in your printer driver. This method is useful primarily for printing test
targets or generating custom profiles.

Letting the printer determine colors when printing
In this workflow, the application does no color conversion, but sends all necessary conversion information to the
output device. This method is especially convenient when printing to inkjet photo printers, because each combination
of paper type, printing resolution, and additional printing parameters (such as high-speed printing) requires a
different profile. Most new inkjet photo printers come with fairly accurate profiles built into the driver, so letting the
printer select the right profile saves time and alleviates mistakes. This method is also recommended if you are not
familiar with color management.
If you choose this method, it is very important that you set up printing options and turn on color management in your
printer driver. Search Help for additional instructions.

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If you select a PostScript printer, you can take advantage of PostScript color management. PostScript color
management makes it possible to perform color composite output or color separations at the raster image processor
(RIP)—a process called in-RIP separations—so that a program need only specify parameters for separation and let the
device calculate the final color values. PostScript color-managed output workflows require an output device that
supports PostScript color management using PostScript Level 2 version 2017 or later, or PostScript Lanuage Level 3.

Letting the application determine colors when printing
In this workflow, the application does all the color conversion, generating color data specific to one output device. The
application uses the assigned color profiles to convert colors to the output device’s gamut, and sends the resulting
values to the output device. The accuracy of this method depends on the accuracy of the printer profile you select. Use
this workflow when you have custom ICC profiles for each specific printer, ink, and paper combination.
If you choose this option, it is very important that you disable color management in your printer driver. Letting the
application and the printer driver simultaneously manage colors during printing results in unpredictable color. Search
Help for additional instructions.

Obtaining custom profiles for desktop printers
If the output profiles that come with your printer don’t produce satisfactory results, you obtain custom profiles in the
following ways:

• Purchase a profile for your type of printer and paper. This is usually the easiest and least expensive method.
• Purchase a profile for your specific printer and paper. This method involves printing a profiling target on your
printer and paper, and providing that target to a company that will create a specific profile. This is more expensive
than purchasing a standard profile, but can provide better results because it compensates for any manufacturing
variations in printers.

• Create your own profile using a scanner-based system. This method involves using profile-creation software and
your own flatbed scanner to scan the profiling target. It can provide excellent results for matte surface papers, but
not glossy papers. (Glossy papers tend to have fluorescent brighteners in them that look different to a scanner than
they do in room light.)

• Create your own profile using a hardware profile-creation tool. This method is expensive but can provide the best
results. A good hardware tool can create an accurate profile even with glossy papers.

• Tweak a profile created using one of the previous methods with profile-editing software. This software can be
complex to use, but it lets you correct problems with a profile or simply adjust a profile to produce results more to
your taste.

See also
“Install a color profile” on page 476

Color-managing PDFs for printing
When you create Adobe PDFs for commercial printing, you can specify how color information is represented. The
easiest way to do this is using a PDF/X standard; however, you can also specify color-handling options manually in the
Output section of the PDF dialog box. For more information about PDF/X and how to create PDFs, search Help.

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In general, you have the following choices for handling colors when creating PDFs:

• (PDF/X-3) Does not convert colors. Use this method when creating a document that will be printed or displayed
on various or unknown devices. When you select a PDF/X-3 standard, color profiles are automatically embedded
in the PDF.

• (PDF/X-1a) Converts all colors to the destination CMYK color space. Use this method if you want to create a pressready file that does not require any further color conversions. When you select a PDF/X-1a standard, no profiles
are embedded in the PDF.

• (Illustrator and InDesign) Converts colors that have embedded profiles to the destination color space, but preserves
the numbers for those colors without embedded profiles. You can manually select this option in the Output section
of the PDF dialog box. Use this method if the document contains CMYK images that aren’t color-managed and you
want to make sure that the color numbers are preserved.
Note: All spot color information is preserved during color conversion; only the process color equivalents convert to the
designated color space.

See also
“Using a safe CMYK workflow” on page 467

Working with color profiles
About color profiles
Precise, consistent color management requires accurate ICC-compliant profiles of all of your color devices. For
example, without an accurate scanner profile, a perfectly scanned image may appear incorrect in another program,
simply due to any difference between the scanner and the program displaying the image. This misleading
representation may cause you to make unnecessary, time-wasting, and potentially damaging “corrections” to an
already satisfactory image. With an accurate profile, a program importing the image can correct for any device
differences and display a scan’s actual colors.
A color management system uses the following kinds of profiles:
Monitor profiles Describe how the monitor is currently reproducing color. This is the first profile you should create

because viewing color accurately on your monitor allows for critical color decisions in the design process. If what you
see on your monitor is not representative of the actual colors in your document, you will not be able to maintain color
consistency.
Input device profiles Describe what colors an input device is capable of capturing or scanning. If your digital camera

offers a choice of profiles, Adobe recommends that you select Adobe RGB. Otherwise, use sRGB (which is the default
for most cameras). Advanced users may also consider using different profiles for different light sources. For scanner
profiles, some photographers create separate profiles for each type or brand of film scanned on a scanner.
Output device profiles Describe the color space of output devices like desktop printers or a printing press. The color
management system uses output device profiles to properly map the colors in a document to the colors within the
gamut of an output device’s color space. The output profile should also take into consideration specific printing
conditions, such as the type of paper and ink. For example, glossy paper is capable of displaying a different range of
colors than matte paper.

Most printer drivers come with built-in color profiles. It’s a good idea to try these profiles before you invest in custom
profiles.

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Document profiles Define the specific RGB or CMYK color space of a document. By assigning, or tagging, a document
with a profile, the application provides a definition of actual color appearances in the document. For example, R=127,
G=12, B=107 is just a set of numbers that different devices will display differently. But when tagged with the Adobe
RGB color space, these numbers specify an actual color or wavelength of light–in this case, a specific color of purple.

When color management is on, Adobe applications automatically assign new documents a profile based on Working
Space options in the Color Settings dialog box. Documents without assigned profiles are known as untagged and
contain only raw color numbers. When working with untagged documents, Adobe applications use the current
working space profile to display and edit colors.

B
C
D

Managing color with profiles
A. Profiles describe the color spaces of the input device and the document. B. Using the profiles’ descriptions, the color management system
identifies the document’s actual colors. C. The monitor’s profile tells the color management system how to translate the document’s numeric
values to the monitor’s color space. D. Using the output device’s profile, the color management system translates the document’s numeric values
to the color values of the output device so the correct appearance of colors is printed.

See also
“Calibrate and profile your monitor” on page 476
“Letting the printer determine colors when printing” on page 472
“Obtaining custom profiles for desktop printers” on page 473
“About color working spaces” on page 479

About monitor calibration and characterization
Profiling software can both calibrate and characterize your monitor. Calibrating your monitor brings it into
compliance with a predefined standard—for example, adjusting your monitor so that it displays color using the
graphics arts standard white point color temperature of 5000° K (Kelvin). Characterizing your monitor simply creates
a profile that describes how the monitor is currently reproducing color.
Monitor calibration involves adjusting the following video settings:
Brightness and contrast The overall level and range, respectively, of display intensity. These parameters work just as
they do on a television. A monitor calibration utility helps you set an optimum brightness and contrast range for
calibration.

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Gamma The brightness of the midtone values. The values produced by a monitor from black to white are nonlinear—

if you graph the values, they form a curve, not a straight line. Gamma defines the value of that curve halfway between
black and white.
Phosphors The substances that CRT monitors use to emit light. Different phosphors have different color

characteristics.
White point The color and intensity of the brightest white the monitor can reproduce.

Calibrate and profile your monitor
When you calibrate your monitor, you are adjusting it so it conforms to a known specification. Once your monitor is
calibrated, the profiling utility lets you save a color profile. The profile describes the color behavior of the monitor—
what colors can or cannot be displayed on the monitor and how the numeric color values in an image must be
converted so that colors are displayed accurately.
1 Make sure your monitor has been turned on for at least a half hour. This gives it sufficient time to warm up and

produce more consistent output.
2 Make sure your monitor is displaying thousands of colors or more. Ideally, make sure it is displaying millions of

colors or 24-bit or higher.
3 Remove colorful background patterns on your monitor desktop and set your desktop to display neutral grays. Busy

patterns or bright colors surrounding a document interfere with accurate color perception.
4 Do one of the following to calibrate and profile your monitor:

• In Windows, install and use a monitor calibration utility.
• In Mac OS, use the Calibrate utility, located on the System Preferences/Displays/Color tab.
• For the best results, use third-party software and measuring devices. In general, using a measuring device such as a
colorimeter along with software can create more accurate profiles because an instrument can measure the colors
displayed on a monitor far more accurately than the human eye.
Note: Monitor performance changes and declines over time; recalibrate and profile your monitor every month or so. If
you find it difficult or impossible to calibrate your monitor to a standard, it may be too old and faded.
Most profiling software automatically assigns the new profile as the default monitor profile. For instructions on how
to manually assign the monitor profile, refer to the Help system for your operating system.

Install a color profile
Color profiles are often installed when a device is added to your system. The accuracy of these profiles (often called
generic profiles or canned profiles) varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. You can also obtain device profiles from
your service provider, download profiles from the web, or create custom profiles using professional profiling
equipment.

• In Windows, right-click a profile and select Install Profile. Alternatively, copy the profiles into the
WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\color folder.

• In Mac OS, copy profiles into the /Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder or the
/Users/[username]/Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder.
After installing color profiles, be sure to restart Adobe applications.

See also
“Obtaining custom profiles for desktop printers” on page 473

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Embed a color profile
To embed a color profile in a document you created in Illustrator, InDesign, or Photoshop, you must save or export
the document in a format that supports ICC profiles.
1 Save or export the document in one of the following file formats: Adobe PDF, PSD (Photoshop), AI (Illustrator),

INDD (InDesign), JPEG, Photoshop EPS, Large Document Format, or TIFF.
2 Select the option for embedding ICC profiles. The exact name and location of this option varies between

applications. Search Adobe Help for additional instructions.

Embed a color profile (Acrobat)
You can embed a color profile in an object or an entire PDF. Acrobat attaches the appropriate profile, as specified in
the Convert Colors dialog box, to the selected color space in the PDF. For more information, see the color conversion
topics in Acrobat Help.

Changing the color profile for a document
There are very few situations that require you to change the color profile for a document. This is because your
application automatically assigns the color profile based on the settings you select in the Color Settings dialog box. The
only times you should manually change a color profile are when preparing a document for a different output
destination or correcting a policy behavior that you no longer want implemented in the document. Changing the
profile is recommended for advanced users only.
You can change the color profile for a document in the following ways:

• Assign a new profile. The color numbers in the document remain the same, but the new profile may dramatically
change the appearance of the colors as displayed on your monitor.

• Remove the profile so that the document is no longer color-managed.
• (Acrobat, Photoshop and InDesign) Convert the colors in the document to the color space of a different profile.
The color numbers are shifted in an effort to preserve the original color appearances.

Assign or remove a color profile (Illustrator, Photoshop)
1 Choose Edit > Assign Profile.
2 Select an option, and click OK:
Don’t Color Manage This Document Removes the existing profile from the document. Select this option only if you are

sure that you do not want to color-manage the document. After you remove the profile from a document, the
appearance of colors is defined by the application’s working space profiles.
Working [color model: working space] Assigns the working space profile to the document.
Profile Lets you select a different profile. The application assigns the new profile to the document without converting
colors to the profile space. This may dramatically change the appearance of the colors as displayed on your monitor.

See also
“Changing the color profile for a document” on page 477

Assign or remove a color profile (InDesign)
1 Choose Edit > Assign Profiles.

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2 For RGB Profile and CMYK Profile, select one of the following:
Discard (Use Current Working Space) Removes the existing profile from the document. Select this option only if you

are sure that you do not want to color-manage the document. After you remove the profile from a document, the
appearance of colors is defined by the application’s working space profiles, and you can no longer embed a profile in
the document.
Assign Current Working Space [working space] Assigns the working space profile to the document.
Assign Profile Lets you select a different profile. The application assigns the new profile to the document without

converting colors to the profile space. This may dramatically change the appearance of the colors as displayed on your
monitor.
3 Choose a rendering intent for each type of graphic in your document. For each graphic type, you can choose one

of the four standard intents, or the Use Color Settings Intent, which uses the rendering intent currently specified in
the Color Settings dialog box. For more information on rendering intents, search in Help.
The graphic types include the following:
Solid Color Intent Sets the rendering intent for all vector art (solid areas of color) in InDesign native objects.
Default Image Intent Sets the default rendering intent for bitmap images placed in InDesign. You can still override this

setting on an image-by-image basis.
After-Blending Intent Sets the rendering intent to the proofing or final color space for colors that result from

transparency interactions on the page. Use this option when your document includes transparent objects.
4 To preview the effects of the new profile assignment in the document, select Preview, and then click OK.

See also
“Changing the color profile for a document” on page 477
“View or change profiles for imported bitmap images (InDesign)” on page 468

Convert document colors to another profile (Photoshop)
1 Choose Edit > Convert To Profile.
2 Under Destination Space, choose the color profile to which you want to convert the document’s colors. The

document will be converted to and tagged with this new profile.
3 Under Conversion Options, specify a color management engine, a rendering intent, and black point and dither

options (if available). (See “Color conversion options” on page 482.)
4 To flatten all layers of the document onto a single layer upon conversion, select Flatten Image.
5 To preview the effects of the conversion in the document, select Preview.

See also
“Changing the color profile for a document” on page 477

Convert document colors to Multichannel, Device Link, or Abstract color
profiles (Photoshop)
1 Choose Edit > Convert To Profile.

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2 Click Advanced. The following additional ICC profile types are available under Destination Space:
Multichannel Profiles that support more than four color channels. These are useful when printing with more than four inks.
Device Link Profiles that transform from one device color space to another, without using an intermediate color space

in the process. These are useful when specific mappings of device values (like 100% black) are required.
Abstract Profiles that enable custom image effects. Abstract profiles can have LAB/XYZ values for both input and

output values, which enables generation of a custom LUT to achieve the desired special effect.
Note: Gray, RGB, LAB, and CMYK color profiles are grouped by category in Advanced view. They are combined on the
Profile menu in Basic view.
3 To preview the effects of the conversion in the document, select Preview.

See also
“Changing the color profile for a document” on page 477

Convert document colors to another profile
You convert colors in a PDF using the Convert Colors tool on the Print Production toolbar. For more information, see
the color conversion topics in Acrobat Help.

Color settings
Customize color settings
For most color-managed workflows, it is best to use a preset color setting that has been tested by Adobe Systems.
Changing specific options is recommended only if you are knowledgeable about color management and very confident
about the changes you make.
After you customize options, you can save them as a preset. Saving color settings ensures that you can reuse them and
share them with other users or applications.

• To save color settings as a preset, click Save in the Color Settings dialog box. To ensure that the application displays
the setting name in the Color Settings dialog box, save the file in the default location. If you save the file to a different
location, you must load the file before you can select the setting.

• To load a color settings preset that’s not saved in the standard location, click Load in the Color Settings dialog box,
select the file you want to load, and click Open.
Note: In Acrobat, you cannot save customized color settings. To share customized color settings with Acrobat, you must
create the file in InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop, and then save it in the default Settings folder. It will then be available
in the Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box. You can also add settings manually to the default
Settings folder.

About color working spaces
A working space is an intermediate color space used to define and edit color in Adobe applications. Each color model
has a working space profile associated with it. You can choose working space profiles in the Color Settings dialog box.

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A working space profile acts as the source profile for newly created documents that use the associated color model. For
example, if Adobe RGB (1998) is the current RGB working space profile, each new RGB document that you create will
use colors within the Adobe RGB (1998) gamut. Working spaces also determine the appearance of colors in untagged
documents.
If you open a document embedded with a color profile that doesn’t match the working space profile, the application
uses a color management policy to determine how to handle the color data. In most cases, the default policy is to
preserve the embedded profile.

See also
“About missing and mismatched color profiles” on page 481
“Color management policy options” on page 481

Working space options
To display working space options in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, choose Edit > Color Settings. In Acrobat,
select the Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
To view a description of any profile, select the profile and then position the pointer over the profile name. The
description appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
RGB Determines the RGB color space of the application. In general, it’s best to choose Adobe RGB or sRGB, rather

than the profile for a specific device (such as a monitor profile).
sRGB is recommended when you prepare images for the web, because it defines the color space of the standard
monitor used to view images on the web. sRGB is also a good choice when you work with images from consumer-level
digital cameras, because most of these cameras use sRGB as their default color space.
Adobe RGB is recommended when you prepare documents for print, because Adobe RGB’s gamut includes some
printable colors (cyans and blues in particular) that can’t be defined using sRGB. Adobe RGB is also a good choice
when working with images from professional-level digital cameras, because most of these cameras use Adobe RGB as
their default color space.
CMYK Determines the CMYK color space of the application. All CMYK working spaces are device-dependent,

meaning that they are based on actual ink and paper combinations. The CMYK working spaces Adobe supplies are
based on standard commercial print conditions.
Gray (Photoshop) or Grayscale (Acrobat) Determines the grayscale color space of the application.
Spot (Photoshop) Specifies the dot gain to use when displaying spot color channels and duotones.

Note: In Acrobat, you can use the color space in an embedded output intent instead of a document color space for viewing
and printing. For more information on output intents, see Acrobat Help.
Adobe applications ship with a standard set of working space profiles that have been recommended and tested by
Adobe Systems for most color management workflows. By default, only these profiles appear in the working space
menus. To display additional color profiles that you have installed on your system, select Advanced Mode (Illustrator
and InDesign) or More Options (Photoshop). A color profile must be bi-directional (that is, contain specifications for
translating both into and out of color spaces) in order to appear in the working space menus.
Note: In Photoshop, you can create custom working space profiles. However, Adobe recommends that you use a standard
working space profile rather than create a custom profile. For more information, see the Photoshop support
knowledgebase at www.adobe.com/support/products/photoshop.html.

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About missing and mismatched color profiles
For a newly created document, the color workflow usually operates seamlessly: Unless specified otherwise, the
document uses the working space profile associated with its color mode for creating and editing colors.
However, some existing documents may not use the working space profile that you have specified, and some existing
documents may not be color-managed. It is common to encounter the following exceptions to your color-managed
workflow:

• You might open a document or import color data (for example, by copying and pasting or dragging and dropping)
from a document that is not tagged with a profile. This is often the case when you open a document created in an
application that either does not support color management or has color management turned off.

• You might open a document or import color data from a document that is tagged with a profile different from the
current working space. This may be the case when you open a document that was created using different color
management settings, or scanned and tagged with a scanner profile.
In either case, the application uses a color management policy to decide how to handle the color data in the document.
If the profile is missing or does not match the working space, the application may display a warning message,
depending on options you set in the Color Settings dialog box. Profile warnings are turned off by default, but you can
turn them on to ensure the appropriate color management of documents on a case-by-case basis. The warning
messages vary between applications, but in general you have the following options:

• (Recommended) Leave the document or imported color data as it is. For example, you can choose to use the
embedded profile (if one exists), leave the document without a color profile (if one doesn’t exist), or preserve the
numbers in pasted color data.

• Adjust the document or imported color data. For example, when opening a document with a missing color profile,
you can choose to assign the current working space profile or a different profile. When opening a document with
a mismatched color profile, you can choose to discard the profile or convert the colors to the current working space.
When importing color data, you can choose to convert the colors to the current working space in order to preserve
their appearance.

Color management policy options
A color management policy determines how the application handles color data when you open a document or import
an image. You can choose different policies for RGB and CMYK images, and you can specify when you want warning
messages to appear. To display color management policy options, choose Edit > Color Settings.
To view a description of a policy, select the policy and then position the pointer over the policy name. The description
appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
RGB, CMYK, And Gray (Gray option is available for Photoshop only.) Specifies a policy to follow when bringing colors

into the current working space (either by opening files or importing images into the current document). Choose from
the following options:

• Preserve Embedded Profiles Always preserves embedded color profiles when opening files. This is the
recommended option for most workflows because it provides consistent color management. One exception is if you’re
concerned about preserving CMYK numbers, in which case you should select Preserve Numbers (Ignore Linked
Profiles) instead.
• Convert To Working Space Converts colors to the current working space profile when opening files and importing
images. Select this option if you want to force all colors to use a single profile (the current working space profile).
• Preserve Numbers (Ignore Linked Profiles) This option is available in InDesign and Illustrator for CMYK.
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view colors accurately in Adobe applications. Select this option if you want to use a safe CMYK workflow. In InDesign,
you can override this policy on a per-object basis by choosing Object > Image Color Settings.

• Off Ignores embedded color profiles when opening files and importing images, and does not assign the working
space profile to new documents. Select this option if you want to discard any color metadata provided by the original
document creator.
Profile Mismatches: Ask When Opening Displays a message whenever you open a document tagged with a profile
other than the current working space. You will be given the option to override the policy’s default behavior. Select this
option if you want to ensure the appropriate color management of documents on a case-by-case basis.
Profile Mismatches: Ask When Pasting Displays a message whenever color profile mismatches occur as colors are
imported into a document through pasting or dragging-and-dropping. You will be given the option to override the
policy’s default behavior. Select this option if you want to ensure the appropriate color management of pasted colors
on a case-by-case basis.
Missing Profiles: Ask When Opening Displays a message whenever you open an untagged document. You will be given
the option to override the policy’s default behavior. Select this option if you want to ensure the appropriate color
management of documents on a case-by-case basis.

Color conversion options
Color conversion options let you control how the application handles the colors in a document as it moves from one
color space to another. Changing these options is recommended only if you are knowledgeable about color
management and very confident about the changes you make. To display conversion options, choose Edit > Color
Settings, and select Advanced Mode (Illustrator and InDesign) or More Options (Photoshop). In Acrobat, select the
Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
Engine Specifies the Color Management Module (CMM) used to map the gamut of one color space to the gamut of

another. For most users, the default Adobe (ACE) engine fulfills all conversion needs.
To view a description of an engine or intent option, select the option and then position the pointer over the option
name. The description appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
Intent (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) Specifies the rendering intent used to translate one color space to another.
Differences between rendering intents are apparent only when you print a document or convert it to a different
working space.
Use Black Point Compensation Ensures that the shadow detail in the image is preserved by simulating the full dynamic

range of the output device. Select this option if you plan to use black point compensation when printing (which is
recommended in most situations).
Use Dither (Photoshop) Controls whether to dither colors when converting 8-bit-per-channel images between color

spaces. When the Use Dither option is selected, Photoshop mixes colors in the destination color space to simulate a
missing color that existed in the source space. Although dithering helps to reduce the blocky or banded appearance of
an image, it may also result in larger file sizes when images are compressed for web use.
Compensate For Scene-Rendered Profiles (Photoshop) Compares video contrast when converting from scene to
output profiles. This option reflects default color management in After Effects.

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About rendering intents
A rendering intent determines how a color management system handles color conversion from one color space to
another. Different rendering intents use different rules to determine how the source colors are adjusted; for example,
colors that fall inside the destination gamut may remain unchanged, or they may be adjusted to preserve the original
range of visual relationships when translated to a smaller destination gamut. The result of choosing a rendering intent
depends on the graphical content of documents and on the profiles used to specify color spaces. Some profiles produce
identical results for different rendering intents.
In general, it is best to use the default rendering intent for the selected color setting, which has been tested by Adobe
Systems to meet industry standards. For example, if you choose a color setting for North America or Europe, the
default rendering intent is Relative Colorimetric. If you choose a color setting for Japan, the default rendering intent is
Perceptual.
You can select a rendering intent when you set color conversion options for the color management system, soft-proof
colors, and print artwork:
Perceptual Aims to preserve the visual relationship between colors so it’s perceived as natural to the human eye, even
though the color values themselves may change. This intent is suitable for photographic images with lots of out-ofgamut colors. This is the standard rendering intent for the Japanese printing industry.
Saturation Tries to produce vivid colors in an image at the expense of color accuracy. This rendering intent is suitable
for business graphics like graphs or charts, where bright saturated colors are more important than the exact
relationship between colors.
Relative Colorimetric Compares the extreme highlight of the source color space to that of the destination color space

and shifts all colors accordingly. Out-of-gamut colors are shifted to the closest reproducible color in the destination
color space. Relative Colorimetric preserves more of the original colors in an image than Perceptual. This is the
standard rendering intent for printing in North America and Europe.
Absolute Colorimetric Leaves colors that fall inside the destination gamut unchanged. Out-of-gamut colors are
clipped. No scaling of colors to destination white point is performed. This intent aims to maintain color accuracy at
the expense of preserving relationships between colors and is suitable for proofing to simulate the output of a
particular device. This intent is particularly useful for previewing how paper color affects printed colors.

Advanced controls in Photoshop
In Photoshop you display advanced controls for managing color by choosing Edit > Color Settings and selecting More
Options.
Desaturate Monitor Colors By Determines whether to desaturate colors by the specified amount when displayed on

the monitor. When selected, this option can aid in visualizing the full range of color spaces with gamuts larger than
that of the monitor. However, this causes a mismatch between the monitor display and the output. When the option
is deselected, distinct colors in the image may display as a single color.
Blend RGB Colors Using Gamma Controls how RGB colors blend together to produce composite data (for example,
when you blend or paint layers using Normal mode). When the option is selected, RGB colors are blended in the color
space corresponding to the specified gamma. A gamma of 1.00 is considered “colorimetrically correct” and should
result in the fewest edge artifacts. When the option is deselected, RGB colors are blended directly in the document’s
color space.

Note: When you select Blend RGB Colors Using Gamma, layered documents will look different when displayed in other
applications than they do in Photoshop.

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Chapter 17: Trapping color
The quality of a printer’s work depends in large part on getting different inks to print exactly in register. To minimize
the effects of misregistration, commercial printers developed a technique called trapping.

Trapping documents and books
About ink trapping
When an offset printed document uses more than one ink on the same page, each ink must be printed in register
(perfectly aligned) with any other inks that it abuts, so that there is no gap where the different inks meet. However, it’s
impossible to ensure exact registration for every object on every sheet of paper running through a printing press, so
misregistration of inks can occur. Misregistration causes an unintended gap between inks.
You can compensate for misregistration by slightly expanding one object so that it overlaps an object of a different
color—a process known as trapping. By default, placing one ink over another knocks out, or removes, any inks
underneath to prevent unwanted color mixing; but trapping requires that inks overprint, or print on top of each other,
so that at least a partial overlap is achieved.

Misregistration with no trap (left) and with trap (right)

Most traps employ spreading—expanding a light object into a dark object. Because the darker of two adjacent colors
defines the visible edge of the object or text, expanding the lighter color slightly into the darker color maintains the
visual edge.

Trapping methods
Trap a document using any combination of methods, including the following:

• Use process colors that don’t need trapping.
• Overprint black.
• Manually overprint strokes or fills.
• Use Adobe InDesign CS4 built-in trapping or Adobe In-RIP Trapping.
• Trap imported graphics using the trapping features in the illustration programs in which they were created. Refer
to the documentation for these applications.
Choose a trapping solution that complements the color output workflow you’re using, such as Adobe PostScript or PDF.

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Avoid the need for trapping by eliminating the possibility of misregistration in your use of color. Prevent
misregistration by making sure that abutting process colors have common inks. For example, if you specify a dark
purple stroke with a vivid red fill, they will both contain a significant percentage of magenta. The stroke’s and fill’s
common magenta will print as a single area, so that if misregistration occurs in the other process inks, the magenta
printing plate will make any resulting gap hard to see.

See also
“About overprinting” on page 624

About automatic trapping
InDesign can trap color documents with its built-in trapping engine, and can also take advantage of the Adobe In-RIP
Trapping engine available on Adobe PostScript output devices that support Adobe In-RIP Trapping.
Both trapping engines calculate adjustments to the edges of both type and graphics. They apply trapping techniques
to different parts of a single object, even if text or an InDesign object overlaps several different background colors.
Trapping adjustments are made automatically, and you can define trap presets to address the requirements of specific
page ranges. You only see the effects of trapping on color separations generated by a trapping engine; you cannot see
the results on-screen within InDesign.
The trapping engine detects contrasting color edges, and then creates traps based on the neutral densities (lightness or
darkness) of abutting colors, in most cases by spreading lighter colors into adjacent darker colors. The trapping
settings you specify in the Trap Presets panel modify the trapping engine’s results.

Automatic trapping requirements
To trap documents using the InDesign built-in engine, you need a PPD that supports separations.
To trap documents using the Adobe In-RIP Trapping engine, you need the following software and hardware:

• An Adobe PostScript Level 2 or later output device that uses a RIP that supports Adobe In-RIP Trapping. To find
out if a PostScript output device supports Adobe In-RIP Trapping, contact the manufacturer or your prepress
service provider.

• A PPD (PostScript Printer Description) file for a printer that supports Adobe In-RIP Trapping. You must select
this PPD when you install the printer.

See also
“Select a PPD file” on page 592

Differences between built-in trapping and Adobe In-RIP Trapping
Composite color workflow With built-in trapping, you can separate a document by using InDesign or in-RIP

separations. To use Adobe In-RIP Trapping, you must use In-RIP separations.
Trap widths Built-in trapping limits trap widths to 4 points, regardless of the value you enter for the trap widths. For

larger trap widths, use Adobe In-RIP Trapping.
Vector EPS graphics Built-in trapping cannot trap placed vector EPS graphics; Adobe In-RIP Trapping traps all

imported graphics.

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Trapping imported bitmap images
Built-in trapping can trap bitmap images, such as photographs, to text and graphics. Bitmap images must be saved
using a purely pixel-based file format that supports the color requirements of commercial printing. PSD (Photoshop)
and TIFF are the most appropriate formats for commercial printing jobs; before using other formats, consult with your
prepress service provider.
If you’re using an Open Prepress Interface (OPI) server, verify that it creates for-position-only (FPO) images using
TIFF or PSD formats. If the images are TIFF or PSD, it may be possible to use built-in trapping, as long as you don’t
select any Omit For OPI options at output time. (Omit For OPI options are located in the Advanced section of the
Print dialog box when a PostScript printer is targeted.)
Note: The behavior and precision of trapping within an OPI workflow depends on many factors, such as the
downsampling method the OPI server uses to generate FPO images. For best results, consult with your OPI vendor for
information about integrating Adobe trapping solutions with the vendor’s OPI server.

Trapping imported vector graphics
Both Adobe In-RIP Trapping and built-in trapping can trap text and graphics created with InDesign tools and placed
vector PDF files. However, built-in trapping cannot trap placed vector EPS graphics.
The text, paths, and frames you create in InDesign won’t trap correctly if they overlap a frame containing a placed
graphic that built-in trapping won’t trap, such as vector EPS graphics. (However, those objects will trap correctly with
Adobe In-RIP Trapping.) You may be able to use built-in trapping with documents containing vector EPS graphics if
you adjust the graphic’s frame. If the placed EPS graphic isn’t rectangular, try reshaping the frame closer to the graphic
itself, and away from other objects. For example, you might choose Object > Clipping Path to fit the graphics frame
more tightly around the graphic.

InDesign text and graphics that overlap placed EPS graphics (left) won’t trap correctly; to achieve good trapping, reshape the frame so that it
doesn’t touch other objects (right).

Trapping text
Both the Adobe In-RIP and built-in trapping engines can trap text characters to other text and graphics. (Built-in
trapping requires that the text and graphics are created with InDesign, and aren’t contained in imported graphics.) A
text character overlapping different background colors traps accurately to all of the colors.
Adobe In-RIP Trapping can trap all types of fonts. In contrast, built-in trapping works best with Type 1, OpenType,
and Multiple Master fonts only; using TrueType fonts may result in inconsistent traps. If your document must use
TrueType fonts and you want to use built-in trapping, consider converting all TrueType text to outlines by selecting
the text and choosing Type > Create Outlines. The text will become InDesign objects that trap reliably. Text can’t be
edited after you convert it to outlines.

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Maximizing trapping performance
Whether you use Adobe In-RIP trapping or built-in trapping, you can save time by not processing pages that don’t
need trapping, such as pages containing black text only. You can use trap presets to enable trapping only for the page
ranges that require it.
The speed with which built-in trapping is accomplished depends on the speed of your computer system. If you’re
trapping every page of a long document, use the fastest computer system you have. Built-in trapping also makes
extensive use of your computer’s hard disk, so a fast hard disk and data bus will benefit the built-in trapping engine.
To maximize the time your computers are available for other tasks, consider using Adobe In-RIP Trapping, which
processes all traps at the RIP, instead of at your computer.

Setting aside disk space for built-in trapping
To trap the edges of every color that requires trapping, the trapping engine creates a large number of paths that are
used only by the output device (the paths are not stored in your document). While Adobe In-RIP Trapping processes
and stores these additional paths at the RIP, built-in trapping uses your computer’s hard disk as a temporary storage
area for these trap paths. Before you use built-in trapping, make available as much hard disk space as possible.
The amount of disk space you’ll need depends on a wide range of factors, so it isn’t possible to predict exactly what a
particular trapping job will require. However, disk space requirements are most likely to increase when one or more
of the following characteristics of your document increase:

• Number of pages included in trapping page ranges.
• Number of overlapping color objects.
• Number of images that need to be trapped.
• Amount of text that needs to be trapped.
• Resolution of final output.
If the processing of a job that uses built-in trapping is interrupted or exhausts your disk space, trapping data may
be left behind on your hard disk. When necessary, you can exit the application, and then find and delete temporary
data in the C:\Temp folder (Windows). In Mac OS, restart your computer.

Trap a document or book
Do not change the default trapping settings unless you’ve consulted with your prepress service provider, and you
understand how trapping options work in the context of your specific document and printing conditions.
When trapping multiple documents in a book, make sure that you assign any custom trap presets to page ranges within
the individual documents of the book. You cannot assign trapping settings to an entire book at once. However, you
can resolve conflicting presets in a document.
1 If necessary, create a trap preset with custom settings for your document and press conditions.
2 Assign the trap preset to a page range.
3 Choose File > Print to open the Print dialog box.
4 Select Output from the list on the left.
5 For Color, choose either Separations or In-RIP Separations, depending on whether you’re creating on-host or

in-RIP separations.
6 For Trapping, choose one of the following options:

• Application Built-In, to use the trapping engine included with InDesign.

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• Adobe In-RIP. This option works only when you target an output device that supports Adobe In-RIP Trapping.
7 If your prepress service provider recommends changing ink settings, click Ink Manager. Select an ink, set the

options specified by your prepress service provider, and then click OK:
8 Continue specifying other print options, and then click Print to print your document.

See also
“Create or modify a trap preset” on page 488
“About printing” on page 583
“Assign a trap preset to pages” on page 489

Trap presets
Trap Presets panel overview
A trap preset is a collection of trapping settings you can apply to a page or range of pages in a document. The Trap
Presets panel provides an interface for entering trap settings and saving trap presets. You can apply trap presets to any
or all pages in the current document, or import the presets from another InDesign document. If you don’t apply a trap
preset to a trapping page range, that page range will use the [Default] trap preset.

See also
“About InDesign styles and presets” on page 39

View trap preset settings
1 If the Trap Presets panel is not open, choose Window > Output > Trap Presets.
2 Do one of the following in the Trap Presets panel:

• Double-click the preset.
• Select the preset and choose Preset Options in the panel menu.

Compress the trap presets list
❖ In the Trap Presets panel, choose Small Panel Rows in the panel menu.

Identify unused trap presets
❖ In the Trap Presets panel, choose Select All Unused in the panel menu. The trapping engine highlights all presets

(except [Default] and [No Trap Preset]) that have not been assigned to the current document. You can easily delete
these presets.

Create or modify a trap preset
1 If the Trap Presets panel is not open, choose Window > Output > Trap Presets.
2 Choose New Preset in the panel menu to create a preset, or double-click a preset to edit it.

Note: Clicking the New Preset button at the bottom of the Trap Presets panel creates a preset based on the [Default] trap
preset settings.

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3 Specify the following options, and then click OK:
Name Type a name for the preset. You can’t change the name of the [Default] trap preset.
Trap Width Type values to specify the amount of overlap for inks.
Trap Appearance Specify options for controlling the shape of the traps.
Image Specify settings that determine how to trap imported bitmap images.
Trap Thresholds Type values to specify the conditions under which trapping occurs. Many variables affect the values

you’ll need to enter here. For more information, consult with your prepress service provider.

See also
“Trap preset options” on page 490
“Trapping imported bitmap images” on page 486

Manage trap presets
You can duplicate, delete, import, and customize trap presets.

Duplicate a trap preset
❖ Do one of the following:

• In the Trap Presets panel, select a preset and choose Duplicate Preset in the panel menu.
• Drag a preset to the New Preset button at the bottom of the panel.

Delete a trap preset
1 In the Trap Presets panel, select the preset(s), and then do one of the following:

• Click the Delete button.
• Choose Delete Presets in the panel menu.
2 If prompted to replace a trap preset, choose one in the Delete Trap Preset dialog box that appears. This dialog box

appears if at least one of the selected presets has been assigned to a page.
3 Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

Note: You cannot delete either of the two built-in presets: [Default] and [No Trap Preset].

Import presets from another InDesign document
1 In the Trap Presets panel, choose Load Trap Presets in the panel menu.
2 Select the InDesign file and click Open.

Assign a trap preset to pages
You can assign a trap preset to a document or to a range of pages in a document. Pages with no abutting colors will
print faster if you disable trapping on those pages. Trapping doesn’t actually occur until you print the document.

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Trap assignments list the presets you have applied to various pages; the trap assignments are updated each time you click Assign.

1 In the Trap Presets panel, choose Assign Trap Preset in the panel menu.
2 For Trap Preset, choose the preset you want to apply.
3 Select the pages to which you want to apply the trap preset.
4 Click Assign, and then click Done.

Note: If you click Done without clicking Assign, the dialog box closes without making any changes to the trap assignments.
Trap assignments previously made using the Assign button are preserved.

Set up trapping page ranges
1 In the Trap Presets panel, choose Assign Trap Preset in the panel menu.
2 For Trap Preset, choose the preset you want to apply to the page ranges.
3 Select Range, and type one or more ranges in ascending sequence, using a hyphen for each range, and separating

pages and ranges with commas, or with commas and spaces. For example, 2-4, 6, 9-10, 12- is a valid range.
4 Click Assign, and then click Done.

To disable a trapping page range, choose Assign Trap Preset in the panel menu, type a page range, and choose [No
Trap Preset] in the Trap Preset menu. Click Assign, and then click Done.

Trap preset options
You can change trap preset options whenever you create or edit a trap preset. The same trap preset options are available
in Acrobat and InDesign. In Acrobat, you can view trap presets by choosing Tools > Print Production > Trap Presets.
In InDesign, choose Window > Output > Trap Presets.

Trap widths
Trap width is the amount of overlap for each trap. Differences in paper characteristics, screen rulings, and printing
press conditions require different trap widths. To determine the appropriate trap widths for each job, consult your
commercial printer.
Default Specifies the trap width in points for trapping all colors except those involving solid black. The default value
is 0p0.25.
Black Indicates the distance that inks spread into solid black, or the holdback amount—the distance between black
edges and underlying inks for trapping rich blacks. The default value is 0p0.5. This value is often set to be 1.5 to 2 times
the value of the default trap width.

In InDesign, the value you set for Black Color determines the value for a solid black or a rich black, a process black (K)
ink mixed with color inks for increased opacity and richer color.

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Note: (InDesign) If you choose Application Built-In trapping, and you specify a Default trap width or Black trap width
larger than 4 points, the resulting trap width is limited to 4 points. However, the value you specified will continue to be
displayed, because if you switch to Adobe In-RIP Trapping, traps larger than 4 points are applied as you specified.

Trap appearance
A join is where two trap edges meet at a common endpoint. You can control the shape of the outside join of two trap
segments and the intersection of three traps.
Join Style Controls the shape of the outside join of two trap segments. Choose from Miter, Round, and Bevel. The

default is Miter, which matches earlier trapping results to retain compatibility with previous versions of the Adobe
Trapping Engine.

Trap join examples, left to right: miter join, round join, bevel join

End Style Controls the intersection of three-way traps. Miter (the default) shapes the end of the trap to keep it away

from the intersecting object. Overlap affects the shape of the trap generated by the lightest neutral density object that
intersects with two or more darker objects. The end of the lightest trap is wrapped around the point where the three
objects intersect.

Close-up of trap end examples: miter (left) and overlap (right)

Trap thresholds
Step Specifies the color change threshold at which the trapping engine creates a trap. Some jobs need only the most

extreme color changes trapped, while others require traps for more subtle color changes. The Step value indicates the
degree to which components (such as CMYK values) of abutting colors must vary before trapping occurs.
To change how much the component inks in abutting colors can vary before causing those colors to trap, increase or
decrease the value for Step in the New Trap Preset or Modify Trap Preset Options dialog box. The default is 10%. For
best results, use a value from 8% to 20%. Lower percentages increase sensitivity to color differences and result in more
traps.
Black Color Indicates the minimum amount of black ink required before the Black trap width setting is applied. The

default value is 100%. For best results, use a value no lower than 70%.

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Black Density Indicates the neutral density value at or above which InDesign considers an ink to be black. For

example, if you want a dark spot ink to use the Black trap width setting, enter the neutral density value here. This value
is typically set near the default of 1.6.
Sliding Trap Determines when the trapping engine starts to straddle the centerline of the color boundary. The value

refers to the proportion of the lighter color’s neutral density value to a darker, abutting color’s neutral density value.
For example, setting the Sliding Trap value to 70% moves the point at which the trap begins to straddle the centerline
to where the lighter color exceeds 70% of the darker color in neutral density (lighter color’s neutral density divided by
darker color’s neutral density > 0.70). Colors of identical neutral density will always have their traps exactly straddle
the centerline, unless the Sliding Trap is set to 100%.
Trap Color Reduction Indicates the degree to which components from abutting colors are used to reduce the trap
color. This setting is useful for preventing certain abutting colors (such as pastels) from making an unsightly trap that
is darker than either color. Specifying a Trap Color Reduction lower than 100% begins to lighten the color of the trap;
a Trap Color Reduction value of 0% makes a trap with a neutral density equal to the neutral density of the darker color.

Trapping imported graphics
You can create a trap preset to control traps within images, and to control traps between bitmap images (such as
photographs and those saved in raster PDF files) and vector objects (such as those from a drawing program and vector
PDF files). Each trapping engine handles imported graphics differently. It’s important to be aware of these differences
when setting trapping options.
Trap Placement Provides options for determining where the trap falls when you trap vector objects (including objects

drawn in InDesign) to bitmap images. All options except Neutral Density create a visually consistent edge. Center
creates a trap that straddles the edge between objects and images. Choke causes objects to overlap the abutting image.
Neutral Density applies the same trapping rules as used elsewhere in the document. Trapping an object to a
photograph with the Neutral Density setting can result in noticeably uneven edges as the trap moves from one side of
the edge to another. Spread causes the bitmap image to overlap the abutting object.
Trap Objects To Images Ensures that vector objects (such as frames used as keylines) trap to images, using the Trap

Placement settings. If vector objects don’t overlap images in a trapping page range, consider turning this option off to
speed trapping of that page range.
Trap Images To Images Turns on trapping along the boundary of overlapping or abutting bitmap images. This feature

is on by default.
Trap Images Internally Turns on trapping among colors within each individual bitmap image (not just where they

touch vector artwork and text). Use this option only for page ranges containing simple, high-contrast images, such as
screen shots or cartoons. Leave it unselected for continuous-tone and other complicated images, as it will create bad
traps. Trapping is faster when this option is unselected.
Trap 1-Bit Images Ensures that 1-bit images trap to abutting objects. This option doesn’t use the Image Trap

Placement settings, because 1-bit images use only one color. In most cases, leave this option selected. In some cases,
such as with 1-bit images where pixels are widely spaced, selecting this option may darken the image and slow the
trapping.

Set sliding traps
1 Choose New Preset in the panel menu to create a preset, or double-click a preset to edit it.
2 In the Trap Thresholds section, for Sliding Trap, enter a percentage from 0 to 100, or use the default of 70%. At 0%,

all traps default to centerline; at 100%, sliding traps are turned off, forcing one color to be spread fully into another
regardless of the neutral density relationship of the abutting colors.

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About trapping black
When creating or editing presets, the value you type for Black Color determines what is considered solid black and rich
black. A rich black is any black color that uses a support screen—additional percentages of one or more process inks to
strengthen the black.
The Black Color setting is useful when you must compensate for extreme dot gain (as when using low-grade paper
stock). These situations cause black percentages lower than 100% to print as solid areas. By screening back blacks or
rich blacks (using tints of solid black) and decreasing the Black Color setting from its default of 100%, you can
compensate for dot gain and ensure that the trapping engine will apply the proper trap width and placement to black
objects.
When a color reaches the Black Color value, the Black trap width value is applied to all abutting colors, and keepaway
traps are applied to rich black areas using the Black trap width value.
If support screens extend all the way to the edge of a black area, any misregistration causes the edges of support screens
to become visible, creating an unwanted halo or distorting the edges of objects. The trapping engine uses a keepaway,
or a holdback, for rich blacks to keep support screens a specified distance away from edges of reversed-out or light
elements in the foreground, so that the light elements retain their sharpness. You control the distance of support
screens from the edges of black areas by specifying the Black trap width value.
Note: If the element you’re trapping is a thin element, such as a black keyline around graphics, the trapping engine
overrides the Black trap width setting and limits the trap to half the width of the thin element.

Set the trap width for colors next to black
1 Choose New Preset in the panel menu to create a preset, or double-click a preset to edit it.
2 In the Trap Width section, for Black, enter a distance (in points) for how far you want other colors to spread into

black, or for how far you want support screens choked back under black. Typically, the Black trap width is set to be
1.5 to 2 times the value of the Default trap width.
3 For Black Color and Black Density, set values.

Note: To use black trapping features, a color area must use an ink with a neutral density greater than or equal to the Black
Density, and the ink must occur in percentages greater than or equal to the Black Color.

See also
“Trap Presets panel overview” on page 488
“Trap preset options” on page 490

Printing books with conflicting trap presets
You can apply one trap preset to one sheet of output, such as one page. Normally this is not a concern. However, if you
print multiple documents in a book, and each document or page has a different trap preset, InDesign can resolve some
trap preset conflicts by synchronizing presets among documents:

• If documents in a book use different trap presets with the same name, InDesign assigns the trap preset used in the
master document, provided you’ve selected the Trap Preset option in the Synchronize Options dialog box.

• The synchronizing feature makes all the master document’s presets available to the other documents in the book,
but does not assign them; you have to assign trap presets in each document, or use the [Default] trap preset. The
presets appear in the Trap Preset menu of the document’s Assign Trap Presets dialog box.
Note: If different trap presets are applied to pages in a spread, InDesign honors each trap preset.

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See also
“Synchronize book documents” on page 293

Adjusting ink options for trapping
Adjusting ink neutral density values
By adjusting the ink neutral density (ND) values that the selected trapping engine uses, you can determine the precise
placement of traps. The default ND values for process inks are based on the neutral density readings of process ink
swatches that conform to industry standards in different parts of the world. The language version determines which
standard it conforms to. For example, the ND values for the U.S. English and Canadian versions conform to the
Specifications for Web Offset Publications (SWOP) solid ink density values published by the Graphic Arts Technical
Foundation of North America. You can adjust process ink neutral densities to match printing industry standards in
other parts of the world.
The trapping engine derives the ND values for a spot color from its CMYK equivalent. For most spot colors, the ND
values of their CMYK equivalents are accurate enough for proper trap creation. Spot inks that aren’t easily simulated
using process inks, such as metallic inks and varnishes, may need their ND values adjusted so that the trapping engine
can trap them correctly. By typing new values, you can ensure that an ink that is observably darker or lighter is
recognized that way by the trapping engine; the appropriate trap placement is then applied automatically.
You can get the appropriate neutral density value for a given ink by asking your commercial printer. The most accurate
method of determining an ink’s ND value is by measuring a swatch of the ink with a commercial densitometer. Read
the “V” or visual density of the ink (don’t use process filters). If the value differs from the default setting, type the new
value in the ND text box.
Note: Changing the neutral density for a spot color affects only how that color will trap. It doesn’t change the appearance
of that color in your document.
Follow these guidelines when adjusting ND values:
Metallic and opaque inks Metallic inks are usually darker than their CMYK equivalents, while opaque inks obscure

any ink beneath them. In general, you should set the ND values for both metallic and opaque spot colors much higher
than their default values to ensure that these spot colors won’t spread.
Note: Setting an ink to Opaque or Opaque Ignore in the Type menu of the Ink Manager prevents an opaque ink from
spreading into other colors, unless another opaque ink has a higher ND value.
Pastel inks These inks are normally lighter than their process equivalents. You may want to set the ND value for these
inks lower than their default values to ensure that they spread into adjacent darker colors.
Other spot inks Some spot colors, such as turquoise or neon orange, are significantly darker or lighter than their

CMYK equivalents. You can determine whether this is the case by comparing printed swatches of the actual spot inks
to printed swatches of their CMYK equivalents. You can adjust the spot ink’s ND value higher or lower as necessary.

Customize trapping for specialty inks
Using certain inks involves special trapping considerations. For example, if you are using a varnish on your document,
you don’t want the varnish to affect trapping. However, if you’re overprinting certain areas with a completely opaque
ink, you don’t need to create traps for items underneath. Ink options are available for these situations. It’s usually best
not to change the default settings, unless your prepress service provider recommends changing them.

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Note: The speciality inks and varnishes used in the document may have been created by mixing two spot inks or by mixing
a spot ink with one or more process inks.
1 Open the Ink Manager and select an ink that requires special treatment.
2 For Type, choose one of the following options, and then click OK:
Normal Use for traditional process inks and most spot inks.
Transparent Use for clear inks to ensure that underlying items trap. Use this option for varnishes and dieline inks.
Opaque Use for heavy, nontransparent inks to prevent trapping of underlying colors but allow for trapping along the

ink’s edges. Use this option for metallic inks.
Opaque Ignore Use for heavy, nontransparent inks to prevent trapping of underlying colors and to prevent trapping
along the ink’s edges. Use this option for those inks, such as metallics and varnishes, that have undesirable interactions
with other inks.

See also
“Ink Manager overview” on page 628
“Mixing inks” on page 457

Adjust the trapping sequence
The trapping sequence (also called the trapping order) matches the order in which inks are printed at the press, but it
doesn’t match the order in which separations are produced at the output device.
The trapping sequence is particularly important when you’re printing with multiple opaque colors, such as metallic
inks. Opaque inks with lower sequence numbers are spread under opaque inks with higher sequence numbers. This
process prevents the last applied ink from being spread, and it still creates good traps.
Note: Don’t alter the default trapping sequence without first consulting with your prepress service provider.
1 Open the Ink Manager. The current trapping sequence is displayed in the Sequence column of the inks list.
2 Select an ink, type a new value for Trapping Sequence, and then press Tab. The sequence number of the selected

ink changes, and the other sequence numbers change accordingly.
3 Repeat the previous step for as many inks as necessary, and then click OK.

See also
“Ink Manager overview” on page 628

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496

Chapter 18: PDF
Exporting Adobe InDesign CS4 documents to PDF format preserves the look and content of the original InDesign
documents. PDF files can be viewed in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader® on almost any platform. Enhance your PDFs
by adding interactivity features such as bookmarks, hyperlinks, buttons, and media files.

Exporting to Adobe PDF
About Adobe PDF
Portable Document Format (PDF) is a universal file format that preserves the fonts, images, and layout of source
documents created on a wide range of applications and platforms. Adobe PDF is the standard for the secure, reliable
distribution and exchange of electronic documents and forms around the world. Adobe PDF files are compact and
complete, and can be shared, viewed, and printed by anyone with free Adobe Reader® software.
Adobe PDF is highly effective in print publishing workflows. By saving a composite of your artwork in Adobe PDF,
you create a compact, reliable file that you or your service provider can view, edit, organize, and proof. Then, at the
appropriate time in the workflow, your service provider can either output the Adobe PDF file directly, or process it
using tools from various sources for such post-processing tasks as preflight checks, trapping, imposition, and color
separation.
When you save in Adobe PDF, you can choose to create a PDF/X-compliant file. PDF/X (Portable Document Format
Exchange) is a subset of Adobe PDF that eliminates many of the color, font, and trapping variables that lead to printing
problems. PDF/X may be used wherever PDFs are exchanged as digital masters for print production—whether at the
creation or output stage of the workflow, as long as the applications and output devices support PDF/X.
Adobe PDFs can solve the following problems associated with electronic documents:
Common problem

Adobe PDF solution

Recipients can't open files because they don't have the
applications used to create the files.

Anyone, anywhere can open a PDF. All you need is the free Adobe
Reader software.

Combined paper and electronic archives are difficult to search,
take up space, and require the application in which a document
was created.

PDFs are compact and fully searchable, and can be accessed at any
time using Reader. Links make PDFs easy to navigate.

Documents appear incorrectly on handheld devices.

Tagged PDFs allow text to reflow for display on mobile platforms
such as Palm OS®, Symbian™, and Pocket PC® devices.

Documents with complex formatting are not accessible to visually Tagged PDFs contain information on content and structure, which
impaired readers.
makes them accessible on-screen readers.

Export to PDF
Exporting a document or book to Adobe PDF is as simple as using the default High Quality Print settings, or as
customized as you need it to be to suit your task. The PDF export settings you specify are saved with the application,
and will apply to every new InDesign document or book you export to PDF until you change them again. To quickly
apply custom settings to PDF files, you can use presets.

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You can export a document, a book, or selected documents in a book as a single PDF file. You can also copy content
from your InDesign layout to the Clipboard, and automatically create an Adobe PDF file of that content. (This is useful
for pasting a PDF file into another application, such as Adobe Illustrator.)
When you export an InDesign file to PDF, you can preserve navigation elements such as table of contents and index
entries, and interactivity features such as hyperlinks, bookmarks, media clips, and buttons. You also have the option
of exporting hidden layers, nonprinting layers, and nonprinting objects to PDF. If you’re exporting a book, you can
merge identically named layers by using the Book panel.

See also
“Adobe PDF options” on page 501
“PDF compatibility levels” on page 502
“Creating interactive documents for PDF” on page 523

Export an open document to PDF
1 Choose File > Export.
2 Specify a name and location for the file.
3 For Save As Type (Windows) or Format (Mac OS), choose Adobe PDF, and then click Save.
4 Do one of the following:

• To use a predefined set of job options, choose a preset from the Adobe PDF Preset menu.
• To create a PDF/X file, either choose a PDF/X preset from the Adobe PDF Preset menu, or choose a predefined
PDF/X format from the Standard menu.

• To customize options, select a category from the list on the left and then set the options.
5 For Compatibility, choose the lowest PDF version necessary to open the files you create.
6 Click Export (Windows) or Save (Mac OS).

To reset options to the default, in the Adobe PDF Export dialog box, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS)
and click Reset. (The Cancel button changes to Reset.)

Prepare layers before exporting a book to PDF
When you export a book to PDF, you can show and hide InDesign layers in the PDF document. To avoid duplication
of layer names in the PDF, you can merge the layers on export.
If the Merge Identically Named Layers On Export option is selected, layer names appear under the same book name
in Acrobat or Reader. If this option is not selected, layer names appear separately under each document name.
1 If you don’t want certain layers to be merged, give them unique names in each book document.

Layer names are case-sensitive, so “Art” and “art” layers are not merged.
2 In the Book panel menu, select Merge Identically Named Layers On Export.

Note: When you export the book to PDF, make sure that Create Acrobat Layers is selected. To select this option, you must
use Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later compatibility.

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Export a book to PDF
1 Do one of the following:

• To create a PDF of the entire book, click in a blank area of the Book panel to deselect any selected documents, and
choose Export Book To PDF in the Book panel menu.

• To create a PDF of documents within a book, select the document or documents in the Book panel, and choose
Export Selected Documents To PDF in the Book panel menu.
2 Specify a name and location for the PDF file, and then click Save.
3 Either choose a preset from the Adobe PDF Preset menu, or select a category from the list on the left of the Export

Adobe PDF dialog box, and then customize the options.
4 Click Export (Windows) or Save (Mac OS).

Reducing the size of PDFs
For PDF files that are intended to be distributed for viewing purposes only, you may want to reduce the size of PDF
files when you export from InDesign. Here are some of the size reduction techniques you can use in the Export Adobe
PDF dialog box:

• Choose [Smallest File Size] from the Adobe PDF Preset menu.
• In the Compression area, downsample images to 72 pixels per inch, select automatic compression, and select either
low- or medium-image quality for color and grayscale images. When you work with photographic images, use
Automatic (JPEG 2000) compression; when you work with images that are mostly solid color, such as charts and
graphs, use ZIP compression.

• In the Output area, use the Ink Manager to convert spot colors to process colors.
To reduce the size of PDFs, simply open the PDF in Acrobat 8.0 or later, choose Document > Reduce File Size, and
then specify the compatibility level. For greater control, choose Advanced > PDF Optimizer.
For more information on reducing the size of PDF files, see Acrobat Help and the Adobe website.

Adobe PDF presets
A PDF preset is a group of settings that affect the process of creating a PDF. These settings are designed to balance file
size with quality, depending on how the PDF will be used. Most predefined presets are shared across Adobe Creative
Suite components, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat. You can also create and share custom
presets for your unique output requirements.
A few of the presets listed below are not available until you move them—as needed—from the Extras folder (where
they are installed by default) to the Settings folder. Typically, the Extras and Settings folders are found in (Windows
Vista) ProgramData\Adobe\AdobePDF, (Windows XP) Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Adobe\Adobe PDF, or (Mac OS) Library/Application Support/Adobe PDF. Some presets are not available in
some Creative Suite components.
The custom settings are found in (Windows XP) Documents and Settings/[username]/Application
Data/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings, (Windows Vista) Users/[username]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe
PDF/Settings, or (Mac OS) Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings.
Review your PDF settings periodically. The settings do not automatically revert to the default settings. Applications
and utilities that create PDFs use the last set of PDF settings defined or selected.
High Quality Print Creates PDFs for quality printing on desktop printers and proofing devices. This preset uses PDF

1.4 (Windows) or PDF 1.6 (Mac OS), downsamples color and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to
1200 ppi, embeds subsets of all fonts, leaves color unchanged, and does not flatten transparency (for file types capable

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of transparency). These PDFs can be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later. In InDesign, this preset
also creates tagged PDFs.
Illustrator Default (Illustrator only) Creates a PDF in which all Illustrator data is preserved. PDFs created with this
preset can be reopened in Illustrator without any loss of data.
Oversized Pages (Acrobat only) Creates PDFs suitable for viewing and printing of engineering drawings larger than

200 x 200 inches. These PDFs can be opened in Acrobat and Reader 7.0 and later.
PDF/A-1b: 2005 (CMYK and RGB) (Acrobat only) Used for long-term preservation (archival) of electronic documents.
PDF/A-1b uses PDF 1.4 and converts all colors to either CMYK or RGB, depending on which standard you choose.
These PDFs can be opened in Acrobat and Reader versions 5.0 and later.
PDF/X-1a (2001 and 2003) PDF/X-1a requires all fonts to be embedded, the appropriate marks and bleeds to be
specified, and color to appear as CMYK, spot colors, or both. Compliant files must contain information describing the
printing condition for which they are prepared. PDF files created with PDF/X-1a compliance can be opened in Acrobat
4.0 and Acrobat Reader 4.0 and later.

PDF/X-1a uses PDF 1.3, downsamples color and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to 1200 ppi,
embeds subsets of all fonts, creates untagged PDFs, and flattens transparency using the High Resolution setting.
Note: The PDF/X1-a:2003 and PDF/X-3 (2003) presets are placed on your computer during installation but are not
available until you move them from the Extras folder to the Settings folder.
PDF/X-4 (2008) In Acrobat 8, this preset is called PDF/X-4 DRAFT to reflect the draft state of the ISO specification at

Acrobat ship time. This preset is based on PDF 1.4, which includes support for live transparency. PDF/X-4 has the
same color management and International Color Consortium (ICC) color specifications as PDF/X-3. You can create
PDF/X-4-compliant files directly with Creative Suite 3 components (Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop). In Acrobat
8, use the Preflight feature to convert PDFs to PDF/X-4 DRAFT.
PDF files created with PDF/X-4 compliance can be opened in Acrobat 7.0 and Reader 7.0 and later.
Press Quality Creates PDF files for high-quality print production (for example, for digital printing or for separations
to an imagesetter or platesetter), but does not create files that are PDF/X-compliant. In this case, the quality of the
content is the highest consideration. The objective is to maintain all the information in a PDF file that a commercial
printer or print service provider needs in order to print the document correctly. This set of options uses PDF 1.4,
converts colors to CMYK, downsamples color and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to 1200 ppi,
embeds subsets of all fonts, and preserves transparency (for file types capable of transparency).

These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later.
Note: Before creating an Adobe PDF file to send to a commercial printer or print service provider, find out what the
output resolution and other settings should be, or ask for a .joboptions file with the recommended settings. You might
need to customize the Adobe PDF settings for a particular provider and then provide a .joboptions file of your own.
Rich Content PDF Creates accessible PDF files that include tags, hyperlinks, bookmarks, interactive elements, and
layers. This set of options uses PDF 1.5 and embeds subsets of all fonts. It also optimizes files for byte serving. These
PDF files can be opened in Acrobat 6.0 and Adobe Reader 6.0 and later. (The Rich Content PDF preset is in the Extras
folder.)

Note: This preset was called eBook in earlier versions of some applications.
Smallest File Size Creates PDF files for displaying on the web, an intranet, or for email distribution. This set of options

uses compression, downsampling, and a relatively low image resolution. It converts all colors to sRGB and embeds
fonts. It also optimizes files for byte serving.
These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later.

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Standard (Acrobat only) Creates PDF files to be printed to desktop printers or digital copiers, published on a CD, or
sent to a client as a publishing proof. This set of options uses compression and downsampling to keep the file size
down, but also embeds subsets of all (allowed) fonts used in the file, converts all colors to sRGB, and prints to a medium
resolution. Note that Windows font subsets are not embedded by default. PDF files created with this settings file can
be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later.

For more information about shared PDF settings for Creative Suite components, see the PDF Integration Guide on
the Creative Suite DVD.

Customize Adobe PDF presets
Although the default PDF presets are based on best practices, you may discover that your workflow, or perhaps your
printer’s workflow, requires specialized PDF settings that aren’t available via any of the built-in presets. If this is the
case, you or your service provider can create custom presets. Adobe PDF presets are saved as .joboptions files.
1 Choose File > Adobe PDF Presets > Define.
2 Do one of the following:

• To create a new preset, click New. If you want to base the new preset on an existing preset, select the preset first. Set
PDF options, and click OK. (See “Adobe PDF options” on page 501.)

• To edit an existing custom preset, select the preset and click Edit. (You cannot edit the default presets.) Set PDF
options, and click OK.

• To delete a preset, select it and click Delete.
• To save a preset in a location other than the default Settings folder in the Adobe PDF folder, select it and click Save
As. Specify a location and click Save.
Alternatively, you can create a custom preset when you save a PDF file by clicking Save Preset at the bottom of the
Export Adobe PDF dialog box. Enter a name for the preset and click OK.

Load Adobe PDF presets
New PDF presets (.joboptions files) that you create are stored in the Settings folder in the following locations:
Windows XP Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe PDF
Windows Vista Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe PDF
Mac OS User/[username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF

These presets automatically appear in the Adobe PDF Presets menu.
Supplementary InDesign PDF presets are installed in the system’s Adobe PDF\Extras folder. Use your system search
utility to locate additional .joboptions files. You may also receive custom PDF presets from service providers and
colleagues. For these presets to be listed in the Adobe PDF Presets menu, they must be moved to the Settings folder
either manually or by using the Load command.

Load PDF presets
The Load command is useful if you want to load PDF presets that someone sent you, or to load PDF presets from
InDesign CS2.
1 Choose File > Adobe PDF Presets > Define.
2 Click Load and select the .joboptions file you want to load.

The .joboptions file is copied to the Settings folder where new PDF presets are stored.

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To make a .joboptions file available in the Adobe PDF Presets menu, you can also drag it to the Settings folder where
your PDF presets are stored.

Convert PDF presets from InDesign CS
InDesign CS and earlier export PDF presets with .pdfs extensions, while InDesign CS2 and later export PDF presets
with .joboptions extensions. Importing a PDFS file converts it to a .joboptions file, and overrides settings as necessary.
For example, if Monitor RGB was selected as the destination profile in the Output area in InDesign CS, it is
automatically changed to Document RGB in InDesign CS4.
1 Choose File > Adobe PDF Presets > Define.
2 Click Load.
3 Choose Previous-version PDF Settings Files (.pdfs) from the Files Of Type menu (Windows) or All Files from the

Enable menu (Macintosh).
4 Double-click the file you want to convert.

The file becomes selected in the list of Adobe PDF presets.

Adobe PDF options
Adobe PDF option categories
You can set PDF options when you export to PDF or when you create or edit PDF presets. Adobe PDF options are
divided into categories. The categories are listed on the left side of the Export Adobe PDF dialog box, with the
exception of the Standard and Compatibility options, which are at the top of the dialog box. When you’re exporting to
PDF, changing any of the options causes “modified” to appear at the end of the preset name.
Standard Specifies a PDF/X format for the file.
Compatibility Specifies a PDF version for the file.
General Specifies basic file options.
Compression Specifies if artwork should be compressed and downsampled, and if so, which method and settings to use.
Marks and Bleeds Specifies printer’s marks and the bleed and slug areas. Although the options are the same as in the

Print dialog box, the calculations are subtly different because a PDF is not output to a known page size.
Output Controls how colors and PDF/X output intent profiles are saved in the PDF file.
Advanced Controls how fonts, OPI specifications, transparency flattening, and JDF instructions are saved in the PDF

file.
Security Adds security to the PDF file. Security options are not available when you create or edit a PDF preset.
Summary Displays a summary of the current PDF settings. You can click the arrow next to a category (for example,

General) to view individual settings. To save the summary as an ASCII text file, click Save Summary. A warning
icon
appears with explanatory text if a setting in the selected preset cannot be honored and must be remapped. For
example, if a preset specifies source profiles that don’t match the current color settings file, then the profiles specified
by the color settings file will be used.

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About PDF/X standards
PDF/X standards are defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). PDF/X standards apply to
graphic content exchange. During PDF conversion, the file that is being processed is checked against the specified
standard. If the PDF will not meet the selected ISO standard, a message appears, asking you to choose between
canceling the conversion or going ahead with the creation of a non-compliant file. The most widely used standards for
a print publishing workflow are PDF/X formats such as PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3.
Note: For more information on PDF/X, see the ISO website and the Adobe website.

PDF compatibility levels
When you create PDFs, you need to decide which PDF version to use. You can change the PDF version by switching
to a different preset or choosing a compatibility option when you save as PDF or edit a PDF preset.
Generally speaking, unless there’s a specific need for backward compatibility, you should use the most recent version
(in this case version 1.7). The latest version will include all the newest features and functionality. However, if you’re
creating documents that will be distributed widely, consider choosing Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4) or Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) to
ensure that all users can view and print the document.
The following table compares some of the functionality in PDFs created using the different compatibility settings.
Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3)

Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4)

Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5)

Acrobat 7 (PDF 1.6) and
Acrobat 8 and Acrobat 9 (PDF
1.7)

PDFs can be opened with
PDFs can be opened with
Acrobat 3.0 and Acrobat Reader Acrobat 3.0 and Acrobat Reader
3.0 and later.
3.0 and later. However, features
specific to later versions may be
lost or not viewable.

Most PDFs can be opened with
Acrobat 4.0 and Acrobat Reader
4.0 and later. However, features
specific to later versions may be
lost or not viewable.

Cannot contain artwork that
uses live transparency effects.
Any transparency must be
flattened prior to converting to
PDF 1.3.

Supports the use of live
transparency in artwork. (The
Acrobat Distiller feature flattens
transparency.)

Layers are not supported.

Preserves layers when creating
PDFs from applications that
support the generation of
layered PDF documents, such as
Illustrator CS and later or
InDesign CS and later.

DeviceN color space with 8
colorants is supported.

DeviceN color space with up to
31 colorants is supported.

Multibyte fonts can be
embedded. (Distiller converts
the fonts when embedding.)

Multibyte fonts can be
embedded.

40-bit RC4 security supported.

128-bit RC4 security supported.

128-bit RC4 and 128-bit AES
(Advanced Encryption
Standard) security supported.

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General options for PDFs
Click the General category in the Export Adobe PDF dialog box to set the following options:
Description Displays the description from the selected preset, and provides a place for you to edit the description. You

can paste a description from the Clipboard.
All Exports all pages in the current document or book.
Range Specifies the range of pages to export in the current document. You can type a range by using a hyphen, and
separate multiple pages or ranges by using commas. This option is unavailable when you’re exporting books or
creating presets.
Spreads Exports pages together as if they were printed on the same sheet.

Important: Do not select Spreads for commercial printing; if you do, the service provider cannot impose the pages.
Embed Page Thumbnails Creates a thumbnail preview for each page being exported, or one thumbnail for each spread

if the Spreads option is selected. The thumbnail is displayed in the InDesign Open or Place dialog boxes. Adding
thumbnails increases the PDF file size.
Optimize For Fast Web View Reduces PDF file size, and optimizes the PDF file for faster viewing in a web browser by
restructuring the file for page-at-a-time downloading (byte serving). This option compresses text and line art,
regardless of the settings you have selected in the Compression category of the Export Adobe PDF dialog box.
Create Tagged PDF During export, automatically tags elements in the story based on a subset of the Acrobat tags that

InDesign supports. This includes recognition of paragraphs, basic text formatting, lists, and tables. (You can also insert
and adjust tags in the document before exporting to PDF. See “Adding structure to PDFs” on page 512.)
Note: If Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later, tags are compressed for smaller file size. If the PDF is then
opened in Acrobat 4.0 or Acrobat 5.0, the tags will not be visible because those versions of Acrobat cannot decompress tags.
View PDF After Exporting Opens the newly-created PDF file in the default PDF viewing application.
Create Acrobat Layers Saves each InDesign layer as an Acrobat layer within the PDF. Also exports any printer’s marks

you’ve included to a separate marks and bleeds layer. The layers are fully navigable, which allows users of Acrobat 6.0
and later to generate multiple versions of the file from a single PDF. For example, if a document will be published in
multiple languages, you can place the text for each language in a different layer. A prepress service provider can then
show and hide the layers to generate different versions of the document.
If you select the Create Acrobat Layers option when you export a book to PDF, identically named layers are merged
by default.
Note: Create Acrobat Layers is available only when Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later.
Export Layers Determines whether visible layers and nonprinting layers are included in the PDF. You can use the

Layer Options settings to determine whether each layer is hidden or set as nonprinting. When exporting to PDF,
choose whether you want to export All Layers (including hidden and nonprinting layers), Visible Layers (including
nonprinting layers), or Visible & Printable Layers.
Bookmarks Creates bookmarks for table of contents entries, preserving the TOC levels. Bookmarks are created from

the information specified in the Bookmarks panel.
Hyperlinks Creates PDF hyperlink annotations for InDesign hyperlinks, table of contents entries, and index entries.
Visible Guides And Baseline Grids Exports margin guides, ruler guides, column guides, and baseline grids currently

visible in the document. Grids and guides export in the same color used in the document.
Non-Printing Objects Exports objects to which you have applied the Nonprinting option in the Attributes panel.

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Interactive Elements Exports all movies, sounds, and buttons. Acrobat 4.0 and 5.0 require that sounds be embedded

and movies be linked. Acrobat 6.0 and later support linking and embedding of movies and sounds.
Multimedia Lets you specify how to embed or link movies and sounds:

• Use Object Settings Embeds movies and sounds according to the settings in the Sound Options and Movie Options
dialog box.

• Link All Links sound and movie clips placed in the document. If you choose not to embed media clips in the PDF
file, be sure to place the media clips in the same folder as the PDF.
• Embed All Embeds all movies and sounds, regardless of embed settings on individual objects.
Note: The Multimedia option is only available when Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later and Interactive
Elements is selected. When Compatibility is set to Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3) or Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4) and Interactive Elements
is selected, InDesign embeds movies and sounds according to the individual object settings.

See also
“Export to PDF” on page 496
“Hyperlinks” on page 526
“Bookmarks” on page 524
“Movies and sounds” on page 539
“Buttons” on page 545

Compression and downsampling options for PDFs
When exporting documents to Adobe PDF, you can compress text and line art, and compress and downsample bitmap
images. Depending on the settings you choose, compression and downsampling can significantly reduce the size of a
PDF file with little or no loss of detail and precision.
The Compression area of the Export Adobe PDF dialog box is divided into three sections. Each section provides the
following options for compressing and resampling color, grayscale, or monochrome images in your artwork.
Downsampling If you plan to use the PDF file on the web, use downsampling to allow for higher compression. If you
plan to print the PDF file at high resolution, check with your prepress service provider before setting compression and
downsampling options.

You should also consider whether users need to magnify a page. For example, if you are creating a PDF document of
a map, consider using a higher image resolution so that users can zoom in on the map.
Downsampling refers to decreasing the number of pixels in an image. To downsample color, grayscale, or
monochrome images, choose an interpolation method—average downsampling, bicubic downsampling, or
subsampling—and enter the desired resolution (in pixels per inch). Then enter a resolution in the For Images Above
text box. All images with resolution above this threshold will be downsampled.
The interpolation method you choose determines how pixels are deleted:

• Average Downsampling To Averages the pixels in a sample area and replaces the entire area with the average pixel
color at the specified resolution.
• Subsampling To Chooses a pixel in the center of the sample area and replaces the entire area with that pixel color.
Subsampling significantly reduces the conversion time compared with downsampling but results in images that are
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• Bicubic Downsampling To Uses a weighted average to determine pixel color, which usually yields better results
than the simple averaging method of downsampling. Bicubic is the slowest but most precise method, resulting in the
smoothest tonal gradations.
Compression Determines the type of compression that is used:

• Automatic (JPEG) Determines automatically the best quality for color and grayscale images. For most files, this
option produces satisfactory results.
• JPEG Is suitable for grayscale or color images. JPEG compression is lossy, which means that it removes image data
and may reduce image quality; however, it attempts to reduce file size with a minimal loss of information. Because
JPEG compression eliminates data, it can achieve much smaller files sizes than ZIP compression.
• ZIP Works well on images with large areas of single colors or repeating patterns, and for black-and-white images
that contain repeating patterns. ZIP compression can be lossless or lossy, depending on the Image Quality setting.
• JPEG 2000 Is the international standard for the compression and packaging of image data. Like JPEG compression,
JPEG 2000 compression is suitable for grayscale or color images. It also provides additional advantages, such as
progressive display. The JPEG 2000 option is only available when Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later.
• Automatic (JPEG 2000) Determines automatically the best quality for color and grayscale images. The Automatic
(JPEG 2000) option is only available when Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later.
• CCITT And Run Length Are only available for monochrome bitmap images. CCITT (Consultative Committee on
International Telegraphy and Telephony) compression is appropriate for black-and-white images and any images
scanned with an image depth of 1 bit. Group 4 is a general-purpose method that produces good compression for most
monochrome images. Group 3, used by most fax machines, compresses monochrome bitmaps one row at a time.
Run Length compression produces the best results for images that contain large areas of solid black or white.
Note: Grayscale images that have been colorized in InDesign are subject to the compression settings for Color Images.
However, grayscale images colorized with a spot color (and [None] applied to their frames) use the compression settings
for grayscale.
Image Quality Determines the amount of compression that is applied. For JPEG or JPEG 2000 compression, you can

choose Minimum, Low, Medium, High, or Maximum quality. For ZIP compression, only 8-bit is available. Because
InDesign uses the lossless ZIP method, data is not removed to reduce file size, so image quality is not affected.
Tile Size Determines the size of the tiles for progressive display. This option is only available when Compatibility is set

to Acrobat 6 (1.5) and later, and Compression is set to JPEG 2000.
Compress Text And Line Art Applies Flate compression (which is similar to ZIP compression for images) to all text

and line art in the document, without loss of detail or quality.
Crop Image Data To Frames May reduce file size by exporting only image data that falls within the visible portion of

the frame. Do not select this option if postprocessors might require the additional information (for repositioning or
bleeding an image, for example).

Marks and Bleeds options for PDFs
Bleed is the amount of artwork that falls outside of the printing bounding box, or outside the crop marks and trim
marks. You can include bleed in your artwork as a margin of error, to ensure that the ink extends all the way to the
edge of the page after the page is trimmed or to ensure that a graphic can be stripped into a keyline in a document.
You can specify the extent of the bleed and add a variety of printer’s marks to the file.

See also
“Printer’s marks and bleeds” on page 593

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Color management and PDF/X output options for PDFs
You can set the following options in the Output area of the Export Adobe PDF dialog box. Interactions between
Output options change depending on whether color management is on or off, whether the document is tagged with
color profiles, and which PDF standard is selected.
Note: For quick definitions of the options in the Output area, position the pointer over an option and read the Description
text box at the bottom of the dialog box.
Color Conversion Specifies how to represent color information in the Adobe PDF file. All spot color information is
preserved during color conversion; only the process color equivalents convert to the designated color space.

• No Color Conversion Preserves color data as is. This is the default when PDF/X-3 is selected.
• Convert to Destination Converts all colors to the profile selected for Destination. Whether the profile is included
or not is determined by the Profile Inclusion Policy.
• Convert to Destination (Preserve Numbers) Converts colors to the destination profile space only if they have
embedded profiles that differ from the destination profile (or if they are RGB colors, and the destination profile is
CMYK, or vice versa). Untagged color objects (those without embedded profiles) and native objects (such as line art
or type) are not converted. This option is not available if color management is off. Whether the profile is included or
not is determined by the Profile Inclusion Policy.
Destination Describes the gamut of the final RGB or CMYK output device, such as your monitor or a SWOP standard.
Using this profile, InDesign converts the document’s color information (defined by the source profile in the Working
Spaces section of the Color Settings dialog box) to the color space of the target output device.
Profile Inclusion Policy Determines whether a color profile is included in the file. The options vary, depending on the

setting in the Color Conversion menu, whether one of the PDF/X standards is selected, and whether color
management is on or off.

• Don’t Include Profiles Does not create a color-managed document with embedded color profiles.
• Include All Profiles Creates a color-managed document. If the application or output device that uses the Adobe
PDF file needs to translate colors into another color space, it uses the embedded color space in the profile. Before you
select this option, turn on color management and set up profile information.
• Include Tagged Source Profiles Leaves device-dependent colors unchanged and preserves device-independent
colors as the nearest possible equivalent in PDF. This is a useful option for print shops that have calibrated all their
devices, used that information to specify color in the file, and are only outputting to those devices.
• Include All RGB And Tagged Source CMYK Profiles Includes any profiles for tagged RGB objects and tagged CMYK
objects, such as placed objects with embedded profiles. This option also includes the Document RGB profile for
untagged RGB objects.
• Include Destination Profile Assigns the destination profile to all objects. If Convert To Destination (Preserve Color
Numbers) is selected, untagged objects in the same color space are assigned the destination profile so that color
numbers don’t change.
Simulate Overprint Simulates the appearance of printing separations by maintaining the appearance of overprinting

in composite output. When Simulate Overprint is unselected, Overprint Preview must be selected in Acrobat to see
the effects of overlapping colors. When Simulate Overprint is selected, spot colors are changed to their process
equivalents, and overlapping colors display and output correctly, without Overprint Preview selected in Acrobat. With
Simulate Overprint on, and Compatibility (in the General area of the dialog box) set to Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3), you can
soft-proof your document’s colors directly on the monitor before they are reproduced on a particular output device.
Ink Manager Controls whether spot colors are converted to process equivalents and specifies other ink settings. If you
make changes to your document using the Ink Manager (for example, if you change all spot colors to their process

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equivalents), those changes will be reflected in the exported file and in the saved document, but the settings won’t be
saved with the Adobe PDF preset.
Output Intent Profile Name Specifies the characterized printing condition for the document. An output intent profile
is required for creating PDF/X-compliant files. This menu is only available if a PDF/X standard (or preset) is selected
in the General area of the Export Adobe PDF dialog box. The available options depend on whether color management
is on or off. For example, if color management is off, the menu lists only output profiles that match the destination
profile’s color space. If color management is on, the output intent profile is the same profile selected for Destination
(provided it is a CMYK output device).
Output Condition Name Describes the intended printing condition. This entry can be useful for the intended receiver

of the PDF document.
Output Condition Identifier Indicates a pointer to more information on the intended printing condition. The

identifier is automatically entered for printing conditions that are included in the ICC registry. This option is not
available when using either of the PDF/X-3 presets or standards, because the file would fail compliance when inspected
by the Preflight feature in Acrobat 7.0 Professional and later, or the Enfocus PitStop application (which is a plug-in for
Acrobat 6.0).
Registry Name Indicates the web address for more information on the registry. The URL is automatically entered for

ICC registry names. This option is not available when using either of the PDF/X-3 presets or standards, because the
file would fail compliance when inspected by the Preflight feature in Acrobat 7.0 Professional and later, or the Enfocus
PitStop application (which is a plug-in for Acrobat 6.0).

Font, OPI, and flattening options for PDFs
You can set the following options in the Advanced area of the Export Adobe PDF dialog box.
Subset Fonts When Percent Of Characters Used Is Less Than Sets the threshold for embedding complete fonts based

on how many of the font’s characters are used in the document. If the percentage of characters used in the document
for any given font is exceeded, then that specific font is completely embedded. Otherwise, the font is subsetted.
Embedding complete fonts increases file size, but if you want to make sure you completely embed all fonts, enter 0
(zero). You can also set a threshold in the General Preferences dialog box to trigger font subsetting based on the
number of glyphs a font contains.
OPI Lets you selectively omit different imported graphics types when sending image data to a printer or file, leaving

only the OPI links (comments) for later handling by an OPI server.
Preset If Compatibility (in the General area of the dialog box) is set to Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3), you can specify a preset

(or set of options) for flattening transparency. These options are only used when exporting spreads with transparency
in artwork.
Note: Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4) and later automatically preserve transparency in artwork. As a result, the Preset and Custom
options are not available for these levels of compatibility.
Ignore Spread Overrides Applies the flattener settings to all spreads in a document or book, overriding the flattener

preset on an individual spread.
Create JDF File Using Acrobat Creates a Job Definition Format (JDF) file and starts Acrobat Professional for
processing the JDF file. A job definition in Acrobat contains references to the files to be printed as well as instructions
and information for prepress service providers at the production site. This option is only available if Acrobat 7.0
Professional or later is installed on your machine. For more information, see Acrobat Help.

See also
“Options for omitting graphics” on page 598

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Adding security to PDF files
When saving as PDF, you can add password protection and security restrictions, limiting not only who can open the
file, but also who can copy or extract contents, print the document, and more.
A PDF file can require passwords to open a document (document open password) and to change security settings
(permissions password). If you set any security restrictions in your file, you should set both passwords; otherwise,
anyone who opens the file could remove the restrictions. If a file is opened with a permissions password, the security
restrictions are temporarily disabled.
The RC4 method of security from RSA Corporation is used to password-protect PDF files. Depending on the
Compatibility setting (in the General category), the encryption level will be high or low.
Note: Adobe PDF presets don’t support passwords and security settings. If you select passwords and security settings in
the Export Adobe PDF dialog box, and then click Save Preset, the passwords and security settings won’t be preserved.

Security options for PDFs
You can set the following options when you create a PDF or when you apply password protection to a PDF. Options
vary depending on the Compatibility setting. Security options are not available for PDF/X standards or presets.
Compatibility Sets the type of encryption for opening a password-protected document. The Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3)
option uses a low encryption level (40-bit RC4), while the other options use a high encryption level (128-bit RC4 or
AES).

Be aware that anyone using an earlier version of Acrobat cannot open a PDF document with a higher compatibility
setting. For example, if you select the Acrobat 7 (PDF 1.6) option, the document cannot be opened in Acrobat 6.0 or
earlier.
Require A Password To Open The Document Select this option to require users to type the password you specify to

open the document.
Document Open Password Specify the password that users must type to open the PDF file.

Note: If you forget a password, there is no way to recover it from the document. It’s a good idea to store passwords in a
separate secure location in case you forget them.
Use A Password To Restrict Printing, Editing And Other Tasks Restricts access to the PDF file’s security settings. If the

file is opened in Adobe Acrobat, the user can view the file but must enter the specified Permissions password in order
to change the file’s Security and Permissions settings. If the file is opened in Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, or Adobe
InDesign, the user must enter the Permissions password, since it is not possible to open the file in a view-only mode.
Permissions Password Specify a password that is required to change the permissions settings. This option is available

only if the previous option is selected.
Printing Allowed Specifies the level of printing that users are allowed for the PDF document.

• None Prevents users from printing the document.
• Low Resolution (150 dpi) Lets users print at no higher than 150-dpi resolution. Printing may be slower because
each page is printed as a bitmap image. This option is available only if the Compatibility option is set to Acrobat 5 (PDF
1.4) or later.
• High Resolution Lets users print at any resolution, directing high-quality vector output to Adobe PostScript and
other printers that support advanced high-quality printing features.

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Changes Allowed Defines which editing actions are allowed in the PDF document.

• None Prevents users from making any changes to the document that are listed in the Changes Allowed menu, such
as filling in form fields and adding comments.
• Inserting, Deleting, And Rotating Pages Lets users insert, delete, and rotate pages, and create bookmarks and
thumbnails. This option is only available for high (128-bit RC4 or AES) encryption.
• Filling In Form Fields And Signing Lets users fill in forms and add digital signatures. This option doesn’t allow them
to add comments or create form fields. This option is only available for high (128-bit RC4 or AES) encryption.
• Commenting, Filling In Form Fields, And Signing Lets users add comments and digital signatures, and fill in forms.
This option doesn’t allow users to move page objects or create form fields.
• Page Layout, Filling in Form Fields, And Signing Lets users insert, rotate, or delete pages and create bookmarks or
thumbnail images, fill out forms, and add digital signatures. This option doesn’t allow them to create form fields. This
option is only available for low (40-bit RC4) encryption.
• Any Except Extracting Pages Lets users edit the document, create and fill in form fields, and add comments and
digital signatures.
Enable Copying Of Text, Images, And Other Content Lets users select and copy the contents of a PDF.
Enable Copying Of Content And Access For The Visually Impaired Lets visually impaired users use screen readers to
read and copy the document. This option is only available for low (40-bit RC4) encryption.
Enable Text Access For Screen Reader Devices For The Visually Impaired Lets visually impaired users read the
document with screen readers, but doesn’t allow users to copy or extract the document’s contents. This option is
available only for high (128-bit RC4 or AES) encryption.
Enable Plaintext Metadata Allows users to copy and extract content from the PDF. This option is only available when
Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later. Selecting this option allows storage/search systems and search
engines to access metadata stored in the document.

Font embedding and substitution
A font can be embedded only if it contains a setting by the font vendor that permits it to be embedded. Embedding
prevents font substitution when readers view or print the file, and ensures that readers see the text in its original font.
Embedding increases file size only slightly, unless the document uses CID fonts, a font format commonly used for
Asian languages. You can embed or substitute fonts in Acrobat or when you export an InDesign document to PDF.
You can embed the entire font, or just a subset of the characters used in the file. Subsetting ensures that your fonts and
font metrics are used at print time by creating a custom font name. That way, for example, your version of Adobe
Garamond®, not your service provider’s version, is always used by the service provider for viewing and printing. Type
1 and TrueType fonts can be embedded if they are included in the PostScript file, or are available in one of the font
locations that Distiller monitors and are not restricted from embedding.
When a font cannot be embedded due to the font vendor settings, and someone who opens or prints a PDF does not
have access to the original font, a Multiple Master typeface is temporarily substituted: AdobeSerifMM for a missing
serif font, and AdobeSansMM for a missing sans serif font.
The Multiple Master typeface can stretch or condense to fit, to ensure that line and page breaks in the original
document are maintained. The substitution cannot always match the shape of the original characters, however,
especially if the characters are unconventional ones, such as script typefaces.

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If characters are unconventional (left), the substitution font does not match (right).

Preparing a document for on-screen viewing
With its small file sizes, platform independence, and online navigation, Adobe PDF is an ideal format for distributing
documents electronically and viewing them on-screen. You can send Adobe PDF documents to other users as e-mail
attachments, or you can distribute the documents on the web or on an intranet.
The following guidelines apply to electronically distributed Adobe PDF files:

• Before putting Adobe PDF documents on a website, check to see that the text, artwork, and layout in the documents
are complete and correct.

• Make sure that table of contents entries, hyperlinks, and bookmarks are generated correctly. Table of contents
entries are generated automatically from information in the Bookmarks panel.

• Set up passwords and other security options.
• Use a file name of no more than eight characters, followed by an extension of up to three characters. Many networks
and e-mail programs shorten long file names.

• Make sure that the file name has a PDF extension if users will view the file on a Windows computer or on the
Internet.

• To apply predefined Adobe PDF export settings for on-screen viewing, choose Smallest File Size.
Note: Adobe PDF files exported from InDesign documents that contain overprints or transparency effects are best
viewed in Acrobat 5.0 and later, or Adobe Reader 7.0 and later, with the Overprint Preview option selected.

See also
“Customize Adobe PDF presets” on page 500
“General options for PDFs” on page 503

Preparing PDFs for service providers
About PDF print publishing tools
In some print publishing workflows, documents are distributed in the format of the authoring application (called the
native format). Once approved, the files are saved in PostScript or a proprietary format for prepress work and final
printing. Because applications generate PostScript in many different ways, PostScript files may be arbitrarily large and
complex. In addition, reliability problems such as missing fonts, corrupt files, missing graphic elements, and
unsupported features can result at output time. In response, Adobe and its partners continue to create reliable, PDFbased publishing workflow solutions.

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From InDesign, you can export your document to a composite PDF file called a digital master. These digital masters
are compact, reliable files that you or your service provider can view, edit, organize, and proof. Then, at the appropriate
time in the workflow, your service provider can either output the PDF directly, or process it using tools from various
sources for post-processing tasks such as preflight checks, trapping, imposition, and color separation.
PDF files in the workflow
Many large publishers use PDFs to streamline their review and production cycles. For example, numerous magazines
and newspapers have adopted PDF as the standard format for delivering advertisements to local publishing offices via
satellite or ISDN lines. PDFs enable local publishers to instantly view an advertisement exactly as it was designed, make
late-stage text edits, and reliably print from any computer.
PDF workflow technologies and requirements
Adobe is continually addressing the workflow needs of service providers, and recommends that you visit the Adobe
website at www.adobe.com often for the latest developments. Currently, Adobe addresses publishing workflow needs
by providing an integrated system of several technologies:

• Adobe Acrobat 9, with its support for Adobe PDF version 1.7.
• Adobe PostScript 3 printing technology, for device-independent support, Adobe In-RIP Trapping, in-RIP color
separations, and smooth blends.

• Adobe InDesign CS4, with its high-resolution page layout capabilities and direct PDF processing.
• PDF/X, an ISO standard for graphic content exchange that eliminates many of the color, font, and trapping
variables that lead to printing problems.
A high-resolution composite PDF workflow typically includes a PostScript 3 output device whose RIP supports in-RIP
separations. Therefore, if your output device uses PostScript Level 2 or does not support in-RIP separations, use a
preseparated PostScript printing workflow.

See also
“About PDF/X standards” on page 502

Checking your document before exporting
Before creating a PDF for a service provider, make sure that the InDesign document meets your service provider’s
specifications. The following list offers some recommendations:

• Use the InDesign Preflight feature to ensure that image resolution and color spaces are correct, that fonts are
available and can be embedded, that graphics are up-to-date, and so on.

• View your Adobe PDF export settings prior to exporting, and then adjust them as necessary. The Summary area
includes a warning section that indicates when preset settings can’t be honored.

• 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 should be done 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 will be separated, you can preview the separations and ink coverage limits using the Separations
Preview panel.

• Use only high-resolution images in your document.

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• 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” on page 589.)
For detailed information about preparing InDesign documents for high-resolution PDF output, see the Adobe
InDesign CS4 Printing Guide for Prepress Service Providers on the Adobe InDesign CS4 DVD or on the Adobe website.

See also
“Define preflight profiles” on page 603
“Flattening transparent artwork” on page 426
“Preview color separations” on page 622

Produce a print-ready Adobe PDF file
A service provider can use Acrobat 7.0 Professional and later to perform preflight checks and color separations.
Subsequent versions of Acrobat Professional contain more advanced preflight tools, including the ability to make
certain corrections automatically. Various prepress applications and in-RIP technologies can also perform preflight
checks, do trapping and imposition, and make the color separations of the pages in the digital master.
If you choose to leave out the images when creating the Adobe PDF file, make sure that the service provider has access
to the original high-resolution images that are required for proper output. In addition, make sure that the service
provider has Acrobat 7.0 or later for accurate viewing of text and color graphics. For best viewing, they should use
Acrobat 8 Professional or later.
If you’re using a color-managed workflow, you can use the precision of color profiles to perform an on-screen preview
(a soft proof). You can examine how your document’s colors will look when reproduced on a particular output device.
Note: Unless you are using a color management system (CMS) with accurately calibrated ICC profiles and are sure you
have properly calibrated your monitor, don’t rely on the on-screen appearance of colors.
1 Prepare the document for exporting to Adobe PDF.
2 Export using the .joboptions file provided by your service provider. If you don’t have a preferred .joboptions file,

use a PDF/X preset.
3 Preflight the PDF in Acrobat 7.0 Professional or later.
4 Proof and correct the PDF file.
5 Hand off the press-ready PDF to the prepress service provider.

Structuring PDFs
Adding structure to PDFs
When you export to Adobe PDF with the Create Tagged PDF option selected in the General area of the Export Adobe
PDF dialog box, the exported pages are automatically tagged with a set of structure tags that describe the content,
identifying page items such as headlines, stories, and figures. To add additional tags or to fine-tune existing ones before
you export, you can use the Tags panel in InDesign. The Structure pane (View > Structure > Show Structure) reflects
the changes.

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You can improve the accessibility and reuse of Adobe PDF documents by adding tags to the InDesign document before
you export. If your PDF documents don’t contain tags, Adobe Reader or Acrobat may attempt to automatically tag the
document when the user reads or reflows it, but the results may be disappointing. If you do not get the results you want
in the exported PDF file, you can use tools in Acrobat 6.0 Professional and later to edit the structure of tagged PDF
documents. For the most advanced tools, use Acrobat 9 Professional.
When you apply tags to a document for PDF export, the tags do not control which content is exported to PDF, as is
the case with XML export. Instead, the tags give Acrobat more information about the document’s structural contents.
Advantages of using tags
By applying tags to your document before exporting to PDF, you can do the following:

• Map InDesign paragraph style names to Acrobat tagged Adobe PDF paragraph styles to create a reflowable PDF
file for viewing on handheld devices and other media.

• Mark and hide printing artifacts, text, and images so that they won’t appear when reflowed in Acrobat. For example,
if you tag a page item as Artifact, the page item will not be displayed when you reflow the contents of a tagged Adobe
PDF document on a handheld device, a small display, or a monitor at a large magnification.

• Add alternative text to figures so that the text can be read aloud to the visually impaired with screen-reading
software.

• Replace graphic letters, such as ornate drop-caps, with readable letters.
• Provide a title for a set of articles, or group stories and figures into articles.
• Order stories and figures to establish a reading order.
• Recognize tables, formatted lists, and tables of contents. Recognize which content blocks belong to the different
stories.

• Include text formatting information such as Unicode values of characters, spacing between words, and the
recognition of soft and hard hyphens.

See also
“Structure pane overview” on page 572
“Tag items” on page 568

How tags affect reuse and accessibility
The content of an Adobe PDF document can be reused for other purposes. For example, you might create an Adobe
PDF file of a report with text, tables, and images, and then use various formats to distribute it: for printing or reading
on a full-sized monitor, for viewing on a handheld device, for reading out loud by a screen reader, and for direct access
through a web browser as HTML pages. The ease and reliability with which you can reuse the content depends on the
underlying logical structure of the document.
To make sure that your Adobe PDF documents can be reused and accessed reliably, you must add tags to them.
Tagging adds an underlying organizational structure, or logical structure tree, to the document. The logical structure
tree refers to the organization of the document’s content, such as title page, chapters, sections, and subsection. It can
indicate the precise reading order and improve navigation—particularly for longer, more complex documents—
without changing the appearance of the PDF document.

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For people who are not able to see or decode the visual appearance of documents, assistive technology can access the
content of the document reliably by using the logical structure tree. Most assistive technology depends on this
structure to convey the meaning of content and images in an alternative format, such as sound. In an untagged
document, no such structure exists, and Acrobat must infer a structure based on the reading order choices in the
preferences. This method is unreliable and often results in page items read in the wrong order or not read at all.
The tags appear on the Tags tab in Acrobat 6.0 and later, where they are nested according to the relationship
definitions for the tagged elements. You cannot edit tags in Acrobat Standard. If your work requires you to work
directly with tags, you should upgrade to Acrobat 9 Professional. For more information, see Acrobat Help.

Logical structure tree on the Tags tab in Acrobat 9

Note: Tags used in Adobe PDF files can be compared to tags in HTML and XML files. To learn more about basic tagging
concepts, see any of the many references and text books available in bookstores, in libraries, and on the Internet.

Understanding and optimizing reflow
You can reflow a PDF document to read it on handheld devices, smaller displays, or standard monitors at large
magnifications, without having to scroll horizontally to read each line.
When you reflow an Adobe PDF document, some content carries into the reflowed document and some doesn’t. In
most cases, only readable text reflows into the reflowed document. Readable text includes articles, paragraphs, tables,
images, and formatted lists. Text that doesn’t reflow includes forms, comments, digital signature fields, and page
artifacts, such as page numbers, headers, and footers. Pages that contain both readable text and form or digital
signature fields don’t reflow. Vertical text reflows horizontally.
As an author, you can optimize your PDF documents for reflow by tagging them. Tagging ensures that text blocks
reflow and that content follows the appropriate sequences, so readers can follow a story that spans different pages and
columns without other stories interrupting the flow. The reading order is defined by the structure tree, which you can
change in the Structure pane.

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Headings and columns (top) reflow in a logical reading order (bottom).

See also
“Rearrange structured elements” on page 574

Tag page items
You can tag text frames and graphics automatically or manually. After you tag page items, you can use the Structure
pane to change the order of your page by dragging elements to a new location within the hierarchy. If you change the
order of the elements in the Structure pane, these changes are passed on to the Adobe PDF file. The order of the
elements becomes useful when the PDF file is saved from Acrobat as an HTML or XML file.

See also
“Structure pane overview” on page 572
“Tagging content for XML” on page 567

Tag page items automatically
When you choose the Add Untagged Items command, InDesign adds tags to the Tags panel, and applies the Story and
Figure tags to certain untagged page items. The Story tag is applied to any untagged text frames, and the Figure tag is
applied to any untagged graphics. You can then manually apply other tags to sections of text. However, automatically
tagging page items does not guarantee that the items will be structured accordingly in the exported PDF file.
1 Choose Window > Tags to display the Tags panel.
2 Choose View > Structure > Show Structure to display the Structure pane, to the left of the Document window.
3 Choose Add Untagged Items from the Structure pane menu.

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Tags in the Structure pane and Tags panel

Tag page items manually
1 Choose Window > Tags to display the Tags panel.
2 Choose View > Structure > Show Structure to display the Structure pane, to the left of the Document window.
3 Choose Add Untagged Items from the Structure pane menu.
4 Select a page item in the document.
5 Select a tag in the Tags panel. Note the following suggested uses for certain imported tags:
Artifact The Artifact tag lets you hide page items, such as page numbers or unimportant objects, when viewing the

exported PDF file in Reflow view, which displays only tagged items; see your Adobe Acrobat documentation. This is
especially useful for viewing PDF files on a handheld device or in other PDF readers.
Cell Use this tag for table cells.
Figure Use this tag for placed graphics. The Figure tag is applied to all untagged graphics placed in your document

when you choose Add Untagged Items.
Paragraph tags (P, H, H1–H6) These tags have no effect on the exported PDF text when viewed in Reflow view.
However, they can be useful in some situations when exporting a PDF file to HTML format.
Story Use this tag for stories. The Story tag is applied to all untagged text frames when you choose Add Untagged

Items. For example, suppose you have an InDesign document formatted with three paragraph styles: Head1, Head2,
and Body. First, map these paragraph styles to the H1, H2, and P tags, respectively. Next, export to PDF. Finally, when
you export the PDF document to HTML or XML in Acrobat, the paragraphs tagged as H1, H2, and P will display
appropriately (such as with large bold letters in H1) in a web browser. For information on exporting the PDF
document to HTML or XML, see your Adobe Acrobat documentation.

See also
“Tag text in tables” on page 570

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Label graphics for use with screen-reader software
If you want screen readers to describe graphical elements that illustrate important concepts in the document, you must
provide the description. Figures and multimedia aren’t recognized or read by a screen reader unless you add alternate
text to the tag properties.
The Alt text attribute lets you create alternate text that can be read in lieu of viewing an illustration. ActualText is
similar to Alt text in that it appears in lieu of an image. The ActualText attribute lets you substitute an image that is
part of a word, such as when a fancy image is used for a drop cap. In this example, the ActualText attribute allows the
drop cap letter to be read as part of the word.
When you export to Adobe PDF, the Alt text and Actual Text attribute values are stored in the PDF file and can be
viewed in Acrobat 6.0 and later. This alternate text information can then be used when the PDF file is saved from
Acrobat as an HTML or XML file. For more information, see your Adobe Acrobat documentation.
1 If necessary, choose View > Show Structure to display the Structure pane, and choose Window > Tags to display

the Tags panel.
2 Choose Add Untagged Items from the Structure pane menu.
3 To make sure the image is tagged as Figure, select the image, and then select Figure in the Tags panel.
4 Select the Figure element in the Structure pane, and then choose New Attribute from the Structure pane menu.
5 For Name, type either Alt or ActualText (this feature is case-sensitive).
6 For Value, type the text that will appear instead of the image.

Group page items into an Article element
Use the Structure pane to logically group page items into an Article element. For example, if a set of stories spans
multiple pages, you can create an umbrella element that will contain these stories in a single group. These umbrella
elements are called structural elements. You can also name your grouped articles.
Note: You cannot tag grouped page items.

• To group page items, select New Element from the Structure pane menu, select the Article element in the Tags
panel, and then drag page elements underneath it in the Structure pane.

• To name grouped items, right-click the Article element in the Structure pane and choose New Attribute. For Name,
type Title. For Value, type the name of the article you want to use.

See also
“Structure pane overview” on page 572

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Chapter 19: Dynamic documents
Design your Adobe InDesign CS4 document so that it can be exported to SWF, XFL, or PDF. For SWF and XFL files,
specify the page size according to monitor resolution (such as 800 x 600), and then add buttons, hyperlinks, and page
transitions before exporting in either SWF or XFL format. For PDF files, add bookmarks, hyperlinks, buttons, movies,
and sound clips to create dynamic documents.

Dynamic web documents for Flash
To create slideshow-type content that can be played in Flash Player, you can export to either SWF or XFL. The main
difference is that SWF files are ready to be viewed and cannot be edited, whereas XFL files must be edited in Adobe
Flash Professional to be viewed in Adobe Flash Player.
SWF An exported SWF file is ready for viewing in Adobe Flash Player and may include interactive elements such as
page transitions, hyperlinks, and navigation buttons.
XFL An exported XFL file includes no interactive elements. Instead, you open the XFL file in Flash Pro, where you can

add animation and other effects before exporting to SWF.
A

Export to Flash
A. Export directly to SWF B. Export to XFL for editing in Flash Pro

Create interactive SWF (Flash) files for the web
When you export to SWF, you create an interactive file that’s ready for viewing in Adobe Flash Player or in a web
browser. The SWF file can include buttons, page transitions, and hyperlinks added in InDesign. SWF files exported
from InDesign do not include movies or audio files. Exporting to SWF is a good way to create an interactive slideshow,
or a flip book, based on an InDesign document.
If you want to edit the document in Flash Pro before creating the SWF file, export to XFL instead of SWF. See “Create
XFL (Flash) files for the web” on page 520.

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SWF export
A. Document in InDesign before SWF export B. Interactive SWF file in web browser

For a video and instructions on exporting an InDesign document to SWF, see
www.adobe.com/designcenter/indesign/articles/lrvid4030_id.html
1 Create or edit the InDesign document to prepare it for Flash export. For more detailed information on setting up

the document for export, see “Flash export issues” on page 522.

• Add navigation buttons that allow users to move from page to page in the exported SWF file. You can create a
buttons by drawing an object and converting it to a button using the Buttons panel (choose Window >
Interactive > Buttons). You can also use the Sample Buttons panel to drag predefined navigation buttons into
your document. See “Create buttons” on page 545.

• Use the Page Transitions panel (choose Window > Interactive > Transitions) to add page transitions such as
wipes or dissolves. When you export to SWF, you can also select the Include Interactive Page Curl option, which
lets viewers drag a page corner to turn the page.

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2 To export the document to SWF format, choose File > Export. Choose SWF from the Save As Type (Windows) or

Format (Mac OS) menu, and click Save.
3 In the Export SWF dialog box, specify the options, and then click OK. For information on export options, see

“Export content to SWF” on page 117.

See also
“Export content to SWF” on page 117

Create XFL (Flash) files for the web
When you export your InDesign document to XFL file format, you can open the file in Adobe Flash® CS4 Professional
to edit the contents. Interactive elements such as hyperlinks, page transitions, and button actions are not included in
the XFL file. Instead, use the Flash authoring environment to add video, audio, animation, and complex interactivity.
If you want to export the InDesign document directly to a format that can be opened directly in a web browser, use the
SWF format instead of XFL. See “Create interactive SWF (Flash) files for the web” on page 518.

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XFL export
A. Document in InDesign before XFL export B. XFL file opened in Flash Pro

For a video tutorial on exporting an InDesign document to XFL, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4092_id.
1 Create or edit the InDesign document to prepare it for Flash export. For more detailed information on setting up

the document for export, see “Flash export issues” on page 522.
2 To export the document to XFL format, choose File > Export. Choose Adobe Flash CS4 Pro (XFL) from the Save

As Type (Windows) or Format (Mac OS) menu, and click Save.
3 In the Export Adobe Flash CS4 Professional (XFL) dialog box, specify the options, and then click OK. For

information on export options, see “Export content to XFL” on page 118.
4 Open the exported XFL file in Flash Pro.

For a video tutorial on editing the exported XFL file in Flash Pro, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4093_fl.

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See also
“Export content to XFL” on page 118

Flash export issues
Consider the following factors when designing your InDesign document for Flash playback.
Document setup issues
How InDesign pages are converted When you export to SWF or XFL, InDesign spreads become separate clips in a
timeline, like slides in a slideshow. Each spread is mapped to a new keyframe. In Flash Player, you advance through
the spreads of the exported document by pressing arrow keys or clicking interactive buttons.

Determine whether you want your InDesign document to include facing pages. In some instances, it’s better to create
the document without facing pages (deselect the Facing Pages option in the New Document dialog box). Although you
can deselect the Spreads option during export to SWF to map each page to a keyframe rather than the whole spread,
deselecting Facing Pages simplifies matters.
Page size When you create a document, you can choose a specific resolution, such as 800 x 600, from the Page Size

menu in the New Document dialog box. During export, you can also adjust the scale or resolution of the exported SWF
or XFL file.
Interactivity features
Buttons, page transitions, and hyperlinks are included in exported SWF files. With exported XFL files, use Flash Pro
to add animation and other effects.
Buttons For buttons in an exported SWF file, the Next Page and Previous Page actions are especially useful controls
for playback in Flash Player. However, some actions that work in interactive PDF files have no effect in Flash Player.
These actions include Close, Exit, Go To Next/Previous View, Movie, Open File, Sound, and View Zoom.

You can add navigation buttons that are preformatted with Go To Next Page and Go To Previous Page actions.
Choose Sample Buttons from the Buttons panel menu. See “Add a button from the Sample Buttons panel” on
page 546.
Although button actions are not included in an exported XFL file, you can add buttons to your layout in InDesign and
use Flash Pro to make them dynamic.
Page Transitions All page transitions work well in Flash Player. In addition to page transitions that appear when you
turn the page, you can add include an interactive page curl during export that lets you drag corners of pages to turn
them.
Hyperlinks Create links to websites or to other pages in the document. Hyperlinks are broken in XFL files.
Movies and sound clips Movies and sound clips are not included in an exported SWF or XFL file, but their posters are
included. You can add media posters to your layout in InDesign, export the document to XFL, and use Flash Pro to
make them dynamic.

Conversion issues
Color SWF and XFL files use RGB color. When a document is exported to SWF or XFL, InDesign converts all color
spaces (such as CMYK and LAB) to sRGB. InDesign converts spot colors to equivalent RGB process colors.
To avoid unwanted color changes in artwork with text with transparency, choose Edit > Transparency Blend Space >
Document RGB. To avoid unwanted color changes in images with transparency, avoid using a lossy compression
during export.

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Text When exporting to SWF or XFL, you can determine whether text is output as Flash text, vector paths, or

rasterized text. Text exported as Flash text remains fully editable when the XFL file is opened in Adobe Flash CS4
Professional and can be searched in web browsers when saved as SWF files.
Images When you export images to SWF, you can change image compression, JPEG quality, and curve quality settings

during export.
When you export images to XFL, images are exported as PNG files without compression. An image placed multiple
times in your InDesign document is saved as a single image asset with a shared location when exported as an XFL file.
Note that a large number of vector images in the InDesign document may cause performance problems in the exported
file.
To reduce file size, place repeating images on master pages, and avoid copying and pasting images. If the same image
is placed multiple times in the document and not transformed or cropped, only one copy of the file is exported in the
XFL file. Images that are copied and pasted are treated as separate objects.
By default, a placed Illustrator file is treated as a single image in the XFL file, whereas an Illustrator file that’s copied
and pasted generates many individual objects. For best results, place the Illustrator image as a PDF file instead of
copying and pasting from Illustrator. Copying and pasting results in multiple editable paths.
You can change preference options to make sure that Illustrator objects are pasted as one object instead of a collection
of small vectors. In Illustrator File Handling & Clipboard preferences, select PDF and deselect AICB (No
Transparency Support). In InDesign Clipboard Handling preferences, select both Prefer PDF When Pasting and Copy
PDF To Clipboard.
Resolution InDesign automatically converts high-resolution print assets to low-resolution web assets upon export to
SWF or XFL.
Transparency Before exporting to SWF, make sure that transparent objects do not overlap any interactive element,
such as a button or hyperlink. If an object with transparency overlaps an interactive element, the interactivity may be
lost during export. You may want to flatten transparency before exporting to XFL.

In some instances, choosing a lossy compression reduces the quality of images with transparency. When exporting,
choose Lossless (Do Nothing) to improve the quality.

Dynamic PDF documents
Creating a dynamic PDF document is a good way to create an interactive slideshow. You can create interactive
documents with buttons, movies and sound clips, hyperlinks, bookmarks, and page transitions. You can also set up
documents in InDesign that can be converted to forms in Acrobat.

Creating interactive documents for PDF
You can export Adobe PDF documents that include the following interactive features.
Bookmarks Bookmarks you create in the InDesign document appear in the Bookmarks tab on the left side of the

Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader window. Each bookmark jumps to a page, text, or graphic in the exported PDF file.
See “Bookmarks” on page 524.
Movies and sound clips You can add movies and sound clips to a document, or you can link to streaming video files
on the Internet. These movies and sound clips can be played back in the exported PDF file. See “Movies and sounds”
on page 539.

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Hyperlinks In an exported PDF document, clicking a hyperlink jumps to another location in the same document, to a

different document, or to a website. See “Hyperlinks” on page 526.
Cross-references A cross-reference refers readers from one part of your document to another in the exported PDF file.

Cross-references are especially useful in user guides and reference manuals. When a document with cross-references
is exported to PDF, the cross-references act as interactive hyperlinks. See “Cross-references” on page 532.
Page transitions Page transitions apply a decorative effect, such as a dissolve or wipe, when you turn the page in the
exported PDF while in Full Screen Mode. See “Page transitions” on page 543.

To ensure that the interactive elements function in the PDF, make sure that you specify Bookmarks, Hyperlinks, and
Interactive Elements in the Export Adobe PDF dialog box.

See also
“Exporting to Adobe PDF” on page 496

Creating PDF forms
Although InDesign does not provide tools for adding form fields, Adobe Acrobat does. You can create a form in
InDesign that includes placeholders for fields such as radio buttons, check boxes, and text fields. Then you can export
to PDF, and use Acrobat to convert the placeholders into form fields.
1 In InDesign, create the document you want to use for the form. Use tables and text boxes to create the placeholders

for the fields.
You can also add interactive buttons in InDesign.
2 Export the document to Adobe PDF.
3 In Adobe Acrobat, choose Forms > Start Form Wizard command to convert the placeholders into form fields. Use

the form tools to add and edit the form. For more information, see the Adobe Acrobat documentation.
For a video tutorial on creating a PDF form design in InDesign and finishing it in Adobe Acrobat, see Gabriel Powell's
video on creating forms from scratch (English only).

Bookmarks
Create bookmarks for PDF
A bookmark is a type of link with representative text that makes it easier to navigate documents exported as Adobe
PDF. Bookmarks you create in the InDesign document appear in the Bookmarks tab on the left side of the Acrobat or
Adobe Reader window. Each bookmark jumps to a text anchor or a page.
Entries in a generated table of contents are automatically added to the Bookmarks panel. In addition, you can further
customize your document with bookmarks to direct a reader’s attention or make navigation even easier. Bookmarks
can be nested under other bookmarks.
You may want bookmarks to appear in the Bookmarks tab of the PDF document, but you don’t want the table of
contents to appear in the PDF. In this case, generate a table of contents on the last page of the document. When you
export to PDF, don’t include the last page. Or, if you include the last page of the exported PDF, delete it in Acrobat.
1 Choose Window > Interactive > Bookmarks to display the Bookmarks panel.
2 Click the bookmark under which you want to place the new bookmark. If you don’t select a bookmark, the new

bookmark is automatically added to the end of the list.

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3 Do one of the following to indicate where you want the bookmark to jump:

• Click an insertion point in text.
• Select text. (By default, the text you select becomes the bookmark label.)
• Double-click a page in the Pages panel to view it in the document window.
4 Do one of the following to create the bookmark:

• Click the Create New Bookmark icon on the Bookmarks panel.
• Choose New Bookmark from the panel menu.
Bookmarks appear in the Bookmarks tab when you open the exported PDF file in Adobe Reader or Acrobat.
Note: When you update the table of contents, the bookmarks are reordered, causing any bookmarks generated from a
TOC to appear at the end of the list.

See also
“General options for PDFs” on page 503
“Export to PDF” on page 496

Manage bookmarks
Use the Bookmarks panel to rename, delete, and arrange bookmarks.

Rename a bookmark
❖ Click the bookmark in the Bookmarks panel, and choose Rename Bookmark from the panel menu.

Delete a bookmark
❖ Click a bookmark in the Bookmarks panel, and choose Delete Bookmark from the panel menu.

Arrange, group, and sort bookmarks
You can nest a list of bookmarks to show a relationship between topics. Nesting creates a parent/child relationship.
You can expand and collapse this hierarchical list as desired. Changing the order or nesting order of bookmarks does
not affect the appearance of your actual document.
❖ Do one of the following:

• To expand and collapse the bookmark hierarchy, click the triangle next to the bookmark icon to show or hide any
children it contains.

• To nest a bookmark under another bookmark, select the bookmark or range of bookmarks you want to nest, and
then drag the icon or icons onto the parent bookmark. Release the bookmark.
The bookmark or bookmarks you dragged are nested under the parent bookmark; however, the actual page remains
in its original location in the document.

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Bookmarks panel showing bookmarks being nested under a parent bookmark

• To move a bookmark out of a nested position, select the bookmark or range of bookmarks you want to move. Drag
the icon or icons below and to the left of the parent bookmark. A black bar appears indicating where the bookmark
will be moved. Release the bookmark.

• To change the order of bookmarks, select a bookmark and move it to a new location. A black bar appears indicating
where the bookmark will be placed.

• To sort bookmarks, choose Sort Bookmarks from the Bookmarks panel menu. Bookmarks appear in the same order
as the pages they jump to.

Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks panel overview
You can create hyperlinks so that when you export to Adobe PDF or SWF in InDesign, a viewer can click a link to jump
to other locations in the same document, to other documents, or to websites. Hyperlinks you export to PDF or SWF
in InCopy are not active.
A source is hyperlinked text, a hyperlinked text frame, or a hyperlinked graphics frame. A destination is the URL, file,
email address, page text anchor, or shared destination to which a hyperlink jumps. A source can jump to only one
destination, but any number of sources can jump to the same destination.
Note: If you want the source text to be generated from the destination text, insert a cross-reference instead of adding a
hyperlink. See “Cross-references” on page 532.

Hyperlinks
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Open the Hyperlinks panel
• Choose Window > Interactive > Hyperlinks.
• Choose Window > Type & Tables > Cross-References.

Sort hyperlinks in the Hyperlinks panel
❖ Choose Sort from the Hyperlinks panel menu, and then choose any of the following:
Manually Displays the hyperlinks in the order in which they were added to the document.
By Name Displays the hyperlinks in alphabetical order.
By Type Displays the hyperlinks in groups of similar type.

Display hyperlinks in smaller rows
❖ Choose Small Panel Rows from the Hyperlinks panel menu.

Create hyperlinks
You can create hyperlinks to pages, URLs, text anchors, email addresses, and files. If you create a hyperlink to a page
or text anchor in a different document, make sure that the exported files appear in the same folder.
To show or hide hyperlinks, choose View > Show Hyperlinks or Hide Hyperlinks.
Note: Hyperlinks are included in exported Adobe PDF files if Hyperlinks is selected in the Export Adobe PDF dialog box in
InDesign. Hyperlinks are included in the exported SWF file if Include Hyperlinks is selected in the Export SWF dialog box.

See also
“Add automatic page numbers for story jumps” on page 91
“Export to PDF” on page 496
“Cross-references” on page 532

Create a hyperlink to a web page (URL)
You can use several different methods to create hyperlinks to URLs. When you specify a URL, you can use any valid
Internet resource protocol: http://, file://, ftp://, or mailto://.
You can also use the Buttons feature to link to web pages. (See “Buttons” on page 545.)
You may want to create a character style for hyperlinks. Hyperlinks are often formatted in underlined blue text.
1 Select the text, frame, or graphic you want to be the hyperlink’s source. For example, you can select the text, “See

the Adobe website.”
2 In the Hyperlinks panel, use any of the following methods to create a hyperlink to a URL:

• In the URL text box, type or paste the URL name (such as http://www.adobe.com), and then choose New Hyperlink
from the Hyperlinks panel. Choose URL from the Link To menu, specify appearance options, and click OK.

• If a URL is selected in your document, choose New Hyperlink From URL in the Hyperlinks panel menu. Doubleclick the hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel, and then choose URL from the Link To menu, specify appearance
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• Select a previously added URL from the URL menu. The hyperlink appearance is the same as that used in the
previous URL.

• Choose New Hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel menu. Choose URL from the Link To menu, specify appearance
options, and click OK.
Note: If a URL hyperlink isn’t working in the exported PDF, there may be a problem with the hyperlink being a “Shared
Destination.” Double-click the hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel, choose URL from the Link To menu, deselect Shared
Hyperlink Destination, and click OK.

Create a hyperlink to a file
When you create a hyperlink to a file, clicking the hyperlink in the exported PDF or SWF file opens the file in its native
application, such as Microsoft Word for .doc files.
Make sure the file you specify is available to anyone opening the PDF or SWF file you export. For example, if you’re
sending the exported PDF to a coworker, specify a file located on a shared server rather than your hard drive.
1 Select the text, frame, or graphic you want to be the source of the hyperlink.
2 Choose New Hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel menu, or click the Create New Hyperlink button

at the

bottom of the Hyperlinks panel.
3 In the New Hyperlink dialog box, choose File from the Link To menu.
4 For Path, type the pathname or click the folder button to locate and double-click the filename.
5 Select Shared Hyperlink Destination if you want the email message to be stored in the Hyperlinks panel for easy

reuse.
6 Specify the appearance of the hyperlink source, and then click OK.

Create a hyperlink to an email message
1 Select the text, frame, or graphic you want to be the source of the hyperlink.
2 Choose New Hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel menu, or click the Create New Hyperlink button

at the

bottom of the Hyperlinks panel.
3 In the New Hyperlink dialog box, choose Email from the Link To menu.
4 For Address, type the email address, such as username@company.com.
5 For Subject Line, type the text that appears in the subject line of the email message.
6 Select Shared Hyperlink Destination if you want the email message to be stored in the Hyperlinks panel for easy

reuse.
7 Specify the appearance of the hyperlink source, and then click OK.

Create a hyperlink to a page
You can create a hyperlink to a page without first creating a destination. However, by creating a page destination, you
can specify a page number and view setting.
1 Select the text, frame, or graphic you want to be the source of the hyperlink.
2 Choose New Hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel menu, or click the Create New Hyperlink button

bottom of the Hyperlinks panel.
3 In the New Hyperlink dialog box, choose Page from the Link To menu.

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4 For Document, select the document containing the destination that you want to jump to. All open documents that

have been saved are listed in the pop-up menu. If the document you’re looking for isn’t open, select Browse in the
pop-up menu, locate the file, and then click Open.
5 For Page, specify the page number you want to jump to.
6 For Zoom Setting, do one of the following to select the view state of the page being jumped to:

• Select Fixed to display the magnification level and page position that were in effect when you created the link.
• Select Fit View to display the visible portion of the current page as the destination.
• Select Fit In Window to display the current page in the destination window.
• Select Fit Width or Fit Height to display the width or height of the current page in the destination window.
• Select Fit Visible to display the page so that its text and graphics fit the width of the window, which usually means
that the margins are not displayed.

• Select Inherit Zoom to display the destination window at the magnification level the reader uses when the hyperlink
is clicked.
7 Specify appearance options, and then click OK.

Create a hyperlink destination
Creating a hyperlink destination is necessary only if you’re creating a hyperlink or cross-reference to a text anchor. A
text anchor can point to a selection of text or to the insertion point location. Then you create the hyperlink or crossreference that points to the hyperlink destination. You can also create hyperlink destinations for pages and URLs, but
a destination isn’t necessary for those links.
Hyperlink destinations you create do not appear in the Hyperlinks panel; they appear in the dialog box that appears
when you’re creating or editing hyperlinks.
1 If you’re creating a text anchor, use the Type tool to place the insertion point, or select the range of text that you

want to be the anchor.
You cannot set up an anchor destination for text on a master page.
2 Choose New Hyperlink Destination in the Hyperlinks panel menu.
3 Do any of the following, and then click OK:

• Choose Text Anchor in the Type menu. Specify a name for the text anchor.
• Choose Page in the Type menu. Specify the page number you want to jump to and the Zoom Setting. Type a name
for the page, or select Name With Page Number to name the destination automatically based on the page number
and zoom setting you specify.

• Choose URL in the Type menu. Type or paste a URL, such as http://www.adobe.com. You can use any valid Internet
resource protocol: http://, file://, ftp://, or mailto://.

Create a hyperlink to a text anchor
1 Select the text, frame, or graphic you want to be the source of the hyperlink.
2 Choose New Hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel menu, or click the Create New Hyperlink button at the bottom of

the Hyperlinks panel.
3 Choose Text Anchor from the Link To menu.

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4 For Document, select the document containing the destination that you want to jump to. All open documents that

have been saved are listed in the pop-up menu. If the document you’re looking for isn’t open, select Browse in the
pop-up menu, locate the file, and then click Open.
5 From the Text Anchor menu, choose the text anchor destination you created.
6 Specify hyperlink appearance options, and then click OK.

Create a hyperlink to any shared destination
While creating a hyperlink, if you choose Shared Destination from the Link To menu, you can specify any named
destination. A destination is named when you add a URL using the URL text box or when you select Shared Hyperlink
Destination while creating a hyperlink to a URL, file, or email address.
1 Select the text, frame, or graphic you want to be the source of the hyperlink.
2 Choose New Hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel menu, or click the Create New Hyperlink button at the bottom of

the Hyperlinks panel.
3 In the New Hyperlink dialog box, choose Shared Destination from the Link To menu.
4 For Document, select the document containing the destination that you want to jump to. All open documents that

have been saved are listed in the pop-up menu. If the document you’re looking for isn’t open, select Browse in the
pop-up menu, locate the file, and then click Open.
5 Choose a destination from the Name menu.
6 Specify hyperlink appearance options, and then click OK.

Hyperlink appearance options
The options determine the appearance of the hyperlink or cross-reference source in the exported PDF or SWF file.
These appearance options are also displayed in the InDesign document if you choose View > Show Hyperlinks.
Character Style Choose a character style to apply to the hyperlink source. The Character Style option is available only
if the hyperlink source is selected text, not a selected frame or graphic.

If you’re inserting a cross-reference, you can apply a character style when you edit a cross-reference format. You can
also apply character styles to building blocks within a format. See “Using cross-reference formats” on page 533.
Type Select Visible Rectangle or Invisible Rectangle.
Highlight Select Invert, Outline, Inset, or None. These options determine the appearance of the hyperlink when it’s

being clicked in the PDF or SWF file.
Color Select a color for the visible hyperlink rectangle.
Width Select Thin, Medium, or Thick to determine the thickness of the hyperlink rectangle.
Style Select Solid or Dashed to determine the appearance of the hyperlink rectangle.

Manage hyperlinks
Use the Hyperlinks panel to edit, delete, reset, or locate hyperlinks. In InCopy, you can manage hyperlinks only if the
story is checked out for editing.

Edit hyperlinks
1 In the Hyperlinks panel, double-click the item you want to edit.
2 In the Edit Hyperlinks dialog box, make changes to the hyperlink as necessary, and then click OK.

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Note: To edit a hyperlink to a URL, select the hyperlink, edit the URL in the URL text box, and then press Tab or Enter.

Delete hyperlinks
When you remove a hyperlink, the source text or graphic remains.
❖ Select the item or items you want to remove in the Hyperlinks panel, and then click the Delete button at the bottom

of the panel.

Rename a hyperlink source
Renaming the hyperlink source changes the way it appears in the Hyperlinks panel.
1 In the Hyperlinks panel, select the hyperlink.
2 Choose Rename Hyperlink from the Hyperlinks panel menu, and specify a new name.

Edit or delete hyperlink destinations
1 Open the document in which the destination appears.
2 Choose Hyperlink Destination Options in the Hyperlinks panel menu.
3 For Destination, select the name of the destination you want to edit.
4 Do one of the following:

• Click Edit, and then make changes to the destination as necessary.
• Click Delete to remove the destination.
5 When you have finished editing or deleting destinations, click OK.

Reset or update hyperlinks
1 Select the range of text, the text frame, or the graphic frame that will act as the new hyperlink source. For example,

you may want to select additional text to include in the source.
2 Select the hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel.
3 Do either of the following:

• Choose Reset Hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel menu.
• To update hyperlinks to external documents, choose Update Hyperlink in the Hyperlinks panel menu.

Go to a hyperlink source or anchor
• To locate the source of a hyperlink or cross-reference, select the item you want to locate in the Hyperlinks panel.
Choose Go To Source in the Hyperlinks panel menu. The text or frame will be selected.

• To locate the destination of a hyperlink or cross-reference, select the item you want to locate in the Hyperlinks
panel. Choose Go To Destination in the Hyperlinks panel menu.
If the item is a URL destination, InDesign starts or switches to your web browser to display the destination. If the item
is a text anchor or page destination, InDesign jumps to that location.

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Cross-references
If you’re writing a manual or reference document, you may want to include a cross-reference to refer the reader from
one part of your document to another. Example: For more information, see “Field mice” on page 249. You can
specify whether a cross-reference derives from a paragraph style, such as a heading style, or from a text anchor you’ve
created. You can also determine the cross-reference format, such as Page Number Only or Full Paragraph & Page
Number.

Insert cross-references
Use the Hyperlinks panel to insert cross-references into your document. The text being referred to is the destination
text. The text that is generated from the destination text is the source cross-reference.
When you insert a cross-reference in your document, you can choose from several predesigned formats, or you can
create your own custom format. You can apply a character style to the entire cross-reference source, or to text within
the cross-reference. Cross-reference formats can be synchronized across a book.
Cross-reference source text is editable and can break across lines.
Note: Cross-references are included in exported Adobe PDF files if Hyperlinks is selected in the Export Adobe PDF dialog
box in InDesign. Cross-references are included in the exported SWF file if Include Hyperlinks is selected in the Export
SWF dialog box.
A

Inserting cross-references
A. Cross-reference source in document B. Selected destination paragraph C. Click here to create or edit cross-reference format.

For a video tutorial on inserting cross-references, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4024_id.
1 Place the insertion point where you want the cross-reference to be inserted.
2 Do any of the following:

• Choose Type > Hyperlinks & Cross-References > Insert Cross-Reference.

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• Choose Window > Type & Tables > Cross-References, and then choose Insert Cross-Reference from the
Hyperlinks panel menu.

• Click the Create New Cross-Reference button

in the Hyperlinks panel.

3 In the New Cross-Reference dialog box, choose Paragraph or Text Anchor from the Link To menu.

If you choose Paragraph, you can create a cross-reference to any paragraph in the document you specify.
If you choose Text Anchor, you can create a cross-reference to any text in which you have created a hyperlink
destination. (See “Create a hyperlink destination” on page 529.) Creating a text anchor is especially useful if you want
to use different text than the actual destination paragraph.
4 For Document, select the document containing the destination that you want to refer to. All open documents that

have been saved are listed in the pop-up menu. If the document you’re looking for isn’t open, choose Browse, locate
the file, and then click Open.
5 Click a paragraph style (such as Head1) in the left box to narrow down the choices, and then select the paragraph

you want to refer to. (Or, if Text Anchor is selected, choose the text anchor.)
6 Choose the cross-reference format you want to use from the Format menu.

You can edit these cross-reference formats or create your own. See “Using cross-reference formats” on page 533.
7 Specify the appearance of the source hyperlink. See “Hyperlink appearance options” on page 530.
8 Click OK.

When you insert a cross-reference, a text anchor marker appears at the beginning of the destination paragraph. You
can view this marker when you choose Type > Show Hidden Characters. If this marker is moved or deleted, the crossreference becomes unresolved.

Using cross-reference formats
Several cross-reference formats appear in the New Cross-Reference dialog box by default. You can edit these formats,
delete them, or create your own.
Note: If you’ve deleted or edited cross-reference formats in your document and want to return them to the default formats,
you can choose Load Cross-Reference Formats from the panel menu and choose a document with unedited formats. You
can also synchronize cross-reference formats in a book.
For a video tutorial on editing cross-reference formats, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4024_id.

Create or edit cross-reference formats
Unlike other presets, cross-reference formats can be edited or deleted. When you edit a cross-reference format, any
source cross-reference that uses that format is automatically updated.
1 Do any of the following:

• Choose Define Cross-Reference Formats from the Hyperlinks panel menu.
• While creating or editing a cross-reference, click the Create Or Edit Cross-Reference Formats button

2 In the Cross-Reference Formats dialog box, do one of the following:

• To edit a format, select the format on the left.
• To create a format, select a format to base the new format on, and then click the Create Format button
creates a duplicate of the selected format.
3 For Name, specify the name of the format.

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4 In the Definition text box, add or remove any text as needed. Click the Building Block icon

blocks from a menu. Click the Special Characters icon
special characters.

to insert building
to select dashes, spaces, quotation marks, and other

5 To apply a character style to the entire cross-reference, select Character Style For Cross-Reference, and then choose

or create the character style from the menu.
You can also use the Character Style building block to apply a character style to text within the cross-reference.
6 Click Save to save the changes. Click OK when finished.

Cross-reference building blocks
Building block

What it does

Example

Page Number

Inserts the page number.

on page
on page 23

Paragraph Number

Inserts the paragraph number in a crossreference to a numbered list.

See
See 1
In this example, only “1” is used from the paragraph, “1.
Animals.”

Paragraph Text

Inserts the paragraph text without the
paragraph number in a cross-reference to a
numbered list.

See “”
See “Animals”
In this example, only “Animals” is used from the
paragraph, “1. Animals.”

Full Paragraph

Partial Paragraph

Inserts the entire paragraph, including
paragraph number and paragraph text.

See “”

Lets you create a cross-reference to the first
part of a paragraph, up to the specified
delimiter, such as a colon or em dash.

See

See “1. Animals”

See Chapter 7
In this example, only “Chapter 7” is used from the title
“Chapter 7: Dogs and Cats.”
Specify the delimiter (such as : in this example), and
indicate whether the delimiter is excluded (“false” or “0”)
or included (“true” or “1”) in the source cross-reference.
See “Creating cross-references to partial paragraphs” on
page 535.

Text Anchor Name

Inserts the text anchor name. You can create
text anchors by choosing New Hyperlink
Destination from the Hyperlinks panel menu.

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Building block

What it does

Example

Chapter Number

Inserts the chapter number.

in chapter
in chapter 3

File Name

Character Style

Inserts the filename of the destination
document.

Applies a character style to text within a crossreference.

See on page

in newsletter.indd

See Animals on page 23.
Specify the character style name, and include the text you
want to apply the character style to between the and tags.
See “Apply character styles within a cross-reference” on
page 536.

Creating cross-references to partial paragraphs
You can design cross-reference formats to include only the first part of a paragraph. For example, if you have headings
in your document that look like, “Chapter 7—Granada to Barcelona,” you can create a cross-reference that refers only
to “Chapter 7.”
A

Cross-reference to partial paragraph
A. The cross-reference source ends at an em dash (^_) B. “false” excludes the em dash from the source

When you insert the Partial Paragraph building block, you must do two things. First, specify the delimiter between the
quotation marks. The delimiter is the character that ends the paragraph. Common delimiters include colons (Chapter
7: Granada), periods (Chapter 7. Granada), and dashes (Chapter 7—Granada). To insert special characters such as em
dashes (^_), em spaces (^m), and bullet characters (^8), choose an option from the menu that appears when you click
the Special Characters icon.
Second, indicate whether the delimiter character is excluded (Chapter 7) or included (Chapter 7—). Use
includeDelim=”false” to exclude the delimiter and includeDelim=”true” to include the delimiter. Instead of “false” or
“true,” you can use “0” or “1,” respectively.

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Apply character styles within a cross-reference
If you want to emphasize a section of text within a cross-reference, you can use the Character Style building block. This
building block consists of two tags. The tag indicates which style is applied, and the tag
ends the character style. Any text or building blocks between these tags is formatted in the specified style.

A
B
C

Applying a character style to a section of the cross-reference
A. This tag applies a character style named “Red.” B. This tag ends the character style formatting. C. A character style named “Bold” is applied
to the rest of the cross-reference source.

1 Create the character style you want to use.
2 In the Cross-Reference Formats dialog box, create or edit the format you want to apply.
3 Under Definition, select the text and building blocks to which you want to apply the character style.
4 Choose Character Style from the menu to the right of the definition list.
5 Type the name of the character style between the quotation marks exactly as it appears in the Character Styles panel.

Style names are case sensitive. If the character style is in a group, type the name of the group followed by a colon before
the character style, such as Style Group 1: Red.
6 Click Save to save the format, and then click OK.

Load (import) cross-reference formats
When you load cross-reference formats from another document, the incoming formats replace any existing formats
that share the same name.
In InCopy, you can import cross-reference formats only in standalone documents. You cannot import formats from
an InCopy document into an InDesign document. If the new or modified format in InCopy conflicts with a format in
the InDesign document when the story is checked in, the InDesign format takes precedence.
1 Choose Load Cross-Reference Formats from the Hyperlinks panel menu.
2 Double-click the document containing the cross-reference formats you want to import.

You can also share cross-reference formats across documents by synchronizing a book.

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Delete cross-reference formats
You cannot delete a cross-reference format that has been applied to cross-references in the document.
1 In the Cross-Reference Formats dialog box, select the format you want to delete.
2 Click the Delete Format button

Manage cross-references
When you insert a cross-reference, the Hyperlinks panel indicates the status of the cross-reference. For example, icons
indicate if the destination text appears on the pasteboard , a master page , a hidden layer , in overset text
,
or in hidden text . Cross-references that link to such destination areas are unresolved. The panel also lets you know
if the destination paragraph has been edited
(also called out-of-date) or is missing
. Destination text is missing
if either the destination text or the file containing the destination text cannot be found. Hold the mouse pointer over
any icon to view a tool tip description.
In InCopy, you can manage cross-references only if the story is checked out for editing.

Update cross-references
An update icon indicates that the cross-reference destination text has changed or that the cross-reference source text
has been edited. You can easily update the cross-reference. If the destination moves to a different page, the crossreference is updated automatically.
When you update a cross-reference, any formatting changes you’ve made to the source text are removed.
When printing or outputting, you are notified if cross-references are out of date or unresolved.
You can also use the Preflight panel to notify you when cross-references are out of date or unresolved. When defining
a profile, select Cross-References in the Text section. See “Define preflight profiles” on page 603.
1 Select one or more out-of-date cross-references. To update all cross-references, make sure that none are selected.
2 Do any of the following:

• Click the Update Cross-References button

in the Hyperlinks panel.

• Choose Update Cross-Reference from the Hyperlinks panel menu.
• Choose Type > Hyperlinks & Cross-References > Update Cross-Reference.
To update all cross-references in a book, choose Update All Cross-References from the book panel menu. You are
notified if any cross-references remain unresolved.

Relink cross-references
If the missing destination text has been moved to a different document, or if the document containing the destination
text is renamed, you can relink the cross-reference. When you relink, any changes made to the source cross-reference
are removed.
1 In the Cross-References section of the Hyperlinks panel, select the cross-reference you want to relink.
2 Choose Relink Cross-Reference from the Hyperlinks panel menu.
3 Locate the document in which the destination text appears, and then click Open.

If any other destination text appears in that document, you can relink additional cross-references.

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Edit cross-references
To change the appearance of the source cross-reference or specify a different format, you can edit the cross-reference.
If you edit a cross-reference that links to a different document, the document is opened automatically.
1 Do any of the following:

• Choose Type > Hyperlinks & Cross References > Cross-Reference Options.
• In the Cross-References section of the Hyperlinks panel, double-click the cross-reference you want to edit.
• Select the cross-reference, and choose Cross-Reference Options from the Hyperlinks panel menu.
2 Edit the cross-reference, and then click OK.

Delete cross-references
When you delete a cross-reference, the source cross-reference is converted to text.
1 In the Cross-References section of the Hyperlinks panel, select the cross-reference or cross-references you want to

delete.
2 Click the Delete icon, or choose Delete Hyperlink/Cross-Reference from the panel menu.
3 Click Yes to confirm.

To completely remove a cross-reference, you can also select the cross-reference source and delete it.

Editing cross-reference source text
You can edit cross-reference source text. The advantage of editing cross-reference text is that you can change tracking
or word spacing as needed for copyfitting, or make other changes. The disadvantage is that if you update or relink the
cross-reference, any local formatting changes are removed.

Editing hyperlinks imported from Word
When a Microsoft Word document with hyperlinks is imported into an InDesign document, you may notice a box or
border around the hyperlink URLs (such as www.adobe.com). The InDesign document inherits a blue swatch called
Word_R0_G0_B255. The document also inherits a character style called “Hyperlink” that underlines the text and
applies the blue color.
To remove the box, in the Hyperlinks panel, double-click the hyperlink. Under Appearance, choose Invisible
Rectangle from the Type menu, and click OK.
You may also want to delete the imported swatch. While doing so, you can replace it with a different swatch. See
“Delete individual swatches” on page 446.
Before you place the Word document in InDesign, you may want to remove the hyperlinks from the URLs in the Word
document to avoid inheriting this formatting. See your Word documentation. Another option is to create a character
style named “Hyperlink” in the InDesign document before you import. When you import the Word document, the
InDesign style that has the same name is used by default.

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Movies and sounds
Add movies and sound files to documents
You can add movies and sound clips to a document, or you can link to streaming video files on the Internet. Although
media clips cannot be played directly in the InDesign layout, they can be played when you export the document to
Adobe PDF or when you export the document to XML and repurpose the tags.
A poster is the image that represents a media clip. Each movie or sound can appear with or without a poster. If the
poster in InDesign is larger than the movie, the poster is clipped to the size of the movie in the exported PDF
document.
QuickTime 6.0 or later is required to work with movies in InDesign. You can add QuickTime, AVI, MPEG, and SWF
movies. However, QuickTime no longer offers full support of SWF files. You can also add WAV, AIF, and AU sound
clips. InDesign supports only 8- or 16-bit WAV files that are not compressed.
Keep track of the media files you add to an InDesign document during the production cycle. If you move a linked
media clip after adding it to the document, use the Links panel to relink it. If you send the InDesign document to
another person, include any media files you add.
For other users to view media in a PDF document, they must have Acrobat 6.x or later to play MPEG and SWF movies,
or Acrobat 5.0 or later to play QuickTime and AVI movies.

See also
“Export to PDF” on page 496

Add a movie or a sound file
1 Do any of the following:

• Choose File > Place, and then double-click the movie or sound file. Click where you want the movie to appear. (If
you drag to create the media frame, the movie boundary may appear cropped or skewed.)

• Drag the media file from Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS) into the document.
• To convert a frame into a media clip, select the frame and choose Object > Interactive > Movie Options or Sound
Options. This creates an empty movie or sound frame. (After you add a movie using this method, you may want to
choose Object > Fitting > Fit Frame To Content so that the frame is the same size as the movie.)
When you place a movie or sound file, a media object appears in a frame. This media object links to the media file. You
can resize the media object to determine the size of the play area.
If the center point of the movie appears outside the page, the movie is not exported to PDF.
2 To change movie, sound, or poster options, double-click the media object.

To preview a media file, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and double-click a movie or sound object
using the Selection tool.
3 Export the document to Adobe PDF. Make sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected in the Export Adobe

PDF dialog box.

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Select Interactive Elements so that media clips can be played in the PDF document.

Adding SWF files in InDesign
If you place a SWF file in an InDesign document, Mac OS users may not be able to play the file in the exported PDF.
For best results, leave a blank space in the InDesign document for the SWF file, and then add the SWF file in Adobe
Acrobat 9. When you add a SWF to a PDF in Acrobat 9 (PDF 1.7) you add the animation as the “Rich Media”
animation type, which uses Acrobat’s built-in Flash Player to play SWF content.

Link to a movie on the Internet
You may want an object to link to a web URL that plays a streaming media file. After you export the document to
Adobe PDF or to a different format, clicking the object plays the movie, if an Internet connection is available.
1 If necessary, draw a rectangle to be used as the play area. You can add a poster to this frame later.
2 Select an object, and then choose Object > Interactive > Movie Options.
3 Click Specify A URL, and then type or paste the URL.
4 Click Verify URL And Movie Size to make sure that the URL is valid. (You must have an Internet connection.)
5 Specify any other options, and then click OK.

Movie options
You can edit movie options by double-clicking the movie play area using the Selection tool, or by selecting the movie
object and choosing Object > Interactive > Movie Options.
Description Type a description that appears if the movie cannot be played in Acrobat. This description also acts as

alternative text for visually impaired users.
Choose A File To specify a different movie clip, click the Browse (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS) button next to

Choose A File, and then double-click the new filename.
Embed Movie In PDF Embedding the media file increases the file size of the PDF document but frees you from having

to copy the media file to make it available to others. This option is not available if Specify A URL is selected.
You can override this setting by linking or embedding all media files, or you can use the settings for each object.
Embedded movies require Acrobat 6.0 and later, or Adobe Reader 6.0 and later.
Specify A URL To play a streaming video from a website, select Specify A URL, and then type or paste the URL.
Poster Specify the type of image that you want to appear in the play area.
Mode Determine whether the movie is played once and then closes (if it’s played in a floating window), played once

but stays open, or played in a continuous loop.
Play On Page Turn Play the movie when someone turns to the page of the PDF document on which the movie is

located.
Show Controller During Play Display a controller that lets users pause, start, and stop the movie.

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Floating Window Play the movie in a separate window. If you select this option, specify the size ratio and position on

the screen. Increasing the size of the floating window may reduce image quality. The floating window scale is based on
the size of the original movie, not the size of the scaled movie in the document layout.

Sound options
You can edit sound options by double-clicking the sound play area using the Selection tool, or by selecting the sound
object and choosing Object > Interactive > Sound Options.
Description Type a description that appears if the sound cannot be played in Acrobat. This description also acts as

alternative text for visually impaired users.
File To specify a different sound clip, click the Browse (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS) button next to File, and then
double-click the new filename.
Poster Specify the type of image that you want to appear in the play area.
Play On Page Turn Play the sound clip when someone turns to the page of the PDF document on which the sound is

located.
Do Not Print Poster Select this option if you do not want the poster to print in InDesign.
Embed Sound In PDF Embedding the media file increases the file size of the PDF document but prevents you from
having to send or copy the media file along with the PDF document.

You can override this setting by linking or embedding all media files, or you can use the settings for each object. Sounds
must be embedded to be played in some earlier versions of Acrobat.

Poster options
You cannot simply use a placed image as a poster. Instead, specify any of the following types of poster images in the
Movie Options or Sound Options dialog box:
None Shows no poster for the movie or sound clip. This option is useful if you want the movie or sound clip to not be
visible on the page. For example, you may want the media to be played only when you turn the page, or you may want
a more complex design beneath the movie to show instead of the poster.
Standard Displays a generic movie or sound poster that isn’t based on the contents of the file.

To use a different standard poster, save an image as StandardMoviePoster.jpg or StandardSoundPoster.jpg, and
replace the existing file of the same name. This file is located in the Presets/Images folder in the application folder.
Default Poster Displays the poster image packaged with the movie file. If the selected movie doesn’t have a frame

designated as the poster, the first frame of the movie is used as the poster image.
Frame From Movie This option is dimmed unless you specify a frame using the Choose Move Frame As Poster option.
Choose Image As Poster Lets you select an image to use as the poster. Click Browse, and then double-click the image
you want to use. You can select bitmap graphics, not vector graphics, for posters.

To use an image as a poster, you can also use the Direct Selection tool to select the poster frame, and then use the Place
command to place a graphic inside the frame.
Choose Movie Frame As Poster Lets you select any video frame to use as the poster image. Supported formats include

AVI, MPEG, MOV, and SWF. Drag the slider or use the arrow keys to advance through the movie clip to the desired
frame, and then click OK.

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Resize movie objects, posters, or frames
When you add a movie to the InDesign document, the movie object and poster appear in a frame. When you export
to PDF, the movie object’s boundary determines the size of the movie in the PDF document, not the frame size or
poster size.
For best results, keep the poster size and dimension the same as the movie. If you apply a clipping path or resize the
image, the exported PDF document may not include these changes.
Movies are displayed in the topmost layer of the PDF document. If you overlay a movie with another object in
InDesign, that object appears beneath the movie in the exported PDF.
If you want the PDF document to include a play area with feathering or other effects that may not export well when
applied to a poster, consider using a placed image for the play area, and then place a movie (without a poster) on top
of the placed image.

A
B
C

Resizing movie object
A. Poster B. Movie object C. Frame

❖ Do any of the following:

• To resize the movie object, poster, and frame, use the Scale tool

and drag one of the corner handles (hold down

Shift to maintain proportions).

• To resize only the frame, use the Selection tool

to drag a corner handle.

• To resize the poster or media object, use the Direct Selection tool

to select the poster. Switch to the Selection tool,

and then drag a corner handle.
You can also use the Fitting commands (Object > Fitting) to resize a poster within a frame.

Choosing which PDF version to use with media files
When you export the InDesign document to Portable Document Format (PDF), you can determine which PDF
version is used. The PDF version determines which interactive options are available. Before you export, note the
following limitations:
If you export to PDF 1.3/1.4
• Non-RGB movie or sound posters aren’t visible in the exported PDF document.

• SWF and MPEG movies aren’t playable in the exported PDF document.
• Clipping paths applied to movie or sound posters don’t appear in the exported PDF document. Posters are resized
to match the movie page item.

• Movies cannot be embedded.
• Sounds cannot be linked.

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If you export to PDF 1.5 or later
QuickTime is specified as the preferred player when exporting to PDF. To change the preferred player, you must edit
the rendition in Acrobat 6.0 or later.
If you export to any PDF version
• Non-rectangular media frames don’t appear in the exported PDF document.

• Hyperlinks applied to movies, sounds, or buttons are not active in the exported PDF document. However, you can
add those hyperlinks using Acrobat Professional.

• Rotated or sheared movies and posters may not appear correctly in the exported PDF document.
• Any masking applied to movie frames or posters is not supported.

See also
“Export to PDF” on page 496

Page transitions
Page transitions display a decorative effect such as a dissolve or wipe when you’re turning pages in a document that is
exported to SWF or PDF format. You can apply different transitions to different pages, or you can apply a single
transition to all the pages. Page transitions are especially useful when you create a slideshow in PDF or SWF format.

See also
“Exporting to Adobe PDF” on page 496
“Create interactive SWF (Flash) files for the web” on page 518

Apply page transitions
You can apply page transitions to individual spreads or to all spreads in the document. Page transitions appear when
you export an InDesign document to PDF or SWF format. You cannot apply transitions to different pages within the
same spread or to master pages.

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Page turn transition in SWF file

1 In the Pages panel, select the spreads to which you want to apply the page transition.

Make sure the spread is selected, not simply targeted. The numbers below the pages in the Pages panel should be
highlighted.
2 To display the Page Transitions panel, choose Window > Interactive > Page Transitions.
3 Choose a Transition from the Transition menu.

Hold the mouse pointer over the thumbnail to view an animated preview of the selected transition.
You may wonder whether it’s necessary to select the Page Turn (SWF Only) transition to create a page curl effect
in SWF file. It isn’t necessary to apply this transition to turn pages manually in the SWF file. If you select the Include
Interactive Page Curl option in the Export SWF dialog box, you can either turn the pages manually by dragging a
corner in the exported SWF file, or you can use arrow keys or navigation buttons to activate whatever page
transition you select for that page.
4 Customize the transition as desired by choosing options from the Direction and Speed menus.
5 (Optional) To apply the selected transition to all spreads currently in the document, click the Apply To All Spreads

icon

, or choose Apply To All Spreads from the Page Transitions panel menu.

6 (Optional) Select a different spread in the Pages panel, and apply a different page transition.

When you apply a page transition to a spread, a Page Transition icon
appears next to the spread in the Pages panel.
You can hide these icons in the Pages panel by deselecting the Page Transitions option in the Panel Options dialog box.
To preview the page transitions, export the document either to PDF or SWF format.

Clear transitions
• In the Pages panel, select the spread from which you want to clear the transition, and then choose None from the
Transition menu in the Page Transition panel.

• To remove transitions from all spreads, choose Clear All from the Page Transitions panel menu.

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Viewing page transitions in a PDF
To include page transitions when you export the PDF document, select the Interactive Elements option in the Export
PDF dialog box.
To see page transitions in the exported PDF, place the PDF in Full Screen Mode by pressing Ctrl+L (Windows) or
Command+L (Mac OS) in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. Press Esc to exit from Full Screen Mode.

Buttons
Create buttons
You can create buttons that perform an action when the document is exported to SWF or PDF format. For example,
you can create a button that jumps to a different page or opens a website.

Button set up to play movie in exported PDF

When you create a button, you can do the following:

• Make the buttons interactive. When a user clicks a button in the exported SWF or PDF file, an action is performed.
See “Make buttons interactive” on page 546.

• Use the State Appearance section of the Buttons panel to define the appearance the button takes in response to
certain mouse actions. See “Add button states for rollover effects” on page 549.

• Create a “hot spot” or “hot link” effect that displays an image when the button is moused over or clicked. See “Create
button hot spots” on page 551.
When working on buttons and designing dynamic documents, select the Interactivity workspace.

Create a button
1 Use the Type tool or a drawing tool, such as the Rectangle tool or Ellipse tool, to draw the button shape. If necessary,

use the Type tool to add text to the button, such as “Next” or “Purchase.”
If you’re creating navigation buttons (such as Next Page or Previous Page) that appear on multiple pages, add them
to a master page so that you don’t have to re-create buttons on every document page. These buttons appear on all
document pages to which the master is applied.
2 Use the Selection tool

to select the image, shape, or text frame that you want to convert.

You cannot convert a movie, sound, or poster to a button.
3 Choose Object > Interactive > Convert To Button.

You can also click [Normal] in the State Appearance section of the Buttons panel to convert the selected object to a
button, or you can click the Convert Object To A Button icon in the Buttons panel.

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4 Choose Window > Interactive > Buttons to display the Buttons panel, use the Selection tool to select the button,

and do any of the following:

• In the Name text box, specify a name for the button to distinguish it from other buttons you create.
• Specify one or more actions for the button to determine what happens when the button is clicked in the exported
PDF or SWF file. See “Make buttons interactive” on page 546.

• Activate additional states and change their appearance to determine what the button looks like when you use the
mouse to roll over the button or click it in the exported PDF or SWF file. See “Add button states for rollover effects”
on page 549.
To test the button, export the document to PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re exporting to PDF, make
sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that Include Buttons is
selected.

Add a button from the Sample Buttons panel
The Sample Buttons panel includes a number of pre-created buttons that you can drag into your document. These
sample buttons include effects such as gradient feathers and drop shadows, with a slightly different appearance for the
Rollover state. The sample buttons are also assigned actions. For example, the sample arrow buttons are preset with
Go To Next Page or Go To Previous Page actions. You can edit these buttons to suit your needs.
The Sample Buttons panel is an object library. As with any object library, you can add buttons to the panel and remove
ones you don’t want to use. (See “Use object libraries” on page 374.) The sample buttons are stored in the
ButtonLibrary.indl file, which is located in the Presets/Button Library folder in the InDesign application folder.
1 Choose Sample Buttons from the Buttons panel menu to open the Sample Buttons panel.
2 Drag a button from the Sample Buttons panel to the document.
3 Select the button using the Selection tool, and then edit the button as necessary using the Buttons panel.

While editing the sample buttons, keep the following in mind:

• If you add text to a button, remember to copy and paste the text from the Normal button state to the Rollover button
state. Otherwise, the text you add does not appear when the mouse rolls over the button in the PDF or SWF file.

• You can resize buttons. If you drag a pair of Next Page/Previous Page arrow buttons, resize the first button, and
then select the second button, and choose Object > Transform Again > Transform Again.
To test the button, export the document to PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re exporting to PDF, make
sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that Include Buttons is
selected.

Convert a button to an object
When you convert a button to an object, the contents of the button remain on the page without the button properties.
Any content associated with the button’s other states are also removed.
1 Use the Selection tool

to select the button.

2 Choose Object > Interactive > Convert To Object.

Make buttons interactive
You can create, edit, and manage interactive effects in InDesign. When the document is exported to Adobe PDF or
SWF, these interactive actions can be active.

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For example, suppose you want to create a button that causes a sound to play in a PDF document. You can place the
sound file in an InDesign document, and then create a button that causes the sound to play when you click the button
in the PDF document.
In this example, clicking the mouse button is the event, and playing the sound is the action.

This button is set to play a sound when the mouse button is released.

Note: While most of the actions are supported in an exported PDF file, only a few of the actions are supported in a SWF
file. Close, Exit, Go To Next View, Go To Previous View, Movie, Open File, Sound, and View Zoom have no effect in SWF
files.

Add actions to buttons
You can assign actions to different events. For example, in an exported PDF file, you can specify a sound to play when
the mouse pointer enters the button area, and a movie to play when the mouse button is clicked and released. You can
also assign multiple actions to the same event. For example, you can create an action that plays a movie and sets the
view zoom to Actual Size.
1 Use the Selection tool

to select the button you created. See “Create buttons” on page 545.

2 In the Buttons panel, choose an event, such as On Release, that determines how actions are activated.
3 Click the plus sign button

next to Actions, and choose the action to assign to the event.

4 Specify the settings of the action.

For example, if you choose Go To First Page, specify the zoom. If you choose Go To URL, specify the web page address.
Some actions, such as Go To Next View, do not have additional settings.
5 If necessary, continue to add as many actions as needed to any event.

To test the button, export the document to PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re exporting to PDF, make
sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that Include Buttons is
selected.

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Event types
Events determine how actions are activated in buttons when the document is exported to Adobe PDF. (In Acrobat,
events are called triggers.)
On Release When the mouse button is released after a click. This is the most commonly used event, because it gives

the user one last chance to drag the cursor off the button and not activate the action.
On Click When the mouse button is clicked (without being released). Unless you have a specific reason for using On

Click, it’s preferable to use On Release so that users have a chance to cancel the action.
On Roll Over When the mouse pointer enters the button area defined by the button’s bounding box.
On Roll Off When the mouse pointer exits the button area.
On Focus When the button receives focus, either through a mouse action or pressing the Tab key.
On Blur When the focus moves to a different button or form field.

Action types
When you create an action, you indicate what happens when the specified event occurs—usually when someone clicks
the button. You can assign the following actions to occur when the event type is activated:
Close (PDF) Closes the PDF document.
Exit (PDF) Exits the application, such as Adobe Reader, in which the PDF document is open.
Go To Anchor Jumps to the specified text anchor. See “Create jumps to text anchors” on page 549.
Go To First/Last/Next/Previous Page Jumps to the first, last, previous, or next page in the PDF or SWF file. Select an

option from the Zoom menu to determine how the page is displayed.
Go To Previous View (PDF) Jumps to the most recently viewed page in the PDF document, or returns to the last used

zoom size.
Go To Next View (PDF) Jumps to a page after going to the previous view. In the same way that a Forward button is

available in a web browser only after someone clicks the Back button, this option is available only if the user has jumped
to a previous view.
Go To Page (SWF Only) Jumps to the page in the SWF file you specify.
Go To URL Opens the web page of the specified URL.
Movie (PDF) Lets you play, pause, stop, or resume the selected movie. Only movies that have been added to the

document appear in the Movie menu.
Open File (PDF) Launches and opens the file that you specify. If you specify a file that is not PDF, the reader needs the
native application to open it successfully. Specify an absolute pathname (such as C:\docs\sample.pdf).
Show/Hide Buttons Toggles between showing and hiding specified buttons in the exported PDF or SWF file. (Buttons

are also referred to as fields in Acrobat.)
Sound (PDF) Lets you play, pause, stop, or resume the selected sound clip. Only sound clips that have been added to

the document appear in the Sound menu.
View Zoom (PDF) Displays the page according to the zoom option you specify. You can change the page zoom level

(such as Actual Size), the page layout (such as Continuous - Facing), or the rotation orientation.

Edit or delete button actions
1 Use the Selection tool

to select the button.

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2 In the Buttons panel, do any of the following:

• To deactivate actions, deselect the check box next to the item. Deactivating events and actions can be useful for
testing purposes.

• To change the order, drag and drop actions.
• To delete an action, select the action in the list box, and click the Delete Selected Action button

• To edit an action, choose the event to which the action is assigned, select the action in the list box, and change the
settings. If you need to replace a action for an existing event, delete the action, and then add the new action to the
event.

Create jumps to text anchors
If you create a text anchor in an InDesign document, you can cause a button to jump to that anchor, even if it’s in
another InDesign document. Use the Bookmarks panel and Hyperlinks panel to add text anchors. You cannot create
jumps from buttons to bookmarks that aren’t text anchors.
Note: If you set a hyperlink destination to a button, the hyperlink will have no effect in the exported PDF or SWF
document.
1 Use the Selection tool

to select the button.

2 In the Buttons panel, choose the event such as On Release that will trigger the jump.
3 Click the plus sign button next to Actions, and choose Go To Anchor.
4 Select one of the open InDesign documents from the Documents menu, or click the folder icon to the right of the

menu and specify the file.
5 Specify an anchor that was created using the Bookmarks panel or Hyperlinks panel.
6 Select an option from the Zoom menu to determine how the page is displayed.
7 Click Add to add the behavior, and then click OK.

Note: If you specify an anchor in a different document, remember to export that target document to PDF, and use the
same filename as the InDesign document, replacing the INDD extension with PDF. Also, store the PDF documents in the
same folder to make sure that the links remain valid in Acrobat and Reader.

See also
“Create bookmarks for PDF” on page 524
“Hyperlinks panel overview” on page 526

Add button states for rollover effects
A button consists of a group of individual objects that each represent a button state. Each button can have as many as
three states: Normal, Rollover, and Click. In the exported file, the Normal state appears unless the mouse pointer
moves into the area (Rollover) or the mouse button is clicked on the button area (Click). You can apply different
appearances to each of these three states to distinguish them from each other.
By default, any button you create is defined with the Normal state containing the button’s text or image. When you
activate a new state, the appearance of the Normal state is copied. To distinguish a state from the others, you can
change the color or add text or an image.

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Button states
A. Pointer not over button area (Normal) B. Pointer enters button area (Rollover) C. Pointer clicks (Click)

Note: The clickable area, or hot spot, of the button is the square bounding box of the largest state in the button. For
example, a round button has a square hot spot.

Change the appearance of a button’s states
If you’re creating a button with multiples states, it’s a good idea to finish designing the button before you activate other
states. When you activate a state, the appearance of the Normal state is copied.
Some changes affect only the selected state, while other changes affect all active states. If you select a state and apply a
different background color or edit the text, the change affects only the selected state. If you use the Selection tool to
move or resize the button, the change affects all states. Keep in mind that each state is an object within the button
group. Use the Direct Selection tool to make changes only to the state, not to the whole group.
1 Choose Window > Interactive > Buttons to display the Buttons panel.
2 Using the Selection tool

, select the button in the layout that you want to edit.

3 Click [Rollover] to activate the Rollover state.

The appearance of the Normal state is copied to the Rollover state.
4 With Rollover still selected, change the appearance of the button.

• To change the color, click the Stroke or Fill icon in the toolbar, and then click a swatch color in the Swatches panel.
• To place an image in the state, choose File > Place and double-click a file.
• To paste an image or a text frame, copy it to the Clipboard, select the state in the Buttons panel, and then choose
Edit > Paste Into.

• To type text, select the Type tool, click the button, and type the text. You can also choose Edit > Paste Into to copy
a pasted text frame.
5 To add the Click state, click [Click] to activate it, and then follow the same procedure to change its appearance.

To change the size of the State Appearance thumbnails in the Buttons panel, choose Panel Options from the Buttons
panel menu, select an option, and then click OK.
To test the button, export the document to PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re exporting to PDF, make
sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that Include Buttons is
selected.

Delete and disable states
1 Select the state in the Buttons panel.

The state selected in the States panel determines the content that appears in the button frame on the InDesign page.
Thumbnail icons in the States panel display the content of each state.

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2 Do any of the following:

• To delete the Rollover or Click state, click the Delete icon at the bottom of the panel. Deleting a state is especially
useful if you edit the Normal state extensively and decide you want to base Rollover or Click on the new Normal
appearance.

• To disable a state without deleting it, click the Eye icon next to the state to deselect it. Disabled states are not
exported to the PDF or SWF file.
Note: You cannot delete or disable the Normal state.

Create button hot spots
In some cases, you may want the button area (called a “hot spot” or “hot link”) to be invisible until the mouse pointer
is moved over it. For example, when you move a pointer over a button on a map, an image could be displayed that
represents a region, and the image could disappear when the pointer moves away from the region.

In the exported PDF file, holding the pointer over a hot spot causes an image to appear.

Display a hidden image on rollover
One way to achieve a “hot spot” effect is to apply an image to the Rollover state in the States panel. To do this, create
a button in which the [Rollover] state displays an image while the [Normal] state doesn’t display the image.
1 Select the image you want to use as a hot spot. Make sure the frame of the image does not have a border or

background.
2 In the Buttons panel (choose Window > Interactive > Buttons), click the [Normal] state to convert the selected

image to a button.
3 Click the [Rollover] state in the Buttons panel to activate it.
4 Click the [Normal] state again. Then select the image using the Direct Selection tool

and delete the image.

Make sure you delete the image (the contents of the frame), not the frame and contents. Deleting the frame would
delete the entire button.
5 To preview the hot spot effect, export the image to PDF or SWF and move the mouse over the area where the image

should appear.
To test the button, export the document to PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re exporting to PDF, make
sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that Include Buttons is
selected.
For a more detailed description, see
http://blogs.adobe.com/indesigndocs/2009/01/two_ways_to_create_button_hot.html.

Display a different button on rollover
You can create a hot spot in which clicking or mousing over an object displays another object. To do this, create two
buttons, hide one of the buttons, and use the Show/Hide Button action to show and hide the target button.
1 Create an object to be used as the source button. In the Buttons panel, click the [Normal] state to convert it to a

button.

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2 Place the image you want to be used as the target button. In the Buttons panel, click the [Normal] state to convert

it to the button.
3 Select the target image and choose Hidden In PDF from the Buttons panel menu.

The image needs to be hidden is the PDF document so that it can be displayed when the source button is moused over
or clicked.
4 Select the source button and create two different actions, one to show the target image and a second to hide the

target image.
If you want the image to appear when the mouse hovers over the source button, use the On Roll Over and On Roll Off
events. If you want the image to appear when you click the source button and disappear when you release it, use the
On Click and On Release events. If either case, use the Show/Hide Buttons action to display and hide the target button.
See “Make buttons interactive” on page 546.
To test the button, export the document to PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re exporting to PDF, make
sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that Include Buttons is
selected.
For a more detailed description, see
http://blogs.adobe.com/indesigndocs/2009/01/creating_button_hot_spots_part.html.

Hiding and printing buttons
You may want to hide a button so that you can display it only when you click a different button.
1 Use the Selection tool

to select the button.

2 From the Buttons panel menu, choose an option to specify whether you want the button to be visible or invisible

in the exported PDF document, and whether you want the button to be printed.

Set the button tab order
The tab order determines the next (or previous) field to receive focus when a user presses Tab (or Shift+Tab) in the
PDF or SWF document. The tab order includes buttons on hidden layers, but not buttons on master pages.
1 Go to the page containing the buttons.
2 Choose Object > Interactive > Set Tab Order.
3 Select each button you want to move and drag it to its new position, or click the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

When you’re done, click OK.
If you use Acrobat to edit the PDF and add more buttons or form fields to the page, you may need to specify a new tab
order in Acrobat.

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Chapter 20: XML
Adobe InDesign CS4 is one of many applications that can produce and use XML. After you tag content in an InDesign
file, you save and export the file as XML so that it can be repurposed in another InDesign file or another application.
Similarly, you can import an XML file into InDesign and instruct InDesign to display and format the XML data any
way you want.

Working with XML
About XML
XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a way to repurpose data in a file or automate the process of replacing the data
in one file with data from another file. XML employs tags to describe parts of a file—a heading or a story, for example.
These tags mark data so it can be stored in an XML file and handled appropriately when it is exported to other files.
Think of XML as a translation mechanism for data. XML tags label text and other content in a file so that applications
can recognize and present the data.
Extensible language
XML is considered an extensible language because individuals create their own XML tags—they can create one tag for
each type of information that they want to repurpose. XML tags don’t carry information about how data is supposed
to be displayed or formatted. XML tags are strictly for identifying content.
In InDesign, for example, you can create a Heading1 tag and assign it to each first-level heading in a document. After
you save the document as an XML file, the Heading1 content can be imported and put to use—by any application that
can read XML—as a web page, printed catalog, directory, price list, or database table.
InDesign is one of many applications that can produce and use XML. After you tag content in an InDesign file, you
save and export the file as XML so that it can be repurposed in another InDesign file or another application. Similarly,
you can import an XML file into InDesign and instruct InDesign to display and format the XML data any way you
want.
In InDesign, you can create XML tags and tag parts of a document even if you’re not experienced with XML. InDesign
handles XML programming behind the scenes and creates the XML for you when you export a document in XML
format.
Important: Do not confuse XML tags with InDesign tagged text. For more information about tagged text, which is a
different method of exporting and importing InDesign content, view the Tagged Text PDF at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_id_taggedtext_cs4_en(PDF).
XML data structure
The element is the building block of XML data; an element is data that has been tagged. In XML files, elements are
nested within other elements to create a hierarchical structure for the data.
You can see the structure of XML data in the Structure pane, which displays the hierarchy and sequence of elements.
In the XML structure, child elements are contained by parent elements, which in turn may also be child elements. Or,
seen from the other direction, parent elements contain child elements, and these child elements may in turn be parent
elements to other child elements.

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For example, in the following image, you can see a chapter element that contains (is the parent of) several recipe
elements. Each recipe element, in turn, is the parent of elements called recipename, ingredients, instructions,
notes, and servings. All elements are contained inside the Root element, which appears at the top of the Structure
pane.

XML in InDesign Structure pane (left) and placed in layout (right)

For more information on using XML in InDesign, visit www.adobe.com/go/learn_id_XMLscript.

See also
“Structure pane overview” on page 572
“Place (import) text” on page 128

XML tools
InDesign provides the Structure pane and the Tags panel for working with XML content. The Structure pane displays
all the elements in the document and their hierarchical structure. To help you identify each element, InDesign displays
its element tag and an icon that indicates what type of content it holds. In addition, the Structure pane can display the
first few words of text in an element, called a text snippet, which is not to be confused with snippet files that store
objects for reuse.

E
A

Structure pane (left) and Tags panel (right)
A. Triangle to expand or collapse elements B. Element (placed in layout) C. Element (not in layout) D. Text snippet E. Element tag

The Structure pane lets you view, edit, and manage XML elements. You use the Structure pane in many ways when
working with XML. For example, to place imported XML content into the layout, you can drag elements from the
Structure pane directly to a page. You also use the Structure pane to adjust the hierarchy of the elements. You can add
elements, attributes, comments, and processing instructions by way of the Structure pane.

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The Tags panel lists tags for elements. You can import, export, add, delete, and rename tags. You use the Tags panel
to apply element tags to content that you plan to export to XML, and to apply tags to frames before importing XML
content into them.

See also
“Structure pane overview” on page 572

About DTD files
To share XML data with others, you need to agree on a standard set of tag names and element attributes so that
everyone in your group uses and applies tags the same way. One method for handling the sharing of XML data is to
use a document type definition (DTD) file.
A DTD file provides a set of elements and attributes for members of the group to use. It also defines the rules about
where elements can appear in the structural hierarchy. For example, the DTD file may require the Title element to be
a child of the Story element because the title is supposed to appear inside the story; if you tag a title without tagging the
story it appears in, the DTD file marks the Title element as invalid. You can search for and flag invalid structural errors
in an InDesign file with a DTD file. This process is called validating.
To use a DTD file (if your document doesn’t already contain one), you load it into your document. This imports the
element names from the DTD into the Tags panel. Others who have loaded the same DTD file have the same element
names, which ensures that everyone in the group uses the same elements. The imported elements are locked, which
means they can’t be deleted or renamed unless the DTD file is deleted from the document.
You may find that a DTD file created by a group or industry similar to yours includes tags and structures that meet
your needs. For a current list of registered DTDs, visit www.xml.com/pub/rg/DTD_Repositories (English only).

See also
“Use DTD files to validate XML” on page 578

XML rule sets
XML rule sets are sets of instructions written in a scripting language (such as JavaScript or AppleScript) that evaluate
XML data and take certain actions if that data meets certain conditions. Each rule consists of at least one condition and
at least one action. A rule evaluates the XML data against the conditions, and if a condition is met, then it takes the
appropriate action. For example, an XML rule can specify that whenever the Paragraph element appears under the
Subhead element (a condition), a specific style (an action) is applied; or that whenever the Product element (a
condition) appears, a new frame is created and a product image is imported (actions). XML rules are a means of
dynamically creating and formatting layouts based on XML.
For information on XML rule sets and other XML scripting resources, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_id_XMLscript.

Preparing XML files for K4 or InCopy workflows
To prepare files with XML tagging for use within the K4 or InDesign/InCopy workflow environments, you may need
to adjust how you prepare the structure and import XML into InDesign files.
There are two methods for importing XML into InDesign: merge and append. Merge can replace the existing structure,
whereas append adds to any existing structure. In both cases, it is important that the root element is not associated
with a text frame. Either use the default element named "Root" or rename this element based on your current workflow
or requirement as needed, again being sure that it is not associated with a text frame.

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For more information on using XML in K4 or InCopy workflows, contact your system administrator.

Importing XML
XML import and layout methods
After you import XML data, the imported content appears as elements (the basic building blocks of XML) in the
Structure pane. InDesign doesn’t create new frames or pages when you import XML.
Append or merge?
You can import XML using one of two modes: append or merge. The method you choose depends on your workflow
(manual or automated), how you want to handle existing content in your document, and whether you want advanced
options for handling the imported data.
Append mode When you append imported content, the existing structure and content of the document are left as is;
the new XML content is placed on the bottom of the Structure pane, in the form of elements.
Merge mode When you merge imported content, InDesign compares the incoming XML with the structure and

names of elements already in your document. If the elements match, imported data replaces existing document
content, and is merged into correctly tagged frames (or placeholders) in the layout. (Elements for which InDesign can’t
find a matching name and hierarchy rank are placed on the Structure pane so that you can place them manually.)
Merge mode not only makes automated layout possible, it provides more advanced import options, including the
ability to filter incoming text and clone elements for repeating data.
Content layout
After importing XML content, your next step is to place it in your document. You can place content manually,
automatically, or by using scripting. The method you choose depends on the content you’re importing, your
document’s layout, and your workflow process.
Place content manually With the manual method, you drag elements from the Structure pane onto the pages of your

document or into frames. This method requires little setup or planning. Use this method if the type of content you
import varies or if you acquire content from multiple sources.

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Manually placing imported XML content

Place content automatically By planning ahead, you can automate the process of placing XML data in your layout. To
place XML content automatically, you first prepare the document by creating tagged placeholder frames to hold
incoming XML. As long as the XML structure and tag names for incoming content matches the tag names and
structure of the placeholder frames, InDesign can place the imported XML automatically in your document. InDesign
can also clone elements to handle repeating data, such as address lists and catalogue material. Use the automatic layout
method as part of a structured workflow process to speed production time and efficiency.

The selected placeholder frame (above) is tagged with the Story element. When XML data is imported (bottom), the Story element placeholder
frame is automatically populated with the Story element content.

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Note: InDesign recognizes special namespace attributes that can specify paragraph or character styles in XML. For more
information, see the XML technical reference guide and other resources at www.adobe.com/go/learn_id_XMLscript.

About merging
You can place XML data in a document using merge mode or append mode. Merging mode allows you to automate
the placement of content. You can also filter data in the XML file to place only certain parts of the content.
Merge incoming XML content when:

• The document contains placeholder frames and you want to fill them with imported XML content.
• The document contains XML content and you want to replace it with imported XML content.
• The document doesn’t contain any XML structure, and you want InDesign to replace the default root with the root
of the incoming XML file.
Merge mode compares incoming XML data to elements already in the document. It moves through the file, element
by element, comparing incoming elements to existing elements in the following manner:
1 InDesign begins comparing at the root element
• If the root elements of the imported XML file and InDesign document don’t match and the Structure pane contains
no existing structure, InDesign replaces the root of the InDesign document with the root of the incoming XML file
and imports the file.

• If the root elements don’t match and the Structure pane already contains elements, InDesign appends the file at the
end of the existing structure.

• If the root elements do match, the merge (and matching) process moves forward.
2 InDesign moves to the element under the root
Starting with the element just beneath the root in the incoming XML file, InDesign searches for a matching element
in the Structure pane. For a match to occur, the incoming XML element must have the same name as an existing
element in the Structure pane, and the two elements must exist at the same level in the hierarchy.

• If InDesign finds a matching element in the Structure pane, it replaces the element in the Structure pane with the
element from the incoming XML file.

• If InDesign doesn’t find a match, it inserts the incoming element in the Structure pane at the starting point of the
search. For example, if the search begins just below the root and a match isn’t found, the incoming element is placed
just below the root.
3 InDesign continues to compare elements
Element by element, InDesign continues to compare the incoming XML against the existing structure. The starting
point for the search in the Structure pane changes as the search progresses, with each search beginning just below the
last element inserted or replaced. InDesign always moves down from the current location; it never places elements
above the previous element it inserted or replaced.

Import and append XML data
When you import XML content, the new elements appear in the Structure pane. From there, you can drag elements to
place them in your document.
1 Open an InDesign document or create a new document to receive the XML content.
2 Open the Structure pane. (Choose View > Structure > Show Structure.)

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3 Choose File > Import XML (or choose Import XML on the Structure pane menu) and select the XML file you want

to import.
4 Select Show XML Import Options.
5 Select Append Content, and then click Open.
6 To link the XML content to the original XML file, select Create Link.

InDesign will list the XML file in the Links panel and display a yellow alert triangle in the panel if the XML file changes.
7 Click OK.

See also
“Link or embed imported text files” on page 133
“Import and merge XML” on page 565

Lay out XML manually
You can manually place XML content in your document layout by dragging elements from the Structure pane to the
page or to existing frames. When you place an element, its child elements (and all child elements below those, if any)
are placed as well.
In the Structure pane, a structure-specific blue diamond appears on an element’s icon if the element has been placed
in the document; elements that haven’t been placed show an unplaced icon.
Note: If you imported XML using the Merge Content option, some elements may already be laid out. When you merge
imported content, InDesign automatically flows elements into existing frames if they are identically structured and
tagged.
1 Open the Structure pane (View > Structure > Show Structure) and select the element that you want to lay out.
2 Do either of the following for each element you want to place in your document:

• Drag the element onto the page. InDesign creates a frame for the element.
• Drag the element onto an existing frame. If the frame contains content, it is replaced by content from the XML data.
3 To format the items you lay out, do any of the following:

• Map XML tags to paragraph, character, table, and cell styles.
• Apply styles to elements.
• Format the selected content manually by choosing text options in the Control panel.

Map XML tags to styles
XML tags are merely data descriptions; they carry no formatting instructions. As such, you need to format XML
content after you import it and lay it out. One way to do that is to map XML tags to paragraph, character, table, or cell
styles. For example, the Byline tag could be mapped to the Author character style, so that all imported and placed
XML content that is tagged Byline is automatically assigned the Author character style. Mapping tags to styles makes
formatting imported XML content easier and less time-consuming.
You don’t need to map every tag to a paragraph or character style. Some elements may not appear in the layout and
others may be easier to format one at a time. Moreover, child elements take on the paragraph or character style that is
assigned to their parent, which can cause confusion unless you are careful to map parent and child elements separately.

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Important: The Map Tags To Styles command reapplies styles throughout a document, sometimes with unwanted
results. When you map a tag to a style, text that was previously assigned to one style may be reassigned to another,
depending on its XML tag. If you’ve already formatted some text, you might prefer to apply styles manually to prevent
your paragraph and character style choices from being overridden.
1 Choose Map Tags To Styles from the Tags panel menu or the Structure pane menu.

A menu of styles appears for each tag in the Map Tags To Styles dialog box

2 Do any of the following:

• To import styles, tags, and mapping definitions from another document, click Load, choose a document, and click Open.
• To map tags to styles individually, click the Style column adjacent to a tag, and choose a paragraph or character style
from the menu that appears. (The paragraph symbol identifies paragraph styles in the menu; an “A” identifies
character styles.) Repeat for each tag you want to map.

• To automatically map tags to styles with the same names, click Map By Name. Styles with names that are identical
to tag names are selected in the Style column. To match, a tag and style must not only have the same name, but the
same case; H1 and h1, for example, are not considered a match. (If the same style name exists in two different style
groups, Map By Name doesn’t work and you are alerted to rename one of the styles.)
3 Click OK.

See also
“Add paragraph and character styles” on page 182
“Create and load XML tags” on page 567

About automatic layout
Using InDesign, you can automatically place imported XML content into a layout. To do this, you first create
placeholder frames or tables, and tag them with the same tag names as the XML elements you want to place into them.
Then, you import XML content into the placeholders in Merge mode. When tags match by name and by structural
hierarchy, InDesign merges the XML content, replacing any existing content in the document.
This technique is useful when you want to use the same layout for different sets of content. For example, a weekly
newsletter may have the same layout from week to week, but offer different content with each publication.
In order for imported XML to be merged directly into a layout, your document must meet these requirements:

• Frames (or tables) in the document must be tagged with names identical to elements in the XML file that you intend
to import.

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• The structure of the document (as shown in the Structure pane) must parallel the structure of the imported XML
file. In other words, the identically named elements must be found in the same locations in the structure hierarchy
of both files. To achieve this parallel structure, you may have to rearrange and reorder elements (and their child
elements) in the Structure pane or use the Apply XSLT option when you import the XML file.
Note: InDesign flows merged XML content into existing frames only. Any element content that doesn’t fit in its frame (or
series of threaded frames) becomes overset text.

See also
“Threading text” on page 133
“Tag items” on page 568
“Rearrange structured elements” on page 574

Working with repeating data
XML is repeating if the same configuration of elements appears multiple times in a row, but contains unique data in
each instance. For example, database records are repeating. Addresses in a database table contain repeated
information—name, street address, city, state, postal code—for a variety of individuals.
When you import XML content, you can select Clone Repeating Text Elements in the XML Import Options dialog
box. Selecting this option tells InDesign to clone the repeated elements in the structure. Cloning allows you to merge
repeating XML data into a document without having to create placeholder elements in the Structure pane (or
placeholder text in a frame) for every single record. For example, to import an XML address list with 25 entries, create
a matching element structure for one entry in the Structure pane. When you import the complete list, InDesign clones
that structure to create elements for all 25 entries.
Repeating XML content is flowed as a single story when it is merged into the document. If placeholder frames have
been threaded together, the content is flowed from one frame to the next. If there isn’t enough room in the placeholder
frame(s) to accommodate the XML content, you can autoflow the remaining content by creating and threading more
frames; you don’t have to manually drag elements from the Structure pane into individual frames.

Threaded placeholder in layout (left) and layout after import (right)

Create placeholders for automatic layout
Create placeholder frames or tables in your document when you want InDesign to automatically merge imported XML
into your layout.
Note: InDesign flows merged XML content into existing frames only. Any content that doesn’t fit in the frames provided
becomes overset text.

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You can also create placeholder text to ensure XML data is placed and formatted correctly on the page. Placeholder
text can also be used to include tabs, spacing, or labels (called static text) between the XML elements that will appear
in a frame.

A
B

Tagged placeholder text (left) and layout after import (right)
A. Returns and static text added between elements B. Placeholder text

For example, if you are importing and placing product information, you can separate the name, description, and price
of the product with a tab, and include labels such as “Product:” or “Price:” before the placeholder text entries for those
elements. When XML data is merged into the frame, static labels, spacing, and tabs are preserved between the content
elements.
Note: If you merge repeating XML data into your document and instruct InDesign to clone repeating elements, the static
text and spacing are also cloned for each instance of the data.

See also
“Thread text frames” on page 133
“Create and load XML tags” on page 567
“Rearrange structured elements” on page 574
“Tag items” on page 568

Create a placeholder frame
1 Using the Type tool, create a text frame for the XML content.

If you want imported XML content to flow from one frame to another, create multiple frames and thread them
together.
2 Open the Structure pane (View > Structure > Show Structure) and the Tags panel (Window > Tags).
3 If the Tags panel does not contain tags with names identical to the XML elements you plan to import, create the

tags or load the tags from the XML file.
4 Tag the placeholder frame with the appropriate tag from the Tags panel. (When you tag a frame, any frames

threaded to it are assigned the same tag.)
5 If necessary, arrange or add elements in the Structure pane to match the elements and structure of the XML you

will be importing.

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Create a placeholder table
You can import XML elements into a placeholder table as well as a placeholder frame. In a table, each cell is represented
by an element. InDesign places XML content into the table cell by cell, element by element, starting from the top left
corner of the table, matching the element to the tagged cell. When creating placeholder tables, you must tag the table
as well as each cell in the table. (Merged cells are considered a single cell.)
Because InDesign doesn’t distinguish between rows and columns when importing, the number of columns in the
placeholder must match the number of columns in the imported content. Also, all the table cell elements must be
contained within a single table element. In other words, the cells are all sibling elements under the same parent.

Placeholder table (above) and flow of XML content into placeholder table (below)

1 Open the Tags panel (Window > Tags) and the Structure pane (View > Structure > Show Structure).
2 If the Tags panel doesn’t contain tag names identical to the names of the XML table elements you plan to import,

either load tags from an existing document or create the tags.
Note: At a minimum you must have tags for the parent element of the table cells, the table cells, and the element in which
the table will reside.
3 Create a table containing the appropriate number of columns for the XML content. You don’t need to create the

exact number of rows, as InDesign will add rows to the table if needed.
4 With an insertion point in the table, choose Table > Select > Table, and select the appropriate tag in the Tags panel.
5 Tag each cell of the table with the desired tag. Depending on the structure of your XML content, you can either

select and tag the cells individually, or you can select an entire row or column—for example, if you want to tag the
first, or heading row—and tag all the selected cells using the same tag.
6 As necessary, rearrange and add elements in the Structure pane so that your document has the same elements and

structure as the XML file you will import.

Create placeholder structure for repeating data
The same rules for merging XML also apply when merging repeating XML: The structure of the elements in the
Structure pane must parallel the structure of the imported XML data, and any placeholder frames must be tagged with
the same tag names as the parent elements in the XML file.

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A
B
C

Structure pane showing structure of placeholder text
A. Element that will contain all repeated elements B. Element that will be cloned as repeating XML content is imported C. Child elements for
data contained in the repeating element

1 First, you will need a parent or root element that describes the collection of information, or records, you will import.

For example, a Chapter element that will contain a series of recipes.
2 Under that parent, create one element that describes the information (or record) that will repeat.

For example, under the Chapter element, you might create a Recipe element. This is the element that will be cloned
for each record in the imported XML.
3 Under this element, create child elements to describe the units of information (or fields) that make up the record.

For example, under the Recipe element, you might create Recipename, Ingredients, Instructions, Notes, and
Serving elements.

To include labels, returns, or tabs between “field” elements in the repeating XML data, create placeholder elements in
the frame the imported content will be merged into. And add spacing or labels as needed between the placeholders.

Create placeholder text
1 Open an existing document, or create a new document for the XML.
2 Open the Tags panel (Window > Tags) and the Structure pane (View > Structure > Show Structure).
3 Make sure the Tags panel contains tag names that are identical to the names of elements you will import with the

XML file, and create new tags or load the necessary tags if necessary.
Importing a sample of the XML content is the easiest way to obtain all the necessary tags and to ensure that the
document structure matches the XML file.
4 Create placeholder frames (and thread them together) as needed for your XML content.
5 Using the Text tool, click in the first frame to create an insertion point, and type placeholder text for each element

you want to merge into that frame. Include any spacing you want between elements, as well as any static text.
Note: If you will be importing repeating data, you only need to create one instance of sample text for the elements that
will repeat.

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6 Format the text as you want it to appear in the final document.
7 Tag the text frame with the tag for the parent element that will contain the elements (or repeating data) you want

to import into that frame.
8 Position the insertion point in the placeholder text and choose Edit > Edit In Story Editor.
9 Choose View > Structure > Show Tag Markers.
10 Choose Edit > Select All.
11 In the Tags panel, select Add Tag, and then click the tag you assigned to the frame.

InDesign wraps the placeholder text with the tag, and adds the element to the Structure pane.
12 Select the text representing the first child element and click its tag in the Tags panel. Repeat until you have tagged

all the child placeholder text.
Important: When tagging placeholder text, do not select any spacing or static text you want to keep between elements.
Tag only the text you want replaced with XML content.
13 In the Structure pane, review the hierarchy created by your tagging to ensure it matches the structure of the XML

content you will import.

Import and merge XML
After you have created and tagged placeholder frames, tables, and text—and made sure that your document and the
incoming XML file have the same tags and structure—you can import XML content into your layout.
You must use the Merge Content option to import XML into placeholders (or to replace existing content in your
document). When merging content, InDesign replaces identically tagged and structured elements in your document
with the imported XML elements. You can use additional import options to exclude imported (that is, filter) content
that doesn’t match the document structure, to delete document items that aren’t matched or replaced by the imported
XML, and to clone repeating XML elements.
If the imported XML file contains elements that are not found in the document, InDesign places these elements in the
Structure pane without laying them out in your document.
To successfully merge XML into placeholders, keep these rules in mind:

• Tag placeholders with the identical tag name as the XML element that will replace it (or be flowed into it).
• In placeholder text, make sure any spacing, returns, tabs, or static text is outside the placeholder element tags, but
within the parent element for the story.

• When you import the XML, select Do Not Import Contents Of Whitespace-Only Elements. (This preserves spacing
and static text if the XML elements you import consist of white spaces only.)

Merge XML into existing content or placeholders
1 Open the InDesign document that contains placeholders for the XML content.
2 Open the Structure pane (View > Structure > Show Structure).
3 Choose File > Import XML (or choose Import XML on the Structure pane menu), and then select the XML file you

want to import.
4 Select Show XML Import Options.
5 Select Merge Content, and then click Open.
6 To link the XML content to the original XML file, select Create Link.

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InDesign will list the XML file in the Links panel and display a yellow alert triangle in the panel if the XML source file
changes.
7 Select additional import options as needed:
Clone Repeating Text Elements If you are importing repeating XML, clones a single placeholder element to create a
container for each record in the file.
Only Import Elements That Match Existing Structure Filters the incoming XML, so that elements that do not exist in

the Structure pane are not imported.
Do Not Import Contents Of Whitespace-Only Elements Preserves any spacing or static text inserted between elements

in a placeholder frame.
Delete Elements, Frames, And Content That Do Not Match Imported XML After XML has been imported, deletes any

elements or placeholders in your document that were not matched (or replaced) by incoming data.
8 Click OK.

InDesign merges content into the document starting with the first matching element in the XML file.

XML Import options
When importing and placing XML data using the Merge Content option, the XML Import Options dialog box offers
the following options:
Create Link Links to the XML file so that if the XML file is updated, you can update its XML data in your InDesign

document.
Apply XSLT Applies a stylesheet to define the transformation of the imported XML. Select Browse (Windows) or
Choose (Mac OS) to select an XSLT file (.xsl or .xslt) from the file system. Use Stylesheet From XML, the default
option, causes InDesign to use an XSLT processing instruction, if one is present in the XML file, to transform the XML
data.
Clone Repeating Text Elements Replicates the formatting applied to tagged placeholder text for repeating content.
Create one formatting instance (for example, an address), and then reuse its layout to create other instances
automatically. (See “Working with repeating data” on page 561.)
Only Import Elements That Match Existing Structure Filters the imported XML content so that only elements from the
imported XML file with matching elements in the document are imported.
Import Text Elements Into Tables If Tags Match Imports elements into a table if the tags match the tags applied to the

placeholder table and its cells. For example, use this option to place database records into a table when generating price
lists or inventory sheets.
Do Not Import Contents Of Whitespace-only Elements Leaves any existing content in place if the matching XML
content contains only whitespace (such as a return or tab character). Use this option if you’ve included text between
elements in your placeholder frames and you want to preserve this text. For example, when laying out recipes
generated from a database, you might add labels such as “Ingredients” or “Instructions.” As long as the parent element
that wraps each recipe contains only whitespace, InDesign leaves the label in place.
Delete Elements, Frames, and Content That Do Not Match Imported XML Removes elements from the Structure pane
and the layout of the document if they don’t match any elements in the imported XML file. Use this option to filter
data from the document. For example, when importing names and addresses, you might have placeholder text for an
element containing the company name. If one of the names doesn’t include the company element, InDesign deletes
the element containing the placeholder text.
Import CALS Tables As InDesign Tables Imports any CALS tables in the XML file as InDesign tables.

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Tagging content for XML
Create and load XML tags
Before you tag page items, create (or load) tags to identify each content type or item in your document. You can create
tags from scratch or load them from another source, such as an InDesign document, InCopy document, or DTD file.
Use any of the following methods to create or load XML tags for your document:

• Create a tag with the New Tag command.
• Load tags from an XML file or another document.
• Import a DTD file.
• Import tags (and content) using the Import XML command.

The Tags panel with a list of available tags

See also
“About XML” on page 553
“About DTD files” on page 555

Create an XML tag
1 Choose Window > Tags to open the Tags panel.
2 Do one of the following:

• Choose New Tag from the Tags panel menu.
• Click the New Tag button

on the Tags panel.

3 Type a name for the tag. The name must conform to XML standards. If you include a space or an illegal character

in the tag name, an alert message appears.
4 Select a color for the tag if you created your tag from the Tags panel menu. (If you created your tag with the New

Tag button, you can choose a color by changing the color of the tag.)
Note: You can assign the same color to different tags. The color you select appears when you apply the tag to a frame and
choose View > Structure > Show Tagged Frames, or when you apply the tag to text within a frame and choose View >
Structure > Show Tag Markers. (Tag colors do not appear in exported XML files.)
5 Click OK.

Load XML tags from another source
You can load tags from an XML file, an InDesign document, or an InCopy document.

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Note: InDesign automatically adds tags to the Tags panel when you load an XML file.
1 Choose Load Tags from the Tags panel menu.
2 Select the file containing the tags you want to load into the Tags panel, and then click Open.

Change tag name or color
1 Double-click a tag name in the Tags panel or choose Tag Options in the Tags panel menu.
2 Change the name or the color of the tag, and click OK.

Note: You cannot change the name of locked tags. InDesign automatically locks tags specified in a loaded DTD file. To
change the name of these tags, you must edit the DTD file and reload it into the document.

Tag items
Before you export content to an XML file, you must tag the text and other items (such as frames and tables) that you
want to export. You also need to tag items that you have created as placeholders for imported XML content. Items that
have been tagged appear as elements in the Structure pane.
Create (or load) tags to identify each content element that you want to export or import. Then tag text or page items
using one of these techniques:
Manual tagging Select a frame or text, and then click a tag in the Tags panel, or simply drag a tag from the Tags panel

to a text or graphics frame.
Automatic tagging Select a text frame, table, table cells, or image, and then click the Autotag icon in the Tags panel.

Items are tagged according to your tagging preset options.
Map tags to styles Associate tags with paragraph, character, table, or cell styles, and then apply tags automatically to

text, a table, table cells, and paragraphs that were assigned those styles.
When tagging page items, note the following:

• You can apply tags to stories as well as to text within stories. For example, you might want to apply an Article tag
to a story, and then apply more specific tags, such as Title and Body, to paragraphs within the story.

• You can apply only one tag to a story. When you tag a frame in a threaded story, all other frames in the story, along
with any overset text, are assigned the same tag.

• You can apply only one tag to a graphics frame. When you tag a graphics frame, InDesign records a reference to
the graphic’s location (on disk).

• You cannot tag a group of objects. To tag an item that’s part of a group, use the Direct Selection tool

to select the item.

• When you tag text within a tagged element (such as a paragraph within a story), it appears as a child of the existing
element in the Structure pane.

• You can tag text or images on a master page, but only one instance of the corresponding element appears in the
Structure pane regardless of how many times the item appears on document pages. However, if you manually
override a master item and then tag it on a document page, the item will appear as a separate element in the
Structure pane.

• You can’t tag a footnote.
Note: Avoid tagging special characters, such as the Automatic Page Number character. When exporting, InDesign strips out
some special characters to comply with XML standards. InDesign warns you when characters cannot be encoded in XML.

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See also
“Work with attributes” on page 575
“Map XML tags to styles” on page 559

Tag frames manually
You can tag frames by using any of these methods.

• Drag a tag from the Tags panel onto a frame.
• Using a selection tool, select a frame, and then click a tag in the Tags panel.
If a frame is part of a group or nested within another frame, use the Direct Selection tool to select the frame.

• Open a frame’s context menu, choose Tag Frame, and then choose a tag.
• Using a selection tool, select an untagged text or graphics frame, drag the frame to the Structure pane, release the
mouse, and then select a tag name from the menu that appears.

Tag text within a text frame manually
When you tag text within a frame, the new element appears in the Structure pane as a child of the frame element in
which the text is located.
1 Make sure that the story in which the text appears is tagged. (If a story isn’t tagged and you tag text within the story,

InDesign automatically tags the story using the tag specified in the Tagging Preset Options dialog box.)
2 Using the Type tool, select text within the text frame.
3 Click a tag in the Tags panel.

Note: You can’t tag footnotes.

Tag text frames, tables, table cells, and images automatically
By clicking the Autotag icon in the Tags panel, you can tag a text frame, table, table cells, or an image automatically.
To tag the item, InDesign applies a default tag that you specify in the Tagging Preset Options dialog box.
1 Select the text frame, table, table cells, or image that you want to tag.
2 In the Tags panel, click the Autotag icon

InDesign adds the default tag’s name to the Tags panel after you click the Autotag icon.

Tag content according to paragraph or character style
Paragraph styles and character styles you assign to text can be used as a means of tagging paragraphs and text for XML.
For example, a paragraph style called Caption can be associated with a tag called FigureName. Then, using the Map
Styles To Tags command, you can apply the FigureName tag to all text in your document assigned the Caption
paragraph style. You can map more than one style to the same tag.
Important: The Map Styles To Tags command tags content automatically, including paragraphs and characters that are
tagged already. For example, if a paragraph assigned the Context style has been tagged with the Body tag, but you then
associate the Context style with the Expository tag, the paragraph is retagged; it is stripped of the Body tag and given
the Expository tag instead. If you want to retain existing tags, apply tags manually (or use the Map Styles To Tags
command very carefully).
1 Choose Map Styles To Tags from the Tags panel menu.
2 For each style in your document, specify the tag that you want it to be mapped to.

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Map Styles To Tags dialog box

3 To match style names to tag names, click Map By Name. Styles that are named identically to tag names are selected

in the dialog box. Map By Name is case-sensitive; Head1 and head1, for example, are treated as different tags.
4 To use style mappings from a different InDesign file, click Load and select the file.
5 Select or deselect Include options:
Master Page Stories Maps styles found on master page text frames to tags.
Pasteboard Stories Maps styles found on text frames on the pasteboard to tags. (Deselect this option to avoid tagging

content on the pasteboard.)
Empty Stories Maps styles located on empty text frames to tags. (Deselect this option to avoid tagging empty frames.)

6 Click OK.

The new XML tags are applied throughout your document to paragraph and character styles that you specified in the
Map Styles To Tags dialog box.
Note: You cannot tag images with the Map Styles To Tags command. You need to manually tag images if you want to
include them in an XML file.

Tag text in tables
When you tag a table for XML, you create a table element as well as one cell element for each cell in the table. The cell
elements are child elements of the table element, and are created automatically.
1 Click in the table and choose Table > Select > Table.
2 Select a tag for the table in the Tags panel.

InDesign creates a cell element for each cell in the table (you can display them in the Structure pane). The tag applied
to table cell elements depends on your Autotag default settings.
3 If needed, tag table cells with a different tag.

For example, you can tag the first-row cells with a different tag to identify them as heading cells. To apply tags to cells,
select the actual table cells in your document, and then select a tag. (Selecting cells in the table also selects the
corresponding cell elements in the Structure pane.)
You can also tag a table by selecting it and then clicking the Autotag icon in the Tags panel. The Table tag (or another
tag of your choice) is applied immediately to the table, according to your Autotag default settings.

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Untag an item
Untag an item to remove its tag but retain the associated content.
1 Select the element in the Structure pane, or select the page item or tagged text in the document layout.
2 Click Untag in the Tags panel.

Retag items
Retag an item to replace the existing tag (you don’t need to untag it first). Use one of these techniques to retag an item:

• Using a selection tool, select a text frame, a graphics frame, or an element in the Structure pane, and then click a
different tag in the Tags panel.

• To retag a story, use the Type tool to place a insertion point anywhere in the story’s text. Select Retag in the Tags
panel, and then click a different tag.

• To retag a text block, use the Type tool to select the entire block of text. Select Retag in the Tags panel, and then
click a different tag. (If you select Add Tag and then click a different tag, a new child element appears in the
Structure pane.)

Specify Autotag defaults
When you select a text frame, table, table cells, or an image, and then click the Autotag icon in the Tags panel, InDesign
applies a default tag to the item you selected. You can specify these default tags in the Tagging Preset Options dialog box.
Note: InDesign applies a default tag when you create an element that requires a parent element, but doesn’t yet have one.
For example, if you tag text within a text frame but the frame itself isn’t tagged, InDesign assigns the frame a tag according
to the Tagging Preset Options. The capability to apply default tags helps InDesign maintain correct XML structure.
1 Choose Tagging Preset Options from the Tags panel menu.
2 Choose a default tag for text frames, tables, table cells, and images.

If the tag you need isn’t listed, you can choose New Tag from the menu and create a tag.

Show or hide tag markers and tagged frames
Tag markers are brackets that appear on the page around text that has been tagged. Show tag markers to see where
titles, headings, and other text has been tagged on a page. Tagged frames indicate where items such as text frames,
tables, and images have been tagged. The color assigned to a tag in the Tags panel determines the color of tag markers
and tagged frames. Tag markers and tagged frames only appear in Normal view.

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A tagged frame and, within it, tag markers.

❖ Do any of the following:

• To display color-coded tagged frames, choose View > Structure > Show Tagged Frames.
• To hide the color-coding of tagged frames, choose View > Structure > Hide Tagged Frames.
• To display color brackets around tagged text, choose View > Structure > Show Tag Markers.
• To hide color brackets around tagged text, choose View > Structure > Hide Tag Markers.
To minimize the risk of accidentally deleting a tag marker, edit tagged text in Story Editor, where tag markers are
more visible.

See also
“Use the Story Editor” on page 142
“Working with markers” on page 315

Delete tags
• To delete a tag from the Tags panel, drag it to the Delete icon

at the bottom of the panel. If the tag has been
applied to content, an alert message appears. Select another tag to replace the deleted tag and click OK.

• To delete all unused tags, choose Select All Unused Tags from the Tags panel menu, and then click the Delete icon
at the bottom of the panel.
Note: Tags that were loaded with a DTD file cannot be deleted until the DTD file is deleted.

Structuring documents for XML
Structure pane overview
The Structure pane displays, in hierarchical form, items in a document that have been marked with XML tags. These
items are called elements. You can move elements in the Structure pane to define the order and hierarchy of items. An
element consists of an icon indicating the element type and a tag name.

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Structure pane
A. Triangle to expand or collapse elements B. Element C. Text snippet D. Attribute

Additionally, elements may provide this information:
Blue diamond A blue diamond on an element icon means that the element is attached to an item on the page; the

absence of a blue diamond means that the element has not been attached to a page item.
Underline The tag name is underlined if the item on the page to which the element corresponds is selected. For
example, if you select text to which you assigned the Title tag, the word Title in the text’s element is underlined in the
Structure pane. Underlining shows you whether selected items on the page and elements in the Structure pane
correspond.
Text snippet The first 32 characters of tagged text, called a text snippet, can appear to the right of the element. These

snippets help you identify the page item to which an element corresponds.
Dot and attribute Attributes provide metadata information about an element. If attributes are attached to an element,
a black dot along with attribute names and values appear below the element.

Use the Structure pane
• To open the Structure pane, choose View > Structure > Show Structure.
• To close the Structure pane, choose View > Structure > Hide Structure, or click the splitter button.
• To expand or collapse an element (and display or hide any of its child elements), click the triangle next to the
element.

• To adjust the size of the Structure pane, drag the splitter button.
• To expand or contract an element as well as all elements contained within it, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or
Command (Mac OS) while clicking the triangle next to the element.

• To show or hide text snippets, choose Show Text Snippets or Hide Text Snippets from the Structure pane menu.

Structure pane icons
The following icons appear in the Structure pane:

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Icon

Name

Use

Root element

Each document includes one root element at the top, which can be renamed but cannot be moved or
deleted.

Story element

Represents tagged stories (one or more linked frames).

Text element

Represents tagged text within a frame.

Graphic element

Represents a tagged frame that includes a placed image. Each graphic element includes an href
attribute that defines the path or URL to the linked file.

Unplaced text element

Unplaced text element not yet associated with a page item.

Unplaced graphic element

Unplaced graphic element not yet associated with a page item.

Table element

Represents a table.

Header cell element

Represents a cell in the header row of a table.

Body cell element

Represents a cell within the body of a table.

Footer cell element

Represents a cell in the footer row of a table.

Empty element

An empty frame is associated with this element.

Attribute

Includes metadata, such as keywords or location of a linked image (HREF attribute).

Comment

Includes comments that appear in the XML file, but not the InDesign document.

Processing instruction

Includes an instruction that triggers an action in applications that can read processing instructions.

DOCTYPE element

Tells InDesign which DTD file to use when validating the XML file.

Rearrange structured elements
You can change the order and hierarchical rank of elements in the Structure pane. However, observe these rules:

• An XML document is required to have a single root element at the top of the structure. The root element contains
and is the parent to all other elements. Only the DTD (appearing as a DOCTYPE element), comments, and
processing instructions may appear above the root element in the Structure pane.

• Changes to the XML hierarchy structure may affect the appearance of tagged items on InDesign pages. For
example, making a text element the child of an element elsewhere in the structure also moves the text in the layout.

• You cannot drag a table cell element into a table element or move elements into a table element.
❖ In the Structure pane, do one of the following:

• To move an element, drag it to a new location within the structure. A line appears when you drag to indicate where
you are inserting the element. The width of the line marks the level within the hierarchy.

• To make an element a child of another element, either position it over the parent element to highlight it or place it
amongst the parent’s other child elements, and then release the mouse button.

• To demote an element by one level in the hierarchy, drag it just above another parent element and move it to the
left slightly until the line indicating its placement spans the width of the parent element.

• To copy or cut an element, select the element or elements in the Structure pane, and then choose Edit > Copy or
Edit > Cut. Select the element directly above where you want to insert the element, and choose Edit > Paste.
Note: When you cut an element, the element and contents are cut to the clipboard, but the frame remains intact.

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See also
“Keys for working with XML” on page 687

Insert a parent element
Insert a parent element in the Structure pane to maintain the proper XML structure or organize content better. Before
you can insert a new parent element, you must select the elements that will be the children of the new parent. When
the new parent element is inserted, the selected child elements are demoted by one rank in the structural hierarchy.

With child elements selected (left); a newly inserted parent element includes the child elements (right).

1 In the Structure pane, select the elements that will be child elements to the new parent element you want to insert.

Note the following:

• You can’t select the Root or a root-level element.
• The elements must be on the same level of the structural hierarchy.
• The elements must be contiguous.
• The selection must not include table cells or attributes.
2 On the Structure pane menu, choose New Parent Element, or right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) and

choose New Parent Element.
3 Select a tag for the new parent element and click OK.

Insert a new parent element quickly by selecting Add Tag in the Tags panel and then clicking a tag in the panel. You
can also right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) an element you selected in the Structure pane, choose New
Parent Element, and then choose an element.

Work with attributes
An attribute provides additional information about an XML element. Each attribute consists of a name and a value.
Attributes appear in the Structure pane; they are not placed in the document or used as content in the document.
Include attributes with elements for the benefit of files and applications that will use the XML files you create in
InDesign.
When you tag an image, InDesign automatically creates an href attribute with a value that defines the on-disk location
of the image file. This href attribute allows other files and applications to locate the image on disk so it can be displayed.

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An attribute includes a name (href, in this case) and a value.

You can add attributes to any element except the DOCTYPE element (a DTD file), comments, and processing
instructions. For example, to include keywords for searching in a downstream application, you can create an attribute
called keywords. You could also create attributes to indicate substituted text, track article titles, and record other
content-related information.
If you are using a DTD file, view its contents to see which attributes it allows. Attribute names, like tag names, must
conform to the DTD.
Note: InDesign recognizes special namespace attributes that can specify paragraph or character styles, tables and table
cell styles, as well as control whitespace. For more information, see the XML technical reference and other resources at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_id_XMLscript.

See also
“Exporting XML” on page 580

Add an attribute
1 Select an element.
2 Do one of the following:

• Click the Add An Attribute button

• Choose New Attribute on the Structure pane menu.
• Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the selected element and choose New Attribute.
3 Specify a name and a value for the attribute, and then click OK.

Show or hide attributes in the Structure pane
❖ Choose Show Attributes or Hide Attributes from the Structure pane menu.

You may need to click the triangle icon next to an element to display its attributes.

Edit or delete an attribute
1 Select an attribute in the Structure pane.
2 Do one of the following:

• To edit the attribute, double-click it or choose Edit from the Structure pane menu.
• To delete the attribute, click the Delete icon or choose Delete from the Structure pane menu.

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Edit href attributes
InDesign creates href attributes automatically to handle image files. The href attribute defines the on-disk location
of the image file so that the image file can be displayed. When you tag a placed image, InDesign creates an href
attribute value that lists the image’s path and filename.
The path can be an absolute link, a relative link to the same folder as the XML file, or a relative link to the Images
subfolder of the folder where the XML file is located. Relative paths are specific to the path where the document is
saved.

• An href attribute with an absolute link looks like the following (in Windows and the Mac OS):
href=file:///C:/Images/Meadow.psd
href=file:///Users/abhayc//Desktop/abc.jpg

• An href attribute to an image file in the same folder as the XML file looks like the following:
href=file:Meadow.psd

• An href attribute to an image file in the Images subfolder looks like the following:
href=file:///Images/Meadow.psd

You can edit the href attribute to specify a new link to an image. For example, you can edit an absolute link to make
it a relative link, thereby making the image file accessible when you export the file.
1 In the Structure pane, double-click the href attribute. (You may need to click the triangle icon next to the image

element to display the attribute.)
2 For Value, enter the new path to the image, and then click OK.

Add comments and processing instructions
Using InDesign, you can include comments and processing instructions in an XML file. Enter a comment to include
descriptive information about an element. Comments can be viewed in web browsers and text editors. They help
others understand XML structure and XML tags. A processing instruction is a special, application-specific command.
For example, you can enter a page-break processing instruction so that an application to which you export your XML
file understands where to enter a page break. InDesign user-created processing instructions are meant for use in other
programs; InDesign itself does not act on processing instructions.
Comments and processing instructions appear in the Structure pane. You can move, edit, and delete comments and
processing instructions as you can other elements in the Structure pane. They cannot, however, contain child elements
or attributes.

InDesign Structure pane with text snippets showing
A. Processing instruction B. Comment

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See also
“Rearrange structured elements” on page 574

Add a comment
1 Select the element about which you will comment.

Note: To add a comment to a table, select a table cell element. You can add comments to table cells, not tables.
2 Choose New Comment in the Structure pane menu.
3 Type the comment in the New Comment dialog box.

Add a processing instruction
1 Select an element for the processing instruction.

Note: To add a processing instruction to a table, select a table cell element. You can add processing instructions to table
cells, not tables.
2 Choose New Processing Instruction in the Structure pane menu.
3 For Target, enter a name that identifies the processing instruction to an application that reads exported XML files.
4 For Data, enter a value that tells the application what to do with the processing instruction.

View comments and processing instructions
❖ Choose Show Comments or Show Processing Instructions in the Structure pane menu.

Edit comments and processing instructions
1 Select the comment or processing instruction.
2 Do any of the following:

• Double-click the comment or processing instruction.
• Choose Edit on the Structure pane menu.
3 Edit the comment or processing instruction and click OK.

Use DTD files to validate XML
Validating the XML in a document means to compare the structure, element tag names, and attributes against the
specifications of a DTD file. To validate against a DTD file, you must first load it into your document in InDesign.
Note: Loading a DTD file imports tag names into the Tags panel. These imported tag names are locked; they can’t be
deleted or renamed except by deleting the DTD file from the document.
The DOCTYPE element appears at the top of the Structure pane if a DTD file has been loaded into your document.
(DTDs are sometimes loaded automatically when you import an XML file.) To replace the DTD file in a document,
delete the existing DTD and then load a new one.

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Working with DTD files in InDesign
A. DOCTYPE element from the DTD file (Structure pane) B. Locked tag from the DTD file (Tags panel)

See also
“About DTD files” on page 555

Load a DTD file
When you load a DTD file, InDesign embeds the file in the document.
1 Do one of the following:

• In the Structure pane, choose Load DTD from the Structure pane menu.
• In the Tags panel, choose Load DTD from the panel menu.
2 Select a DTD file to import, and click Open.

To view tags defined in the DTD file, open the Tags panel by choosing Window > Tags.

View a DTD file
DTDs are written in ASCII text. They may contain embedded instructions and explanations that describe how to apply
tags and order elements correctly. In InDesign, you can only view a DTD that is loaded in a document.

DTD file opened for viewing

❖ Do one of the following:

• In the Structure pane menu, choose View DTD.
• Double-click the DOCTYPE element in the Structure pane.
To print a DTD file, copy code from the View DTD window and paste it in a text editor.

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Delete a DTD file
❖ Choose Delete DTD from the Structure pane menu.

InDesign deletes the copy of the DTD file stored in the InDesign document, not the original DTD file. Tags that were
imported with the DTD file remain in the Tags panel but are unlocked.

Validate XML structure
When you validate your document, InDesign alerts you if the XML deviates from rules established by the DTD file. It
suggests ways to make the XML meet DTD file requirements. You can fix errors one at a time or view all errors in a
separate window.

A
B

E F

Structure pane with Suggestions pane
A. Loaded DTD B. Error or invalidating condition C. Description of error with suggested fix D. Error count E. Validate button F. View all
errors in a separate window

1 Choose View > Structure > Show Structure.
2 In the Structure pane, click the Validate button .

To change the root element from which InDesign validates, choose DTD Options in the Structure pane menu.
3 To fix errors displayed in the Suggestion pane, either click a suggested fix to try it, or edit the XML structure and

tags directly using the Structure pane and the Tags panel.
4 To view other errors, do one of the following:

• Click the Left arrow or Right arrow .
• Click the Error Window button

to view all errors in a separate window.

• Choose View List Of Errors on the Structure pane menu.
Note: InDesign stops validating after detecting 250 errors. A plus sign in the Error Count box appears when this limit is
reached.

Exporting XML
Export document content to XML
Before you export content from an InDesign document to XML, you must have done the following:

• Created or loaded element tags.

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• Applied tags to items on the pages of your document.
• Adjusted the hierarchy of tagged elements in the Structure pane, if needed.
You can export all or a portion of the XML content in your document. Only content that is tagged can be exported.
Important: If you are exporting a document that contains tables, you must tag the tables or InDesign will not export them
as part of the XML.
1 If you want to export only a portion of the document, select the element in the Structure pane where you want

exporting to begin.
2 Choose File > Export.
3 For Save As Type (Windows) or Format (Mac OS), choose XML.
4 Specify a name and location for the XML file, and then click Save.
5 In the General tab of the Export XML dialog box, choose any of the following:
Include DTD Declaration Exports the reference to the DTD along with the XML file. This option is only available if

there is a DOCTYPE element in the Structure pane.
View XML Using Opens the exported file in a browser, XML editing application, or text editor. Choose the browser or

application from the list.
Export From Selected Element Starts exporting from the element you selected in the Structure pane. This option is

only available if you selected an element before choosing File > Export.
Export Untagged Tables As CALS XML Exports untagged tables in CALS XML format. To be exported, the table must

be in a tagged frame, and the table must not be tagged.
Remap Break, Whitespace, And Special Characters Exports break, whitespace, and special characters as decimal

character entities rather than straight characters.
Apply XSLT Applies a stylesheet to define the transformation of the exported XML to, for example, a modified XML
tree or HTML. Select Browse (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS) to select an XSLT from the file system. The default
setting, Use Stylesheet From XML, uses an XSLT transformation instruction if one is referenced in the XML that is
applied on export.

6 Choose an encoding type from the Encoding menu.
7 To specify export options for images, click the Images tab, and then select one or more of the following:
Original Images Places a copy of the original image files in an Images subfolder.
Optimized Original Images Optimizes and compresses the original image files and places copies of the files in an

Images sub-folder.
Optimized Formatted Images Optimizes the original image files that contain applied transformation (such as rotation
or scaling) and places them in an Images sub-folder. For example, if the document contains two images, one cropped
and one not, only the cropped image is optimized and copied to the Images sub-folder.

8 If you selected Optimized Original Images or Optimized Formatted Images in the previous step, choose options for

the optimizing the images.
9 Click Export.

Note: Not all special characters are supported in XML (such as the Automatic Page Number character). InDesign warns
you if it cannot include a character in the exported XML file. This warning also appears if you didn’t tag a table.

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See also
“Create and load XML tags” on page 567
“Tagging content for XML” on page 567
“Rearrange structured elements” on page 574

Optimized image export options
The following options are available when you choose Optimized Original Images or Optimized Formatted Images in
the Images tab of the Export XML dialog box.
Image Conversion Specifies which file format to use for the converted image. If you choose Automatic, InDesign
chooses the best file type based on the image. Hence, you may want to specify both GIF Options and JPEG Options.
GIF Options Specify the formatting for images that are converted to GIF format when exported to XML. You can set

the following options:

• Palette Specifies the color palette you want the image to conform to when converted. Choose the palette for the
final display format of the XML content. Adaptive (no dither) works well for images with primarily solid colors and
can be used when the final output will be to multiple formats.
• Interlace Downloads every other line of the image with each pass, instead of downloading the entire image in one
pass. Interlacing enables a preview of the image to download quickly, as each successive pass adds resolution until the
final quality is met.
JPEG Options Specify the formatting for images that are converted to JPEG format when exported to XML. You can

set the following options:

• Image Quality Specifies the quality of the converted image. The higher the quality setting, the larger the file size and
the longer it takes to download.
• Format Method Specifies how the JPEG image is formatted for download. Baseline downloads the final quality
image in one pass, so that the file displays at its final quality as soon as it opens; this format may take longer to
download than a Progressive formatted image. Progressive downloads the image in a series of passes, with the first pass
a low-resolution version and each successive pass adding resolution to the image until the final quality is attained.

Save tags only as XML
Save tags only so you can load the tags into an InDesign document and make use of them there.
1 Choose Save Tags from the Tags panel menu.
2 Type a name, specify a location, and then click Save.

The tags in your document, along with their assigned colors, are saved in an XML file.

Edit an exported XML file
After you’ve used InDesign to create and export an XML file, you can make changes to the XML using either of these
methods:

• To make changes directly in the XML file, open it in a text or XML editor.
• To make changes that will be preserved in the source document, open the InDesign file that the XML was exported
from. After you make changes to the content in InDesign, you can export it to XML again, using the original XML
filename if you want to replace the file.

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Chapter 21: Printing
To make optimal decisions about printing, you should understand basic printing principles, including how the
resolution of your printer can affect the way your layout appears when printed. Contact your print service provider to
get information on color choices and make the best printing decisions.

Printing documents
About printing
Whether you are providing a multicolored document to an outside service provider, or just sending a quick draft of a
document to an inkjet or laser printer, knowing a few basics about printing will make the print job go more smoothly,
and help to ensure that the finished document appears as intended.
Types of printing
When you print a file, Adobe InDesign CS4 sends it to a printing device—either to be printed directly on paper or to
a digital printing press, or to be converted to a positive or negative image on film. In the latter case, the film can then
be used to create a master plate for printing by a commercial press.
Types of images
The simplest types of images, such as text, use only one color in one level of gray. A more complex image is one with
color tones that vary within the image. This type of image is known as a continuous-tone image. A photograph is an
example of a continuous-tone image.
Halftoning
To create the illusion of continuous tone, images are broken down into a series of dots. This process is called halftoning.
Varying the sizes and densities of the dots in a halftone screen creates the optical illusion of variations of gray or
continuous color in the printed image.
Color separation
Artwork that will be commercially reproduced and that contains more than a single color must be printed on separate
master plates, one for each color. This process is called color separation.
Getting detail
The detail in a printed image results from a combination of resolution and screen frequency. The higher an output
device’s resolution, the finer (higher) the screen frequency you can use.
Duplex printing
Printer-specific features such as duplex printing are available when you click the Printer button in the Print dialog box.
Duplex printing is available only if the printer supports it. For information on duplex printing, see your printer
documentation.

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Transparent objects
If the artwork contains objects with transparency features that you added using the Effects panel or the Drop Shadow
or Feather commands, the transparent artwork will be flattened according to settings in the flattener preset you choose.
You can affect the ratio of rasterized images to vector images in the printed artwork.
For more information on printing, see the Adobe Print Resource Center at www.adobe.com/go/print_resource. To
troubleshoot printing problems, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_id_printtrouble.

See also
“About transparency flattener presets” on page 427
“Specify a halftone screen frequency and resolution” on page 630
Adobe Print Resource Center

Print a document or book
1 Make sure that you’ve installed the correct driver and PPD for your printer.
2 Open the Print dialog box:

• If you have individual documents open, choose File > Print. This opens the Print dialog box for the current
document.

• If you have either no documents or all documents selected in the Book panel, choose Print Book in the Book panel
menu. This will print all documents in a book.

• If you have some documents selected in the Book panel, choose Print Selected Documents in the Book panel menu.
3 Specify the printer you’re using in the Printer menu. If a printer preset has the settings you want, choose it in the

Print Preset menu.
4 In the General area, type the number of copies to print, choose whether to collate pages or print them in reverse

order, and indicate which pages you want printed.
Note: The Page Range option is unavailable if you’re printing a book.
5 Indicate whether you want to print nonprinting objects, blank pages, or visible guides and baseline grids.
6 Adjust settings as needed for each area of the Print dialog box.
7 Click Print.

Settings you specify in the Print dialog box are saved with the document.

See also
“Use print presets” on page 592
“Specify paper size and page orientation” on page 586
Adobe Print Resource Center

Page printing options
You can print all pages, even or odd pages only, a series of individual pages, or a contiguous range.
Range Specifies the range of pages to print in the current document. Indicate numbers in a range by using a hyphen,
and indicate multiple pages or ranges by using commas or spaces. (See “Specifying pages to print” on page 586.)

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Sequence Choose All Pages to print all pages of a document. Choose Even Pages Only or Odd Pages Only to print only
those pages within the specified range. These options are unavailable when you are using the Spreads or Print Master
Pages options.
Spreads Prints pages together, as if they were bound, or printed on the same sheet. You can print only one spread per
sheet. If the new page is larger than the currently selected paper size, InDesign prints as much as it can, but won’t
automatically scale the page to fit the imageable area, unless you select Scale To Fit in the Setup area of the Print dialog
box. You may also want to specify landscape orientation.

Note: If different trapping styles are applied to pages in the spread, InDesign resolves the differences.
Print Master Pages Prints all master pages, rather than document pages. Selecting this option makes the Ranges option

unavailable.
Examples of page ranges
Page range

Pages printed

11-

Page 11 to the last page of the document.

-11

All pages up to and including page 11.

+11

Page 11 only.

-+11

All pages up to and including page 11.

+11-

All pages from the eleventh page to the end of document.

1, 3-8,

Page 1, plus pages 3 to 8.

+1, +3-+8,

Page 1, plus pages 3 to 8.

Sec1

All pages in section labeled “Sec1”.

Sec2:7

Page numbered 7 (not necessarily the seventh page of that section) in section labeled “Sec2.”

PartB:7-

Page numbered 7 in section labeled “PartB” to last page of section.

Chap2:7-Chap3

Page 7 in section labeled “Chap2” to end of section labeled “Chap3”.

Sec4:3-Sec4:6, Sec3:7

Pages 3–6 in “Sec4” and page 7 in “Sec3”.

Options for printing objects
The General area of the Print dialog box contains options for printing elements usually visible only on-screen, such as
grids and guides. Choose from the following options:
Print Layers Determine which layers are printed. (See “Choose which layers are printed or exported to PDF” on

page 589.)
Print Non-printing Objects Prints all objects, regardless of your settings to selectively prevent individual objects from

printing.
Print Blank Pages Prints all pages in the specified page range, even if no text or objects appear on a page. This option

is unavailable when you are printing separations. If you are using Print Booklet for composite printing, use the Print
Blank Printer Spreads option to print blank spreads added to fill out composite signatures.
Print Visible Guides and Baseline Grids Prints visible guides and grids in the same color as shown in the document.

You can control which guides and grids are visible in the View menu. This option is unavailable when you are printing
separations.

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Specifying pages to print
You can specify a page range using either absolute numbering (the page’s position in the current document) or
page/section numbering (the section and page numbers assigned to the page). By default, dialog boxes in InDesign
honor the format specified for Page Numbering in the Preferences dialog box.

• When Absolute Numbering is selected, numbers you specify for pages or page ranges correspond to the absolute
position of pages in your document. For example, to print the third page in the document, you would enter “3” for
Range in the Print dialog box.

• When Section Numbering is selected in the Preferences dialog box, you can enter pages and page ranges exactly as
they appear in your layout or using absolute numbering. For example, if the page labeled SecA:5 is the fifteenth page
in your document, you could print it by entering “SecA:5” in the Print dialog box or by entering “+15”. The “+” sign
indicates that you want to override the normal section and page numbering to use absolute page numbering.
If you are unsure which format to use when entering page numbers in the Print dialog box, imitate the format used
in the page box at the bottom of the document window.

Specify paper size and page orientation
It’s important to distinguish between page size (as defined in the Document Setup dialog box for your document) and
paper size (the sheet of paper, piece of film, or area of the printing plate you’ll print on). Your page size might be US
Letter (8.5-by-11 inches), but you might need to print on a larger piece of paper or film to accommodate any printer’s
marks or the bleed and slug areas.
The list of paper sizes available to InDesign comes from the PPD (PostScript printers) or from the printer driver (nonPostScript printers). If the printer and PPD you’ve chosen for PostScript printing support custom paper sizes, you’ll
see a Custom option in the Paper Size menu.
Most imagesetters can accommodate regular paper sizes, such as letter and tabloid, as well as transverse orientation,
where the regular page size is rotated 90° when printed. The transverse orientation is often a more efficient use of
imagesetter media.

Page size and orientations for imagesetters
A. Letter (tall orientation) B. Custom page size (tall orientation) C. Letter (transverse orientation)

Paper sizes are listed by familiar names (such as Letter). The dimensions define the limits of the imageable area—the
total paper size, less any unprintable border used by the printer or imagesetter. Most laser printers cannot print to the
exact edge of a page.
If you select a different paper size (for example, if you change from Letter to Legal), the document is rescaled in the
preview window. The preview window displays the entire imageable area of the selected page; when the preview size
is changed, the preview window automatically rescales to include the imageable area.
Note: The imageable area will vary by PPD file, even for the same paper size (for example, Letter), because different
printers and imagesetters define the sizes of their imageable areas differently.

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Comparison of printing a letter-size page on Letter, Letter.extra, or Tabloid paper

Note: The preview in the lower-left area of the Print dialog box indicates whether you have enough space to include all
printer’s marks and the bleed and slug areas.

See also
“Specify printer’s marks” on page 593
“Select a PPD file” on page 592

Specify paper size and orientation
1 Choose File > Print.
2 In the Setup area of the Print dialog box, choose an option in the Paper Size menu.

Make sure that your paper size is large enough to contain your document, the bleed and slug areas (if included), and
any printer’s marks. To conserve imagesetter film or paper, however, select the smallest paper size that will
accommodate your document and the necessary printing information.
3 Click an Orientation button to rotate the document on the media.

In most cases, the page orientation specified in Document Setup (File > Document Setup) and the output orientation
specified in the Setup area of the Print dialog box should be the same (both portrait or both landscape), whether you
print normal or transverse. If you’re printing spreads, you may want to choose a different paper size and orientation
(such as landscape) to fit all pages of a spread on a single sheet. If you’ve rotated the spread view, you may want to
change the orientation to print the spread properly.

Orientation buttons
A. Portrait B. Landscape C. Reverse Portrait D. Reverse Landscape

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Specify a custom paper size
If you’re using a printer that accommodates various paper sizes, such as a high-resolution imagesetter, you can specify
a custom paper size when you print. InDesign makes the custom option available only if the selected PPD supports
custom paper sizes.
The largest custom paper size you can specify depends on the maximum imageable area of your imagesetter. For more
information, consult the documentation for your specific printer.
Note: Custom paper size options for non-PostScript printers is not accessible from the InDesign Print dialog box. To set
those printer-specific features, click Setup (Windows), Printer (Mac OS), or Page Setup (Mac OS) in the InDesign Print
dialog box. Check the documentation for your non-PostScript printer driver for details.
1 Choose File > Print.
2 If you are printing a PostScript file, choose PostScript for Printer in the General area of the Print dialog box. Then

select the PPD that supports custom paper sizes.
3 In the Setup area of the Print dialog box, choose Custom in the Paper Size menu.

Note: If Custom is not available, the PPD you selected when you set up your printer does not support custom paper sizes.
4 To specify width and height, do one of the following:

• To let InDesign determine the smallest paper size needed for your document’s contents, bleed and/or slug areas,
and any printer’s marks, select Auto for Width and Height. Auto, the default option, is also useful if you have
different sized pages in a book and you’re printing on continuous media, such as a roll of film or photosensitive
paper.

• To specify a paper size larger than the default, enter new dimensions in the Width and Height text boxes. Be sure
to increase the values; decreasing the default values may clip your document.
5 To change the placement of the page on the film, enter a value for Offset.

The Offset value specifies the amount of space along the left side of the imageable area. For example, entering a value
of 30 points in the Offset option shifts your page 30 points to the right.
6 To rotate both media and page contents, select Transverse and click OK.

You can conserve a considerable amount of film or paper by using Transverse in conjunction with Offset. Compare
the following examples of an image printed by InDesign with Transverse selected and deselected.
A

B
B

Transverse deselected (left) compared to Transverse selected (right)
A. Offset value B. Gap C. Film saved

7 To specify the distance between individual pages when printing on continuous media, enter a value for Gap.

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Choose which layers are printed or exported to PDF
1 To review or change the Show Layer and Print Layer settings for your document, select a layer in the Layers panel,

and then choose Layer Options from the panel menu. Specify layer options, and click OK.
2 Do one of the following:

• Choose File > Print, and click General on the left side of the Print dialog box.
• Choose File > Export, specify Adobe PDF, and then click Save. On the left side of the Export Adobe PDF dialog box,
select General.
3 From the Print Layers or Export Layers menu, choose which layers you want to print or include in the PDF:
All Layers Prints or outputs all layers in your document, even if they are hidden or set as nonprinting.
Visible Layers Prints or outputs all visible layers, even if they are set as nonprinting in Layer Options.
Visible & Printable Layers Prints or outputs only those layers that are set as both visible and printable.

See also
“Export to PDF” on page 496

Printing to non-PostScript language printers
You can print a document on a non-PostScript language printer. However, because PostScript is the standard pagedescription language for professional publishing, many high-end color and graphics features, such as screen
frequencies or color separations, cannot be reproduced on non-PostScript printers. Most imported graphics file
formats print acceptably. In general, a document printed to a non-PostScript printer should look the way it appears
on-screen when you view the document using Preview Mode.
Some vendors sell software programs that add PostScript-language capability to a non-PostScript language printer.
Check with your software reseller for availability and compatibility.

Print as bitmap
When you print to a non-PostScript printer, you can choose to rasterize all artwork during printing. This option is
useful when printing documents that contain complex objects (such as objects with smooth shading or gradients)
because it reduces the possibility of errors.
1 Choose File > Print.
2 Select Advanced on the left side of the Print dialog box.
3 Select Print As Bitmap.

This option is available only if the printer driver identifies the printer as non-PostScript. If this option is selected for
non-PostScript printers in Mac OS 10.3 or later, InDesign prints PostScript, which is then used by Mac OS and the
driver to render the page images. In Windows, the high-end color and graphics features may not be converted
appropriately if this option is not selected.
4 Specify a resolution for bitmap printing.

The output resolution may be limited by the printer driver’s resolution. To get the best quality output, set the nonPostScript printer driver resolution to be equal or greater than the output resolution specified in the InDesign Print
dialog box.

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Preview documents
You can view how the document’s pages fit on the chosen paper size before you print to a PostScript printer. A preview
in the lower-left area of the Print dialog box shows whether your paper and orientation settings will work for your page
size. When you select different options in the Print dialog box, the preview updates dynamically with the combined
effects of your print settings.
1 Choose File > Print.
2 Click the preview image in the lower-left area of the Print dialog box.

The preview has three views:
Standard view Displays the relationship of a document page to the media. It shows the effects of various options such

as paper size to imageable area, bleed and slug areas, and page marks, as well as the effects of tiling and thumbnails.

Four different page-fit settings in Standard view
A. Default B. Spreads C. Orientation D. 2-by-2 Thumbnails

Text view Lists the numerical values for certain print settings.
Custom page/Cut sheet views Displays the effects of different print settings, depending on your page size. For custom
page sizes, the preview shows how the media fits on the custom output device; the maximum supported media
dimensions of the output device; and the settings for offset, gap, and transverse. For cut sheets, such as Letter and
Tabloid, the preview shows the relationship of the imageable area to the media size.

In both the custom page and cut sheet views, the preview also indicates the output mode using an icon: Separations
Composite Grayscale , Composite CMYK , or Composite RGB .

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Custom page view (left) and cut sheet view (right)
A. Direction of media travel B. Transverse deselected C. Paper size D. Media E. Imageable area F. Media

Setting up a printer
InDesign supports printing to both PostScript® (Level 2 and 3) and non-PostScript language printers, using most
current printer drivers. When you print to a PostScript printer, InDesign uses information from a PostScript Printer
Description (PPD) file to determine which settings to display in the Print dialog box.
Follow these basic steps when setting up a printer:

• Install the latest printer driver for your output device. See your operating system documentation for instructions.
• For PostScript printing, select a PPD file when you set up your printer.

See also
“About printing” on page 583

About printer drivers
A printer driver lets you directly access printer features from applications on your computer. Having the correct driver
ensures that you have access to all of the features a particular printer supports.
Adobe recommends upgrading to the latest driver for your operating system.
For more information on recommended and supported PostScript printer drivers, including installation instructions,
search the section on Adobe printer drivers on the Adobe website.

Accessing printer driver features
Printer drivers may support features that are not included in InDesign, such as duplex printing. Support for these
features varies depending on the printer driver you have. Check with your printer manufacturer for details.
If you want to specify settings for a specific printer, InDesign provides access to the printer driver through the
following buttons in the InDesign Print dialog box. (When you choose to print to a PostScript file, these options are
not available.)
Setup (Windows) This button opens the Windows Print dialog box.
Page Setup (Mac OS) This button displays the standard Mac OS Page Setup dialog box.
Printer (Mac OS) This button displays the standard Mac OS Print dialog box.

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Note: Some InDesign printing features appear in both the printer driver dialog boxes and the InDesign Print dialog box.
For best results, specify the settings in the InDesign Print dialog box only. If settings overlap, InDesign tries to synchronize
the settings, or to ignore the driver’s settings. Some printer driver features (for example, N-up printing, which prints the
same artwork multiple times on the same page) produce adverse printing results when used with InDesign features such
as separations.

Select a PPD file
A PPD file (PostScript Printer Description file) customizes the behavior of the driver for your specific PostScript
printer. It contains information about the output device, including printer-resident fonts, available media sizes and
orientation, optimized screen frequencies, screen angles, resolution, and color output capabilities. It’s important to set
up the correct PPD before you print. Selecting the PPD that corresponds to your PostScript printer or imagesetter
populates the Print dialog box with the available settings for the output device. You can switch to a different one to suit
your needs. Applications use the information in the PPD file to determine which PostScript information to send to the
printer when printing a document.
For best printing results, Adobe recommends that you obtain the latest version of the PPD file for your output device
from the manufacturer. Many print service providers and commercial printers have PPDs for the imagesetters they
use. Be sure to store PPDs in the location specified by the operating system. For details, consult the documentation for
your operating system.
❖ In Windows and in Mac OS, you select a PPD file in the same way you add a printer. The steps for selecting a PPD

file are different for each platform. See your operating system documentation for details.

Use print presets
If you regularly output to different printers or job types, you can automate print jobs by saving all output settings as
print presets. Using print presets is a fast, reliable way to print jobs that require consistently accurate settings for many
options in the Print dialog box.
You can save and load print presets, making it easy to back them up or to make them available to your service
providers, clients, or others in your workgroup.
You can create and review print presets in the Print Presets dialog box.

Create print presets
❖ Do one of the following:

• Choose File > Print, adjust print settings, and click Save Preset. Type a name or use the default, and then click OK.
With this method, the preset is saved in the preferences file.

• Choose File > Print Presets > Define, and then click New. In the dialog box that appears, type a new name or use
the default, adjust print settings, and then click OK to return to the Print Presets dialog box. Then click OK again.

Apply print presets
1 Choose File > Print.
2 Choose a print preset from the Print Preset menu. If you like, confirm the printer settings in the Print dialog box.
3 Click Print.

Note: In InDesign, you can also print using a print preset by choosing one from the File > Print Presets menu.

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Edit print presets
❖ Do one of the following:

• Choose File > Print, adjust print settings, and click Save Preset. In the Save Preset dialog box that appears, either
type a name in the text box or use the current name. (If the current name is an existing preset, saving overwrites
that preset’s settings.) Click OK.

• Choose File > Print Presets > Define, select a preset from the list, and then click Edit. Adjust print settings, and
click OK to return to the Print Presets dialog box. Then click OK again.
You can edit the default preset as you would any other using the steps outlined above.

Delete print presets
1 Choose File > Print Presets > Define.
2 Select one or more presets from the list and click Delete. Shift-click to select adjacent presets. Ctrl-click (Windows)

or Command-click (Mac OS) to select nonadjacent presets.

Printer’s marks and bleeds
Specify printer’s marks
When you prepare a document for printing, a number of marks are needed to help the printer determine where to trim
the paper, align separation films when producing proofs, measure film for correct calibration and dot density, and so
on. Selecting any page-mark option expands the page boundaries to accommodate printer’s marks, bleed (the parts of
text or objects that extend past the page boundary to account for slight inaccuracy when trimming), or slug area (an
area outside the page and bleed that contains printer instructions or job sign-off information).
If you are setting crop marks and want the artwork to contain a bleed or slug area, make sure that you extend the
artwork past the crop marks to accommodate the bleed or slug. Also make sure that your media size is large enough
to contain the page and any printer’s marks, bleeds, or the slug area. If a document doesn’t fit the media, you can
control where items are clipped by using the Page Position option in the Setup area of the Print dialog box.
D
A

E
F

Printer’s marks
A. Crop marks B. Registration mark C. Page information D. Color bars E. Bleed marks F. Slug area

1 Choose File > Print.
2 Click Marks and Bleed on the left side of the Print dialog box.

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3 Select either All Printer’s Marks or individual marks.

Print the bleed or slug areas
Specify the bleed and slug areas in the Document Setup dialog box. The bleed and slug areas are discarded when the
document is trimmed to its final page size. Objects outside the bleed or slug area (whichever extends farthest) are not
printed.
When printing, you can override the default location for bleed marks in the Bleed And Slug area of the Marks And
Bleed area.
Files saved in PostScript file format allow capable post-processing programs to implement their own variable bleed.
1 Choose File > Print.
2 Click Marks And Bleed on the left side of the Print dialog box.
3 Select either All Printer’s Marks or individual marks.
4 To override bleed settings in the Document Setup dialog box, uncheck Use Document Bleed Settings and enter

values from 0 to 6 inches (or equivalents) for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right (for single-sided documents), or Top,
Bottom, Inside, and Outside (for double-sided documents with facing pages). To extend the offset evenly on all
sides of the page, click the Make All Settings The Same icon .
5 Click Include Slug Area to print objects using the slug area defined in the Document Setup dialog box.

You can preview the bleed and slug areas before printing by clicking the Bleed Preview Mode
Mode icon
at the bottom of the Toolbox. (These may be hidden by the Preview Mode icon

or the Slug Preview
.)

See also
“Creating PostScript and EPS files” on page 609

Marks and Bleed options
The Marks And Bleed area includes the following options:
All Printer’s Marks Selects all printer’s marks including crop marks, bleed marks, registration marks, color bars, and

page information.
Crop Marks Adds fine (hairline) horizontal and vertical rules that define where the page should be trimmed. Crop

marks can also help register (align) one color separation to another. By using together with bleed marks, you can select
overlapped marks.
Bleed Marks Adds fine (hairline) rules that define the amount of extra area to image outside the defined page size.
Registration Marks Adds small “targets” outside the page area for aligning the different separations in a color

document.
Color Bars Adds small squares of color representing the CMYK inks and tints of gray (in 10% increments). Your

service provider uses these marks to adjust ink density on the printing press.
Page Information Prints the filename, page number, current date and time, and color separation name in 6-point
Helvetica in the lower-left corner of each sheet of paper or film. The Page Information option requires 0.5 inches
(13mm) along the horizontal edge.
Type Lets you choose default printer’s marks or custom marks (for Japanese pages, for example). You can create

custom printer’s marks or use custom marks created by another company.
Weight Displays possible weights for crop and bleed mark lines.

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Offset Specifies how far from the edge of the page (not the bleed) InDesign will draw printer’s marks. By default,

InDesign draws printer’s marks 6 points from the edge of the page. To avoid drawing printer’s marks on a bleed, be
sure to enter an Offset value greater than the Bleed value.

Change the page position on the media
When you print a document to a cut-sheet media size that is larger than the document size, you can control where the
slug and bleed areas, printer’s marks, and page fall on the media by using the Page Position options in the Setup area
of the Print dialog box. If a document doesn’t fit the media and needs to be clipped, you can specify which part of the
document is clipped. The preview image in the Print dialog box shows the results.
Note: To see the bleed and slug areas and printer’s marks, use the Scale To Fit option instead of Page Position; scaled
pages are always centered. The Page Position options are unavailable when Scale To Fit, Thumbnails, or Tile is selected.
❖ In the Setup area of the Print dialog box, choose a position in the Page Position menu.

Printing thumbnails and oversized documents
Print thumbnails
To fit multiple pages on a single page, you can create thumbnails—small preview versions of your document.
Thumbnails are useful for verifying content and organization. Where appropriate, InDesign automatically changes the
paper orientation to provide the best fit of the page to the paper; however, you’ll need to reset the original orientation
if you deselect the Thumbnails option.
Note: When you print thumbnails, printer’s marks and any items in the bleed and/or slug areas are excluded.
1 In the Setup area of the Print dialog box, select Thumbnails.
2 In the menu, choose the number of thumbnails per page.

Printing oversized documents
Although you can create InDesign documents as large as 18-by-18 feet, most desktop printers cannot print such large
pages.
To print an oversized document on your desktop printer, you can print each page of your document in pieces, called
tiles, and then trim and assemble those pieces. If you prefer, you can scale the document to fit the available paper size.

See also
“Tile a document” on page 595
“Scale documents” on page 596
“Scale type” on page 238

Tile a document
A document’s dimensions do not necessarily match the paper sizes used by printers. As a result, when you print,
InDesign divides the oversized document into one or more rectangles, or tiles, that correspond to the page size
available on the printer. You can then assemble the overlapping sections.

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You can have InDesign tile a document automatically, or you can specify the tiles yourself. Tiling manually lets you
control the origin point for the upper-left corner of the tile, so that you determine where the page falls on the paper.

Oversized pages divided into printable tiles (left) and the overlapping sections in final assembly (right)

Tile a document automatically
1 Choose File > Print.
2 In the Setup area of the Print dialog box, select Tile.
3 Choose one of the following options in the Tile menu:
Auto Automatically calculates the number of tiles required, including the overlap.
Auto Justified Increases the amount of overlap (if necessary) so that the right sides of the rightmost tiles are aligned

at the right edge of the document’s page, and the bottom sides of the bottommost tiles are aligned at the bottom edge
of the document’s page.
4 For Overlap, type the minimum amount of duplicated information you want printed on each tile for ease in

assembly. The Overlap option uses the unit of measure specified for the document. The value should be greater than
the minimum nonprinting margins for the printer. You can specify up to half the size of the shortest side of the
document page to overlap. For example, tiles for a page that measures 11-by-17 inches (279.4mm-by-431.8mm) can
overlap up to 5.5 inches (139.7mm).

Tile a document manually
While tiling a document automatically prints all the tiles at once, tiling a document manually requires you to print each
tile separately.
1 If necessary, choose View > Show Rulers to display the rulers.
2 Drag the intersection of the rulers to reset the zero point to the desired upper-left corner of the tile you want to

print. Remember to leave room for overlap and printer’s marks.
The size and shape of the area InDesign prints is determined by the current paper size and orientation.
3 Choose File > Print, and then click Setup on the left.
4 In the Setup area, select Tile, and then choose Manual in the Tile menu.

Scale documents
To fit an oversized document on a smaller piece of paper, you can scale the document’s width and height, either
symmetrically or asymmetrically. Asymmetric scaling is useful when, for example, you’re printing film for use on a
flexographic press: If you know in which direction the plate will be mounted on the press drum, scaling can
compensate for the 2% to 3% stretching of the plate that usually occurs. Scaling does not affect the size of the pages in
the document.

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Note: When you print spreads, each spread is scaled separately.

Scale a document manually
1 Choose File > Print.
2 In the Setup area of the Print dialog box, select Width to activate the Width and Height boxes.
3 To maintain current document width to height proportions, select Constrain Proportions. Otherwise, make sure

that this option is unselected.
4 Type percentages from 1 to 1000 in the Width and Height boxes. If you selected Constrain Proportions, you need

to enter only one value; the other is updated automatically.

Scale a document automatically
1 In the Setup area of the Print dialog box, make sure that the Tile and Thumbnail options are unselected. (When

these options are selected, the Scale To Fit option is unavailable.)
2 Select Scale To Fit. The scaling percentage, which is determined by the imageable area defined by the selected PPD,

appears next to the Scale To Fit option.

Printing graphics and fonts
Options for printing graphics
Choose from the following options in the Graphics area of the Print dialog box to specify how graphics are handled
during output.
Send Data Controls how much image data in placed bitmap images to send to the printer or file.
All Sends full-resolution data, which is appropriate for any high-resolution printing, or for printing grayscale or color

images with high contrast, as in black-and-white text with one spot color. This option requires the most disk space.
Optimized Subsampling Sends just enough image data to print the graphic at the best possible resolution for the

output device. (A high-resolution printer will use more data than a low-resolution desktop model.) Select this option
when you’re working with high-resolution images but printing proofs to a desktop printer.
Note: InDesign does not subsample EPS or PDF graphics, even when Optimized Subsampling is selected.
Proxy Sends screen-resolution versions (72 dpi) of placed bitmap images, thereby reducing printing time.
None Temporarily removes all graphics when you print and replaces them with graphics frames with crossbars,
thereby reducing printing time. The graphics frames are the same dimensions as the imported graphics and clipping
paths are maintained, so you can still check sizes and positioning. Suppressing the printing of imported graphics is
useful when you want to distribute text proofs to editors or proofreaders. Printing without graphics is also helpful
when you’re trying to isolate the cause of a printing problem.

Options for downloading fonts to a printer
Printer-resident fonts are stored in a printer’s memory or on a hard drive connected to the printer. Type 1 and
TrueType fonts can be stored either on the printer or on your computer; bitmap fonts are stored only on your
computer. InDesign downloads fonts as needed, provided they are installed on your computer’s hard disk.

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Choose from the following options in the Graphics area of the Print dialog box to control how fonts are downloaded
to the printer.
None Includes a reference to the font in the PostScript file, which tells the RIP or a post-processor where the font
should be included. This option is appropriate if the fonts reside in the printer. TrueType fonts are named according
to the PostScript name in the font; however, not all applications can interpret these names. To ensure that TrueType
fonts are interpreted correctly, use one of the other font downloading options.
Complete Downloads all fonts required for the document at the beginning of the print job. All glyphs and characters

in the font are included even if they’re not used in the document. InDesign automatically subsets fonts that contain
more than the maximum number of glyphs (characters) specified in the Preferences dialog box.
Subset Downloads only the characters (glyphs) used in the document. Glyphs are downloaded once per page. This
option typically results in faster and smaller PostScript files when used with single-page documents or short
documents without much text.
Download PPD Fonts Downloads all fonts used in the document, even if those fonts reside in the printer. Use this
option to ensure that InDesign uses the font outlines on your computer for printing common fonts, such as Helvetica
and Times. Using this option can resolve problems with font versions, such as mismatched character sets between your
computer and printer or outline variances in trapping. Unless you commonly use extended character sets, you don’t
need to use this option for desktop draft printing.

See also
“About preferences and defaults” on page 38

PostScript printing options
Choose from the following options in the Graphics area of the Print dialog box to specify how PostScript information
is sent to the printer.
PostScript Specifies a level of compatibility with the interpreters in PostScript output devices.
Data Format Specifies how InDesign sends the image data from your computer to a printer. ASCII is sent as ASCII

text, which is compatible with older networks and parallel printers and is usually the best choice for graphics used on
multiple platforms. Binary exports as binary code, which is more compact than ASCII but may not be compatible with
all systems.
Note: InDesign cannot always change the data format used by EPS or DCS graphics files. If you experience problems
sending data as Binary, try changing the data format of EPS or DCS graphics in the source application instead.

Options for omitting graphics
The OPI options in the Advanced area let you selectively omit different imported graphics types when sending image
data to a printer or file, leaving only the OPI links (comments) for later handling by an OPI server.
OPI Image Replacement Enables InDesign to replace low-resolution EPS proxies of graphics with high-resolution

graphics at output time. For OPI image replacement to work, the EPS file must contain OPI comments that link the
low-resolution proxy image to the high-resolution image. InDesign must have access to the graphics linked by the OPI
comments. If the high-resolution versions are not available, InDesign preserves the OPI links and includes the lowresolution proxy in the export file. Deselect this option to have an OPI server replace OPI-linked graphics later in the
workflow.
Omit For OPI Lets you selectively omit different imported graphics types (EPS, PDF, and bitmap images) when
sending image data to a printer or file, leaving only the OPI links (comments) for later handling by an OPI server. The
comments contain the information needed to locate a high-resolution image on an OPI server. InDesign only includes

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the comments; the service provider must have access to the original high-resolution image on a server at replacement
time. The Omit For OPI option doesn’t apply to embedded graphics.

See also
“Import options for graphics” on page 356

Managing color
Use color management when printing
When you print a color-managed document, you can specify additional color management options to keep color
consistent in the printer output. For example, suppose that your document currently contains a profile tailored for
prepress output, but you want to proof the document colors on a desktop printer. In the Print dialog box, you can
convert the document’s colors to the color space of the desktop printer; the printer profile will be used instead of the
current document profile. If you select the Proof color space and target an RGB printer, InDesign converts color data
to RGB values using the selected color profiles.
When printing to a PostScript printer, you also have the option of using PostScript color management. In this instance,
InDesign sends the document’s color data in a calibrated version of its original color space, along with the document
profile, directly to the PostScript printer and lets the printer convert the document to the printer color space. The
printer’s color space is stored at the device as a color rendering dictionary (CRD); this makes device-independent
output possible. CRDs are PostScript equivalents of color profiles. The exact results of the color conversion can vary
among printers. To use PostScript color management, you must have a printer that uses PostScript Level 2 or higher;
it is not necessary to install an ICC profile for the printer on your system.
Note: While working on a color-managed document, you can use the Preflight panel to make sure that your colors
conform to the guidelines you specify.
1 Make sure that you’ve installed the correct driver and PPD for your printer.
2 Choose File > Print.
3 If a printer preset has the settings you want, choose it in the Printer Preset menu at the top of the Print dialog box.
4 Adjust settings as desired for this document.
5 Click Color Management on the left side of the Print dialog box.
6 Under Print, select Document.
7 For Color Handling, choose Let InDesign Determine Colors.
8 For Printer Profile, select the profile for your output device.

The more accurately the profile describes the behavior of an output device and printing conditions (such as paper
type), the more accurately the color management system can translate the numeric values of the actual colors in a
document.
9 Select Preserve RGB Numbers or Preserve CMYK Numbers.

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Preserving numbers is recommended when you are following a safe CMYK workflow. Preserving numbers is not
recommended for printing RGB documents.
10 Press either Setup (Windows) or Printer (Mac OS) to access the printer driver dialog box.
11 Turn off color management for the printer, and click Print to return to the InDesign Print dialog box.

Every printer driver has different color management options. If it’s not clear how to turn off color management,
consult your printer documentation.
12 Click Print.

See also
“Understanding color management” on page 461
“Working with color profiles” on page 474
“Using a safe CMYK workflow” on page 467

Color output options for composites
In the Output area of the Print dialog box, you can determine how composite color in the document is sent to the
printer. When color management is enabled (the default), the Color setting defaults result in calibrated color output.
Spot color information is preserved during color conversion; only the process color equivalents convert to the
designated color space. If you’re not sure which color choice to use, consult your prepress service provider.
Composite modes only affect rasterized images and objects created using InDesign; placed graphics (such as EPS and
Adobe PDF files) are not affected unless they overlap transparent objects.
For more information on composite printing, see the Adobe Print Resource Center at
www.adobe.com/go/print_resource.
Note: The options available for non-PostScript printing depend on the color model the printer uses, which is usually RGB.
When you print as composite, automatic trapping is disabled; however, you can select the Simulate Overprint option
to proof overprinting for text, strokes, or fills.
The Output area in the Print dialog box includes the following Color options. Additional options may also be available,
depending on your printer.
Composite Leave Unchanged Sends a full-color version of specified pages to the printer, preserving all color values in

the original document. When this option is selected, Simulate Overprint is disabled.
Composite Gray Sends grayscale versions of specified pages to the printer when, for example, you are printing to a

monochrome printer without making separations.
Composite RGB Sends a full-color version of specified pages to the printer when, for example, you are printing to an
RGB color printer without making separations.
Composite CMYK Sends a full-color version of specified pages to the printer when, for example, you are printing to a

CMYK color printer without making separations. (This option is available only for PostScript printers.)
Separations Creates PostScript information for each of the separations required for the document, and sends that

information to the output device. (This option is available only for PostScript printers.)
In-RIP Separations Sends separation information to the output device’s RIP. (This option is available only for
PostScript printers.)

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Text As Black Select this option to print all text created in InDesign in black, unless it has the color None or Paper or

a color value that equals white. This option is useful when you’re creating content for both print and PDF distribution.
For example, if hyperlinks were blue in the PDF version, they would print black on a grayscale printer, rather than in
halftone patterns that would be difficult to read.

See also
Adobe Print Resource Center
“Preparing to print separations” on page 619

Print a hard proof
A hard proof (sometimes called a proof print or match print) is a printed simulation of what your final output on a
printing press will look like. A hard proof is produced on an output device that’s less expensive than a printing press.
In recent years some inkjet printers have the resolution necessary to produce inexpensive prints that can be used as
hard proofs.
1 Choose View > Proof Setup > Custom.
2 In the Customize Proof Condition dialog box, select the device you want to simulate, and click OK.
3 Select Preserve RGB Numbers or Preserve CMYK numbers, and click OK.

This option determines how InDesign handles colors that do not have a color profile associated with them (for
example, imported images without embedded profiles). When this option is selected, InDesign sends the color
numbers directly to the output device. When this option is deselected, InDesign first converts the color numbers to
the color space of the output device.
Preserving numbers is recommended when you are following a safe CMYK workflow. Preserving numbers is not
recommended for printing RGB documents.
4 Choose File > Print.
5 If a printer preset has the settings you want, choose it in the Printer Preset menu at the top of the Print dialog box.
6 Adjust settings as desired for this document.
7 Click Color Management on the left side of the Print dialog box.
8 Under Print, select Proof. The profile should match the proof setup you specified.
9 For Color Handling, choose Let InDesign Determine Colors.
10 Select Simulate Paper Color to simulate the specific shade of white exhibited by the print medium as defined by a

document’s profile (absolute colorimetric rendering intent). This option is not available for all profiles.
11 Press either Setup (Windows) or Printer (Mac OS) to access the printer driver dialog box.
12 Turn off color management for the printer, and click Print to return to the InDesign Print dialog box.

Every printer driver has different color management options. If it’s not clear how to turn off color management,
consult your printer documentation.
13 Click Print.

See also
“Using a safe CMYK workflow” on page 467

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Improving gradients and color blends in print
PostScript Level 2 and PostScript 3 output devices can print up to 256 shades of gray, and most PostScript desktop laser
printers are capable of printing approximately 32 to 64 shades, depending on the device resolution, specified screen
frequency, and halftoning method. Banding occurs when each available shade covers an area large enough for you to
see individual shades. Also, if you specify a gradient using two percentage values that differ by less than 50%, you’re
specifying a narrow range of shades that’s more likely to result in banding. If you have difficulty printing smooth
gradients without banding, try these techniques:

• Use a gradient that changes at least 50% between two or more process color components.
• Specify lighter colors, or shorten the length of dark gradients. Banding is most likely to occur between very dark
colors and white.

• Increase the percentage of change in the gradient.
• Decrease the screen frequency for the document (PostScript output devices only).
• If banding occurs in an imported graphic, such as an Adobe Illustrator® file, you might need to adjust the original
graphic.

• Print to a PostScript® 3 output device, which is capable of producing smoother gradients.
• Use shorter gradients. The optimum length depends on the colors in the gradient, but try to keep gradients shorter
than 7.5 inches.

See also
“Gradients” on page 452
“Specify a halftone screen frequency and resolution” on page 630

About halftone dots and printer dots
Most printers simulate gray by using halftone dots printed on a grid; the grid cells are called halftone cells, and the grid
rows are called lines or line screens. Each halftone dot is made up of printer dots. As the halftone cell fills up with printer
dots, the halftone dot gets larger, resulting in a darker shade of gray.
Printer resolution determines the number of dots available to create the halftone dot. A printer with smaller dots can
produce a wider variety of halftone dot sizes, allowing more shades of gray. Screen frequency also plays a role: As
screen frequency increases, the halftone cell gets smaller, and so can hold fewer printer dots, resulting in fewer possible
shades of gray. As a result, there is a trade-off between the number of possible gray levels and image coarseness.
A

Simulating continuous tone with printer dots
A. Continuous tone simulated by line screen B. Line screen consisting of halftone dots in rows C. Halftone dots consisting of printer dots

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Preflighting files before handoff
Preflight panel overview
Before printing or handing off the document to a service provider, you can perform a quality check on the document.
Preflight is the industry-standard term for this process. While you edit your document, the Preflight panel warns of
problems that can prevent a document or book from printing or outputting as desired. These problems include
missing files or fonts, low-resolution images, overset text, and a number of other conditions.
You can configure preflight settings to define which conditions are detected. These preflight settings are stored in
preflight profiles for easy reuse. You can create your own preflight profiles or import them from your printer or
another source.
To take advantage of live preflighting, create or specify a preflight profile in the early stages of creating a document. If
Preflight is turned on, a red circle icon appears in the status bar when InDesign detects any problems. You can open
the Preflight panel and view the Info section to get basic guidance for fixing the problems.

Preflight panel
A. Selected error B. Click page number to view page item C. Info area offers suggestions for fixing the selected error D. Specify a page range to
limit error checking

For a video tutorial on live preflight, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4025_id.

Open the Preflight panel
• Choose Window > Output > Preflight.
• Double-click the Preflight icon at the bottom of document window. The Preflight icon is green if no errors are
detected or red if errors are detected.

Define preflight profiles
By default, the [Basic] profile is applied to new and converted documents. This profile flags missing or modified links,
overset text, and missing fonts. Although you cannot edit or delete the [Basic] profile, you can create and use multiple
profiles. For example, you can switch between profiles when working on different documents, when using different
print service providers, or when running a single document through different production phases.
Consult with your prepress provider to obtain a profile or to learn what the preflight profile settings are. To view a
printing guide for prepress providers (PDF), see www.adobe.com/go/learn_id_prepress_wp.

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Define a preflight profile
1 Choose Define Profiles from the Preflight panel menu or from the Preflight menu at the bottom of the document

window.
2 Click the New Preflight Profile icon

, and specify a name for the profile.

3 In each category, specify the preflight settings. A check mark in a box indicates that all settings are included. An

empty box indicates that no settings are included.
Links Determine whether missing links and modified links are displayed as errors.
Color Determine which transparency blending space is required and whether items such as CMY plates, colorspaces,
and overprinting are allowed.
Text The Text category displays errors for items such as missing fonts and overset text.
Images and Objects Specify requirements for items such as image resolution, transparency, and stroke thickness.
Document Specify requirements for page size and orientation, number of pages, blank pages, and bleed and slug setup.

4 Choose Save to preserve your changes on one profile before working on another profile. Or click OK to close the

dialog box and save all changes.

Embed and unembed profiles
When you embed a profile, you make the profile part of the document. Embedding profiles is especially useful when
you’re sending the file to someone else. Just because the profile is embedded does not mean it must be used. For
example, if you send a document with an embedded profile to a print service, the printer can select a different profile
to use with the document.
You can embed only one profile. The [Basic] profile cannot be embedded.
1 To embed a profile, select it in the Profile list, and then click the Embed icon

to the right of the Profile list.

You can also embed a profile in the Define Profiles dialog box.
2 To unembed a profile, choose Define Profiles from the Preflight panel menu, select the profile, and then choose

Unembed Profile from the Preflight Profile Menu on the left side of the dialog box.

Export and load profiles
You can export a profile to make it available to others. Exported profiles are saved with a .idpp extension.
Exporting a profile is a good way to back up your profile settings. When you restore preferences, your profile
information is reset. If you need to restore preferences, you can simply load your exported profile.
You can also load a profile that someone else has made available to you. You can load a *.idpp file, or you can load the
embedded profile in the document you specify.

• To export a profile, choose Define Profiles from the Preflight menu. Choose Export Profile from the Preflight
Profile Menu, specify the name and location, and click Save.

• To load (import) a profile, choose Define Profiles from the Preflight menu. Choose Load Profile from the Preflight
Profile Menu, select the *.idpp file or document containing an embedded profile you want to use, and click Open.

Delete a profile
1 Choose Define Profiles from the Preflight menu.
2 Select the profile you want to delete, and then click the Delete Preflight Profile icon
3 Click OK to delete the profile.

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View and resolve preflight errors
In the error list, only the categories with errors are listed. You can click the arrow next to each item to expand or
collapse it.
When viewing the list of errors, note the following issues:

• In some cases, a design element such as a swatch or a paragraph style is causing the problem. The design element
itself is not reported as an error. Instead, any page item to which the design element is applied appears in the error
list. In such cases, make sure that you resolve the issue in the design element.

• Errors that occur in overset text, hidden conditions, or notes are not listed. Deleted text that is still available in
tracked changes is also ignored.

• A master page item with a problem is not listed if the master is unapplied, or if no page it is applied to is in the
current scope. If an master page item has an error, the Preflight panel lists it only once, even though the error is
repeated on every page to which the master is applied.

• Errors that occur in non-printing page items, in page items on the pasteboard, or in hidden or non-printing layers
appear in the error list only if the appropriate options are specified in the Preflight Options dialog box.

• If you need to output only certain pages, you can limit preflight checking to a page range. Specify a page range at
the bottom of the Preflight panel.

Turn on or off live preflighting
By default, preflighting is turned on for all documents.
1 To turn on or off preflighting for the active document, select the On option in the upper-left corner of the Preflight

panel, or choose Preflight Document from the Preflight menu at the bottom of the document window.
2 To turn on or off preflighting for all documents, select Enable Preflight For All Documents from the Preflight panel menu.

Resolve errors
1 In the error list, double-click a row or click the page number in the Page column to view the page item.
2 Click the arrow to the left of Info to view information on the selected row.

The Info panel includes a description of the problem and offers suggestions for fixing it.
3 Fix the error.

Select a different profile
Using different profiles is useful in many workflows. For example, you can select different profiles for documents
you’re editing at the same time, or you can select a new profile to begin a new production phase. When you select a
different profile, the document is reexamined.
1 Open the document.
2 In the Preflight panel, select a profile from the Profile menu.

If you want to use this profile whenever you work on this document, embed the profile. Otherwise, the document
opens using the default working profile.

Specify a page range for preflighting
❖ At the bottom of the Preflight panel, specify the page range (such as 1-8).

The rules for specifying page ranges are the same as in the Print dialog box. Errors that appear on pages outside this
page range are omitted from the error list.

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Set Preflight options
1 Choose Preflight Options from the Preflight panel menu.
2 Specify the following options, and then click OK.
Working Profile Select the profile to use as the default for new documents. If you want the working profile to be

embedded in new documents, select Embed Working Profile Into New Documents. See “Define preflight profiles”
on page 603.
Use Embedded Profile / Use Working Profile When you open a document, determine whether its embedded profile
or the specified working profile is used for preflighting.
Layers Specify whether items on all layers, visible layers, or visible and printable layers are included in preflighting.

For example, if an item is on a hidden layer, you can prevent errors from being reported on that item.
Non-Printing Objects Select this option to report errors on objects marked as non-printing in the Attributes panel
or on master page objects on pages to which Hide Master Items has been applied.
Objects On Pasteboard Select this option to report errors on objects placed on the pasteboard.

Limit the number of rows per error
You can keep your error lists more manageable by limiting the number of rows per error. For example, in a document
that should not use TrueType fonts, a single TrueType font used throughout the document can generate hundreds of
errors. If you limited the number of rows per error to 25, only the first 25 errors appear in the list, and (25+) appears
next to the error.

• Choose Limit Number Of Rows Per Error from the Preflight panel menu, and then choose the number.

Save error report
You can generate a text-only or PDF file that lists the errors displayed in the Preflight panel. The report also includes
other statistics such as time, document name, and profile name.
For a full inventory of the document that includes all fonts, inks, links, and other items used, create a report using the
Package feature.
1 Choose Save Report from the Preflight panel menu.
2 Specify whether you want to save the file as a PDF or text file from the Save As Type (Windows) or Format

(Mac OS) menu.
3 Specify the name and location of the report, and then click Save.

Preflight books
Choosing Preflight Book from the Book panel menu causes all documents (or all selected documents) to be examined
for errors. You can use the profile embedded in each document, or you can specify a profile to use. A green, red, or
question mark icon indicates the preflight status of each document. Green indicates the document has no reported
errors. Red indicates errors. A question mark indicates an unknown status. For example, the document may be closed,
preflighting may be turned off, or the preflight profile was changed.

Set preflight options in a book
1 Choose Preflight Book from the book panel menu.
2 In the Preflight Book Options dialog box, specify whether you want the preflight options to apply to the entire book

or only to selected documents.

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3 Under Preflight Profile, indicate whether you want to use the profile specified in the Use Profile menu or the

embedded profile of each document.
The profile you specify is temporarily used for each document. When you close and open any of the individual
documents, either the working profile or the embedded profile is used, depending on which option is specified in
the Preflight Options dialog box.
4 Under Include, determine which items are included in the error list.
Layers Specify whether items on all layers, visible layers, or visible and printable layers are included in preflighting.

For example, if an item is on a hidden layer, you can choose not to view errors reported on that item.
Objects On Pasteboard Select this option to report errors on objects placed on the pasteboard.
Non-Printing Objects Select this option to report errors on objects marked as non-printing in the Attributes panel.

5 Select Generate Report to generate a text or PDF file containing a list of errors. The generated report lists all errors

in the book.
6 Click Preflight.

Resolve preflight errors in a book
When a red dot appears to the right of a document name in the book panel, the document contains preflight errors.
1 In the Book panel, double-click the document containing errors.
2 Use the Preflight panel to view the errors in each document, and make the necessary changes to fix the problems.

Design elements such as styles or swatches may cause errors. In such cases, make sure that you resolve the errors in the
styles or swatches of the style source document, and then synchronize the book.
If you specified a profile to be used in book preflight that is not the embedded document profile, keep in mind that a
different profile may be selected when you open the document again. The different profile may result in different
preflight errors.

Package files
You can gather the files you’ve used, including fonts and linked graphics, for easy handoff to a service provider. When
you package a file, you create a folder that contains the InDesign document (or documents in a book file), any
necessary fonts, linked graphics, text files, and a customized report. This report, which is saved as a text file, includes
the information in the Printing Instructions dialog box; a list of all used fonts, links, and inks required to print the
document; and print settings.
InDesign performs an up-to-date preflight check. The Package Inventory dialog box indicates any detected problem
areas. You can also give your service provider a composite PDF file made from your document or a PostScript file.
1 Do one of the following to open the Package dialog box:

• Choose File > Package.
• In the Book panel menu, choose Package Book or Package Selected Documents, depending on whether all, some,
or none of the documents are selected in the Book panel.
An alert icon

indicates problem areas.

2 In the Package Inventory dialog box, do one of the following:

• If you’re notified of problems, click Cancel, and use the Preflight panel to resolve problem areas.
• Click the problem area (such as Fonts) and then correct the problem. When you’re satisfied with the document,
begin the packaging process again.

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• Click Package to begin packaging.
3 Fill in the printing instructions. The filename you type is the name of the report that accompanies all other

packaging files.
4 Click Continue, and then specify a location in which to save all packaging files.
5 Select the following, as needed:
Copy Fonts (Except CJK) Copies all necessary font files, not the entire typeface. Selecting this option does not copy CJK

(Chinese, Japanese, Korean) fonts.
Copy Linked Graphics Copies linked graphics files to package folder location.
Update Graphic Links In Package Changes graphic links to the package folder location.
Use Document Hyphenation Exceptions Only If this option is selected, InDesign flags this document so that it doesn’t

reflow when someone else opens or edits it on a computer that has different hyphenation and dictionary settings. You
can turn on this option when sending the file to a service provider.
Include Fonts And Links From Hidden And Non-Printing Content Packages the objects located on hidden layers,

hidden conditions, and layers for which the Print Layer option is turned off. When this option is not selected, the
package includes only what is visible and printable in the document when you create the package.
View Report Opens the printing instructions report in a text editor immediately after packaging. To edit the printing
instructions before completing the packaging process, click the Instructions button.

6 Click Package to continue packaging.

See also
“Link or embed imported text files” on page 133
“Creating PostScript and EPS files” on page 609

Correct font errors
The Fonts area of the Package Inventory dialog box lists all fonts used in the document—including fonts applied to
overset text or text on the pasteboard, and fonts embedded in EPS files, native Adobe Illustrator files, and placed PDF
pages—and determines whether the font is installed on your computer and available. Selecting Show Problems Only
shows fonts that fit into the following categories:
Missing fonts Lists fonts that are used in the document but are not installed on the current computer.
Incomplete fonts Lists fonts that have a screen font on the current computer but not a corresponding printer font.
Protected fonts Lists fonts that cannot be embedded in PDF or EPS files due to license restrictions.
❖ Do either of the following:

• Close the Preflight dialog box and install the fonts on your computer.
• Click Find Font in the Fonts area of the Preflight dialog box, and search for, list, and replace fonts used in your
document.
Make sure that the fonts used in the document are licensed, installed, and activated either on your computer or on the
output device.

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Repair links and images
The Links And Images area of the Package Inventory dialog box lists all links, embedded images, and placed InDesign
files used in the document, including DCS and OPI links from linked EPS graphics. Images embedded in EPS graphics
and placed InDesign files are not included as links in the preflight report. The preflight utility indicates missing or outof-date links, and any RGB images (which may not separate properly unless color management is on and set up
correctly).
Note: The Package Inventory dialog box cannot detect RGB images embedded in placed EPS, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe
PDF, FreeHand files, and placed .INDD files. For best results, verify color data for placed graphics using the Preflight
panel or in their original applications.
1 To view only problem images, select Show Problems Only in the Links And Images area of the Package Inventory

dialog box.
2 To repair a link, do one of the following:

• Select the problem image and click either Update or Relink.
• Click Repair All.
3 Locate the correct image files and click Open.

Creating PostScript and EPS files
Creating PostScript or EPS files
As an alternative to printing a document to a printer, you can save a PostScript-language description of the document
as a .PS file for printing on remote printers—for example, by a prepress service provider. A service provider can send
a .PS file directly to the imagesetter. The size of a PostScript file is usually larger than the original InDesign document,
because the graphics and fonts are embedded.
You can also export a document page or spread to an EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) file and place it in other
applications.

Choosing the right method for creating a PostScript file
You can save your InDesign document or book in any of three types of PostScript files: device-independent, devicedependent, or device- and driver-dependent.
The following tables list recommended printer drivers and output methods for achieving the best results with postprocessing applications and InDesign. If your document will be processed by an OPI server, or by an imposition,
trapping, or other prepress application before it is printed by a RIP, choose PostScript® File in the Printer menu in the
InDesign Print dialog box. That way, InDesign has complete control over the DSC output. For desktop printing, use
any supported PostScript printer driver.
The tables use asterisks to indicate the relative suitability of each method for prepress work:
*** The PostScript file is fully DSC-compliant, and very suitable for use with a wide variety of post-processing

applications, RIPs, and workflows. This method is the best all-round choice for applications that rely on DSC.
** The PostScript file is largely DSC-compliant, and generally suitable for use with a wide variety of post-processing

applications, RIPs, and workflows. Some compatibility issues may exist for certain types of applications that rely
heavily on DSC.

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Printer selection: PostScript® File
Operating system

PPD

Prepress suitability

All platforms

Device-independent

***

Device-dependent

***

A printer driver isn’t used when the printer selection is “PostScript® File.”
Printer selection:
Operating system

Printer driver

Prepress suitability

Mac OS 10.2

Built-in PS Driver for Mac OS X

Windows 2000/XP

Pscript 5

The PPD used by the selected printer appears in the PPD text box at the top of the Print dialog box.

About device- and driver-dependent PostScript files
Select a printer and a supported driver in the Printer menu. A device- and driver-dependent PostScript file has the
following characteristics:

• It is driver-dependent. The PostScript file will contain code generated by InDesign and by the driver. The InDesign
code is primarily responsible for the page content, including font downloading, and for setting basic device
information, such as media size, resolution, and screening. The driver is primarily responsible for setting special
driver features, such as watermarks, and for enabling or controlling special device features. Since InDesign doesn’t
have complete control over creating the PostScript file, the level of DSC compliance isn’t quite as high as it is with
driver-independent PostScript files. The level of DSC compliance, and therefore the PostScript file’s suitability for
prepress tasks, depends on the printer driver used.

• It is device-dependent. It contains code for enabling and controlling specific device features, making it less
compatible with devices other than the target device.

• It can be composite or separated (all of the color output methods that InDesign supports are available).
• It can be trapped by InDesign (either by using Application Built-In or Adobe In-RIP Trapping).
• It can be printed directly to the device, or to file.
A device- and driver-dependent PostScript file is ideally suited for proofing (by the designer) to desktop PostScript
printers. It can also be used by service providers who don't plan to do any prepress tasks to the job outside of InDesign
or the RIP system. In other words, if trapping is done, it happens in InDesign or at the RIP.

See also
“Choosing the right method for creating a PostScript file” on page 609
“Setting up a printer” on page 591

Create a device-independent PostScript file
Select PostScript File in the Printer menu, and select Device Independent in the PPD menu. A device-independent
PostScript file has the following characteristics:

• It is 100% DSC-compliant, making it ideal for such post-processing tasks as trapping and imposition.

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• All device and driver dependencies are removed, so that the file will print to almost any output device. However,
special printer features found in PPD files, such as image exposure, available media sizes, and optimized screen
frequencies, aren’t available in device-independent output.

• The color output is always composite CMYK, but it also includes spot colors. As a result, it has to be separated in
post-processing software, or at the RIP using in-RIP separations.

• It cannot be trapped by InDesign; trapping must occur at the RIP, or in post-processing software.
• It can only be printed to file (not directly to a device or application) from InDesign.
A device-independent PostScript file is ideal for composite prepress workflows, where the file will be trapped and
separated later in the production process, such as during imposition, trapping, or at the RIP (if the output device
supports in-RIP separations).
1 Choose File > Print.
2 In the Print dialog box, for Printer, choose PostScript File.
3 For PPD, choose Device Independent.
4 View or change existing print settings. InDesign uses the current page range when creating the PostScript file.
5 Click Save.
6 Specify a name and location, and click Save.

Create a device-dependent PostScript file using InDesign
Select PostScript File in the Printer menu, and select a PPD. A device-dependent PostScript file has the following
characteristics:

• It is 100% DSC-compliant, making it ideal for such post-processing tasks as trapping and imposition.
• It contains a description of everything in your document, including information about linked files, optimized
screen frequencies, resolution, and available media sizes tailored to the currently selected output device.

• All driver dependencies are removed.
• It can be composite or separated. All of the color output methods that InDesign supports are available. (In-RIP
separations are available if the PPD and output device support them.)

• It can be trapped by InDesign (either by using Application Built-In or Adobe In-RIP Trapping).
• It can only be printed to file (not directly to a device or application) from InDesign.
A device-dependent PostScript file is ideally suited to pre-separation or trapping workflows, where the file will be
trapped using automatic or Adobe In-RIP Trapping features within InDesign.
1 Choose File > Print.
2 In the Print dialog box, for Printer, choose PostScript File.
3 Choose the PPD for the final output device.
4 View or change existing print settings. InDesign uses the current page range when creating the PostScript file.
5 Click Save.
6 Specify a name and location, and click Save.

Create a PostScript file using a PostScript printer driver (Windows)
1 Choose File > Print.

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2 In the InDesign Print dialog box, click the Setup button at the bottom of the dialog box.
3 In the printer driver’s dialog box, select Print to File.
4 Click the Layout tab, and then click the Advanced button.
5 Click Document Options, click PostScript Options, and then choose Optimize For Portability in the PostScript

Output Option menu. Click OK.
6 Click OK or Print to return to the InDesign Print dialog box.
7 In the InDesign Print dialog box, click Print.
8 Specify a name and location, and click Save.

Create a PostScript file using a PostScript printer driver (Mac OS)
1 Choose File > Print.
2 In the Print dialog box, choose PostScript File in the Printer menu, and click Save.
3 In the Save PostScript File dialog box, specify a name and location for the PostScript file (.ps), and then click Save.

Export pages in EPS format
Use the Export command to export InDesign pages in EPS format, which you can import into another program. If you
export multiple pages, each page is exported as a separate file with a number appended to the end of the filename. For
example, if you export pages 3, 6, and 12, and specify the filename News.eps, InDesign will create three files named
News_3.eps, News_6.eps, and News_12.eps.
If you want to open InDesign pages in Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop, export pages as PDF or EPS files.
1 Choose File > Export.
2 Specify a location and a filename. Be sure to include the EPS extension.
3 For Save As Type (Windows) or Format (Mac OS), choose EPS, and click Save.
4 Under Pages in the Export EPS dialog box, do one of the following:

• Select All Pages to export all pages in the document.
• Select Ranges and type a page range. You can type a range using a hyphen, and separate pages or ranges using
commas.

• Select Spreads to export facing pages as a single EPS file (one spread per EPS).
5 Set additional options.
6 Under Bleed, type a value between 0p0 and 36p0 to specify extra space for graphics that are positioned beyond the

edge of the page or trim area.
7 Click Export.

See also
“Options for omitting graphics” on page 598
“About preferences and defaults” on page 38
“Apply a flattener preset for output” on page 427
“Ink Manager overview” on page 628

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EPS export options
When you export to EPS, you can specify the following options:
PostScript® Specifies a level of compatibility with the interpreters in PostScript output devices. Level 2 will often

improve the printing speed and output quality of graphics printed only on a PostScript Level 2 or greater output
device. Level 3 provides the best speed and output quality, but requires a PostScript 3 device.
Color Specifies how color is represented in the exported file. The options below are similar to the Color settings in the
Print dialog box.

• Leave Unchanged Leaves each image in its original color space. For example, if the document contains three RGB
images and four CMYK images, the resulting EPS file will contain the same RGB and CMYK images.
• CMYK Creates a separable file by representing all color values using the gamut of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
process color inks.
• Gray Converts all color values to high-quality black-and-white images. The gray levels (shades) of the converted
objects represent the luminosity of the original objects.
• RGB Represents all color values using the red, green, and blue color space. An EPS file with RGB color definitions
is better suited for on-screen viewing.

• PostScript® Color Management Uses the document’s color data in a calibrated version of its original color space.
Preview Determines the characteristics of the preview image that is saved in the file. The preview image is displayed
in applications that cannot display EPS artwork directly. If you don’t want to create a preview image, choose None in
the format menu.
Embed Fonts Specifies how to include fonts used in the pages you export.

• None Includes a reference to the font in the PostScript file that tells the RIP or a post-processor where the font
should be included.
• Complete Downloads all fonts required for the document at the beginning of the print job. All glyphs and
characters in a font are downloaded even if they don’t appear in the document. InDesign automatically subsets fonts
that contain more than the maximum number of glyphs (characters) specified in the Preferences dialog box.
• Subset Downloads only the characters (glyphs) used in the document.
Data Format Specifies how InDesign sends the image data from your computer to a printer: as ASCII or Binary data.
Images Specifies how much image data in placed bitmap images to include in the exported file.

• All Includes all available high-resolution image data in the exported file and requires the most disk space. Choose
this option if the file will be printed on a high-resolution output device.
• Proxy Includes only screen-resolution versions (72 dpi) of placed bitmap images in the exported file. Choose this
option in conjunction with the OPI Image Replacement option, or if the resulting PDF file will be viewed on-screen.
OPI Image Replacement Enables InDesign to replace low-resolution EPS proxies of graphics with high-resolution

graphics at output time.
Omit For OPI Selectively omits imported graphics when sending image data to a printer or file, leaving only the OPI
links (comments) for later handling by an OPI server.
Transparency Flattener Select a flattener preset in the Preset menu to specify how transparent objects appear in the
exported file. This option is the same as the Transparency Flattener option that appears in the Advanced area of the
Print dialog box.
Ink Manager Corrects any ink options without changing the design of the document.

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Printing booklets
Impose a document for booklet printing
The Print Booklet feature lets you create printer spreads for professional printing. For example, if you’re editing an 8page booklet, the pages appear in sequential order in the layout window. However, in printer spreads, page 2 is
positioned next to page 7, so that when the two pages are printed on the same sheet, folded, and collated, the pages end
up in the appropriate order.

4
7

6
8

Pages appear in sequence in the layout window, but are printed in a different order so that they appear correct when folded and bound.

The process of creating printer spreads from layout spreads is called imposition. While imposing pages, you can change
settings to adjust spacing between pages, margins, bleed, and creep. The layout of your InDesign document is not
affected, because the imposition is all handled in the print stream. No pages are shuffled or rotated in the document.
Note: You cannot create a new document based on the imposed pages, nor can you create a PDF document.
1 Choose File > Print Booklet.
2 If a printer preset has the settings you want, choose it in the Print Preset menu.

To use the print settings (as they appear in the Print dialog box) of the current document, choose Current Document
Settings from the Print Preset menu.
3 If you don’t want the entire document to be imposed, select Range in the Setup area and specify which pages to

include in the imposition.
Use hyphens to separate consecutive page numbers, and commas for nonadjacent page numbers. For example, typing
3-7, 16 imposes pages 3 through 7 and 16.
Note: If you have divided the document into sections of page numbers, you should enter section page numbers (such as
Sec2:11) in the Range field.
4 To change settings such as printer’s marks and color output, click Print Settings. Using the options on the left,

change settings as needed, and then click OK.
5 In the Print Booklet dialog box, specify other booklet setup options as appropriate, and then click Print.

Booklet types
You can choose three types of imposition: 2-up Saddle Stitch, 2-up Perfect Bound, and Consecutive.
2-up Saddle Stitch Creates two-page, side-by-side printer spreads. These printer spreads are appropriate for printing

on both sides, collating, folding, and stapling. InDesign adds blank pages as needed to the end of the finished

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document. The Space Between Pages, Bleed Between Pages, and Signature Size options are dimmed when 2-up Saddle
Stitch is selected.

1
2

Creating printer spreads for a 24-page black-and-white newsletter using the 2-up Saddle Stitch style yields 12 spreads.

2-up Perfect Bound Creates two-page, side-by-side printer spreads that fit within the specified signature size. These

printer spreads are appropriate for printing on both sides, cutting, and binding to a cover with adhesive. If the number
of pages to be imposed is not evenly divisible by the signature size, InDesign adds blank pages as needed to the back of
the finished document.

4
7

8
8

1
13

1
1

12
15

14
16

2-up Perfect Bound divided in four signatures

If a booklet has a color cover and black-and-white insides, you can create two separate impositions from the same
document: one for the front cover, inside front cover, inside back cover, and back cover; and one for the 24 pages inside
the booklet. To produce the color signature, click Range in the Pages area of the Setup area, and type 1-2, 27-28 (or
whatever the section page numbers are). To produce the black-and-white insides, type 3-26 in the Range text box.

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1
2

28-page booklet with a color cover
A. Color signature for cover B. Black-and-white inside page

Consecutive Creates a two-, three-, or four-page panel appropriate for a foldout booklet or brochure. The Bleed

Between Pages, Creep, and Signature Size are dimmed when a Consecutive option is selected.
For example, if you want to create printer spreads for a traditional six-panel, trifold brochure, choose 3-up
Consecutive. You may be accustomed to setting up trifolds as one page with three different columns. With InDesign
imposition, you can simply create pages that are the size of each panel.

3-Up Consecutive

Spacing, bleed, and margin options for booklet printing
You can change the following options in the Setup area of the Print Booklet dialog box.
Space Between Pages Specifies the gap between pages (the right side of the left page and the left side of the right page).

You can specify a Space Between Pages value for all the booklet types except Saddle Stitch.
For Perfect Bound documents, if you are creeping in (with a negative value), the minimum Space Between Pages value
is the width of the Creep value. If you’re manually creating signatures (for example, if there are different stocks in the
same document), you can enter a Space Between Pages value to specify a starting creep for spreads that belong to
different signatures.

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Bleed Between Pages Specifies the amount of space used to allow page elements to encroach the gap in Perfect Bound
printer spread styles. This option is sometimes referred to as crossover.) The field accepts values between 0 and half the
Space Between Pages value. You can specify this option only when 2-up Perfect Bound is selected.
Creep Specifies the amount of space necessary to accommodate paper thickness and folding on each signature. In

most cases, you’ll want to specify a negative value to create a push-in effect. You can specify Creep for 2-up Saddle
Stitch and 2-up Perfect Bound booklet types. (See “Understanding creep” on page 617.)
Signature Size Specifies the number of pages in each signature for 2-up Perfect Bound documents. If the number of

pages to be imposed is not evenly divisible by the Signature Size value, blank pages are added to the end of the
document as necessary.
Automatically Adjust To Fit Marks And Bleeds Lets InDesign calculate the margins to accommodate the bleeds and the

other printer mark options currently set. The fields under Margins are dimmed when this option is selected, but they
reflect the actual values that will be used to fit marks and bleeds. If you deselect this option, you can adjust the margin
values manually.
Margins Specifies the amount of space that surrounds the actual printer spread after trimming. To specify individual
values for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right, deselect Automatically Adjust To Fit Marks And Bleeds, and increase the
values to insert extra space beyond the default marks and bleeds. (Decreasing the values may result in clipping the
marks and bleeds.) You can specify margin values for all booklet printing types.
Print Blank Printer Spreads If the number of pages to be imposed is not evenly divisible by the Signature Size value,
blank pages or spreads are added to the end of the document. Use this option to determine whether those blank spreads
at the end of the document are printed. Note that printing other blank pages in the document is controlled by the Print
Blank Pages option in the Print dialog box.

Understanding creep
Creep specifies the distance pages move away from the spine to accommodate paper thickness and folding in Saddle
Stitch and Perfect Bound documents. InDesign considers the “cover” of the final piece to be the outermost printer
spread, while the “centerfold” is considered to be the innermost printer spread. The term sheet represents two printer
spreads: the front of the sheet and the back of the sheet. The creep increment is calculated by dividing the specified
creep value by the total number of sheets minus one.
For example, a 16-page InDesign document could yield eight printer spreads, or four sheets. The front of the first sheet
will consist of the first printer spread (pages 16 and 1) while the back of the first sheet will consist of the second printer
spread (pages 2 and 15).
If the creep value in this example is 24 points (an exaggerated amount for the sake of clarity), the creep increment is 8
points per sheet (24 divided by 3). The amount of creep applied to the innermost sheet is 24 points, the amount of creep
applied to the third sheet is 16 points, and the amount of creep applied to the second sheet is 8 points. No creep will
be applied to the first outermost sheet.
The amount of creep for each successive sheet is decreased by the creep increment. In summary, each page on the
innermost sheet is moved 12 points (half of the 24-point creep value for this sheet) away from the spine, each page on
the third sheet is moved 8 points (half of the 16-point creep value for this sheet) away from the spine, and each page
on the second sheet is moved 4 points (half of the 8-point creep value for this sheet) away from the spine.

Preview or view a summary of booklet printing
The Preview area of the Print Booklet dialog box lets you review color thumbnails of the printer spreads created by
your selected imposition style. You can also see the printer’s marks you’ve specified in the Print dialog box.
1 Choose File > Print Booklet.

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2 Do any of the following:

• Click Preview on the left side of the dialog box. To flip through the printer spreads, click the scroll arrows. Click the
left scroll arrow to go backwards from spread to spread. You can also drag the scroll box to change printer spreads.

• Click Summary on the left side of the Print Booklet dialog box to view a summary of current booklet settings. Check
the bottom of the Summary area for any conflicting settings.
If you click Print Settings and change the settings in the Print dialog box, you can observe the effect of the modified
settings in the Preview area.

Troubleshooting booklet printing
Note these issues to address when printing booklets.
Can’t create new document Unfortunately, you can’t create a new InDesign document with the imposed pages. You
can print the imposed document or create a PDF.
Blank pages not included You may add blank pages in the middle of a document to make sure there are enough pages
for each printer spread. However, if these pages contain no text or objects, they may not be recognized, and additional
blank pages are added at the end of the document. To make sure that the blank pages you added are included in the
imposed document, click Print Settings in the Print Booklet dialog box, and then select Print Blank Pages and click OK.
Printing double-sided pages without a duplex printer Use the Print Odd Pages and Print Even Pages options in either
Adobe Acrobat or InDesign. After one set is printed, flip over the pages, load it in the printer, and print the rest of the
pages. For best results, print a test document to see which direction and order the pages should be added to the printer.

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Chapter 22: Color separations
To produce high-quality separations, it helps to be familiar with the basics of printing, including line screens,
resolution, process colors, and spot colors. If a print service provider is producing your separations, work closely with
them before beginning each job.

Preparing to print separations
Creating separations
To reproduce color and continuous-tone images, printers usually separate artwork into four plates—one plate for each
of the cyan (C), yellow (Y), magenta (M), and black (K) portions of the image. When inked with the appropriate color
and printed in register with one another, these colors combine to reproduce the original artwork. The process of
dividing the image into two or more colors is called color separating, and the films from which the plates are created
are called the separations.

Composite (left) and separations (right)

Separation workflows
Adobe InDesign CS4 supports two common PostScript workflows; the main difference is where separations are
created—at the host computer (the system using InDesign and the printer driver), or at the output device’s RIP (raster
image processor). Another alternative is a PDF workflow.
Host-based separations In the traditional host-based, preseparated workflow, InDesign creates PostScript
information for each of the separations required for the document, and sends that information to the output device.
In-RIP separations In the newer RIP-based workflow, a new generation of PostScript RIPs performs color separations,

trapping, and even color management at the RIP, leaving the host computer free to perform other tasks. This approach
takes less time for InDesign to generate the file, and minimizes the amount of data transmitted for any given print job.
For example, instead of sending PostScript information for four or more pages to print host-based color separations,
InDesign sends the PostScript information for a single composite PostScript file for processing in the RIP.
For a video tutorial on preparing files for output, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0089. To view a printing guide for
prepress providers (PDF), see www.adobe.com/go/learn_id_prepress_wp.

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See also
“Print or save separations” on page 632
“Export to PDF” on page 496
Preparing Files for Output video

Prepare your document for color separations
1 Correct any color problems in your artwork.
2 Set overprint options.
3 Create trapping instructions to compensate for misregistration on press.
4 Preview color separations on your screen.

Note: Steps 1–4 are recommended but not required in producing color separations.
5 Choose File > Print to display the Print dialog box.
6 If you’ve created a printer preset with the appropriate separation settings, select it in the Print Preset menu at the

top of the Print dialog box.
7 Choose a printer or PostScript file in the Printer menu.
8 If you’re printing to a PostScript file, choose the PPD for the device that will output the separations.
9 To view or change existing print options, click a section name on the left side of the Print dialog box.
10 Before you deliver your document to a service provider, proof the separations.
11 Print or save separations.

See also
“About overprinting” on page 624
“Preview color separations” on page 622
“Proofing color separations” on page 632
“Print or save separations” on page 632

Outputting spot colors
You can use custom inks, called spot colors, in addition to, or in place of, process colors. For example, instead of using
the four process colors to reproduce artwork consisting of black text and bluish-green line drawings, you could use
two spot colors—one of black, and one representing the exact shade of green. You can also use spot color inks to
produce colors not reproducible by CMYK inks, such as varnishes or fluorescent and metallic colors. In addition, you
can mix two or more spot colors together or mix spot colors with process colors to create mixed inks.
You can color artwork with process colors, spot colors, or a combination of both. When printing separations, you can
convert spot colors to their process color equivalents so that they will be printed on the CMYK plates.

See also
“Separate spot colors as process” on page 629
“Mixing inks” on page 457

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View the process color equivalents of a spot color
1 Select the spot color in the Swatches panel.
2 Choose CMYK in the Color panel menu.

The CMYK equivalent values for the spot color are displayed in the Color panel.
You can also hold the pointer over the spot color in the Swatches panel. The formula for the color will appear in the
tool tip.

Print an object on all color plates
If you want an object to print on all plates in the printing process, including spot color plates, you can apply registration
color to the object. Registration color is used for crop marks and trim marks. For composite output, objects with
registration color applied will print as C 100, M 100, Y 100, and K 100. For separations, these objects will print as 100%
on each plate.
1 Select the objects to which you want to apply registration color.
2 Choose Window > Swatches.
3 In the Swatches panel, click the Registration color swatch

See also
“Printer’s marks and bleeds” on page 593

Printing gradients as separations
Consider the following when producing separations for documents with gradients:

• A gradient created in InDesign that contains a combination of spot and process colors will be separated onto both
the process and spot plates.

• A gradient that contains process colors will be separated onto the process plates.
• A gradient that contains two tints of the same spot color will be separated onto a single spot color plate.
• To create a gradient that separates on one piece of film between a spot color and white, create a gradient fill between
the spot color and the Paper swatch in the Swatches panel.

• If you create a gradient between two spot colors, you should assign different screen angles to those spot colors. If
two spot colors have the same screen angle, they will overprint each other. If you’re not sure what the angles should
be, consult with your prepress service provider.

See also
“About halftone screen frequency” on page 630

Printing a composite
You can print a color or grayscale composite proof to check colors in your document. A composite image can help you
design and proof your layout before you print final (and costly) separations.
When InDesign prints a composite, it prints all of the colors used in the file on one plate, regardless of whether any
individual colors are selected.

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Consider the following issues when printing composites:

• While no proof will give you an exact representation of your final output, you can greatly improve its accuracy by
calibrating all the devices you use to create a document (such as scanners, monitors, and printers). If the devices
are calibrated, the color management system can help you get predictable and consistent color.

• Any overprinting options that you’ve selected in the document will print correctly on a printer that supports
overprinting. Since most desktop printers don’t support overprinting, you can simulate the effects of overprinting
by selecting Simulate Overprint in the Output section of the Print dialog box.
Important: Selecting Simulate Overprint will convert spot colors to process colors for printing. If you intend to use a
file for separations on a RIP, or for final output, do not select this option.

• When you print to a black-and-white printer, InDesign produces a grayscale composite version of the pages. If the
document contains color, InDesign prints visually correct grays to simulate that color. For example, the gray that
simulates a 20% tint of yellow is lighter than a 20% tint of black, since yellow is visually lighter than black.

• When you print a book with chapters containing conflicting spot inks or trap styles, you can instruct InDesign to
synchronize settings with the master document.

• If you’re using color management with the Book feature, make sure that each document in the book uses the same
color management settings in the Color Settings dialog box.
Note: Remember that, like monitors, color printers vary greatly in color reproduction quality; thus, proofs from your
service provider are the best way to verify how the finished piece will look.

See also
“Improving gradients and color blends in print” on page 602
“Synchronize book documents” on page 293
“Use color management when printing” on page 599

Preview color separations
You can preview color separations, ink coverage limits, and overprinting using the Separations Preview panel.
Previewing separations on your monitor lets you check the following:
Varnishes and other coatings Since varnishes are transparent, they can be difficult to preview on-screen. When you

preview a varnish separation by itself, the varnished areas appear in black.
Rich black Previewing separations lets you identify areas that will print as rich black, or process black (K) ink mixed
with color inks for increased opacity and richer color.
Ink coverage Too much ink on the paper can cause drying problems. Ask your commercial printer for the maximum

ink coverage of the press you will be printing on. You can then preview the document to identify areas where ink
coverage exceeds the press’s limit.
Overprinting You can preview how blending, transparency, and overprinting will appear in color-separated output.

Note: You can also see overprinting effects when you output to a composite printing device. This is useful for proofing
color separations.
While previewing separations on your monitor can help you detect problems without the expense of printing
separations, it does not let you preview trapping, emulsion options, printer’s marks, and halftone screens and
resolution. Work with your commercial printer to verify these settings using integral or overlay proofs.
Note: Objects on hidden layers are not included in an on-screen preview.

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See also
“Overprinting page items” on page 625
“Keys for using the Separations Preview panel” on page 691
“Separate spot colors as process” on page 629

Preview separation plates
1 Choose Window > Output > Separations Preview.
2 For View, choose Separations.
3 Do any of the following:

• To view a single separation and hide all others, click the name of the separation you want to view. By default, areas
of coverage appear in black. To change this, deselect Show Single Plates In Black on the panel menu.

• To view one or more separations, click the empty box to the left of each separation name. Each separation appears
in its assigned color.

• To hide one or more separations, click the eye icon
• To view all process plates at once, click the CMYK icon

to the left of each separation name.
.

• To view all separations at once, click and drag the pointer across all of the eye icons (or empty boxes) next to the
separation names.
The Separations Preview panel can also be controlled using keyboard shortcuts.

Previewing a single separation (left) and multiple separations (right)

Preview ink coverage
1 Choose Window > Output > Separations Preview.
2 For View, choose Ink Limit. Enter a value for maximum ink coverage in the box that appears next to the View

menu. (Ask your commercial printer for the correct value to enter.)
3 Verify ink coverage in the document preview. Areas that exceed the ink coverage limit are shown in shades of red

(dark red areas exceed the ink coverage limit by more than light red areas). All other areas appear in grayscale.

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Areas that exceed the specified ink coverage limit are shown in red.

4 To check ink coverage for a specific area, use the pointer to hover over that area in the document window. Ink

coverage percentages appear in the panel next to each ink name.
You can adjust ink coverage by converting some spot colors to process colors. To adjust ink coverage in placed graphics,
edit the graphics in their source applications.

Return to normal view
1 Choose Window > Output > Separations Preview.
2 For View, choose Off.

Overprinting
About overprinting
If you have not changed the transparency of your artwork with the Transparency panel, the fills and strokes in the
artwork will appear opaque, because the top color knocks out, or cuts out, the area underneath. You can prevent
knockout by using the Overprint options in the Attributes panel. After you’ve set your overprint options, you can
preview the overprinting effects on-screen.

Three overlapping circles without overprinting (left) compared to three overlapping circles with overprinting (right)

InDesign also has overprint simulation, which is useful for simulating the effects of overprinting spot and process inks
on a composite printing device.
Black ink applied to text or native InDesign objects is overprinted by default to prevent misregistration of small blacktype characters positioned over color areas, or of color areas outlined with black lines. You can change black ink
settings using Appearance Of Black preferences.

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Your design workflow may require a certain color to be set to overprint. For example, you want to print all the text in
your publication in a specific color. Consider the following options:

• Create an object style that uses the spot ink as the fill or stroke with a matching overprint fill or stroke.
• Create a separate layer for objects that contain your spot color and assign them to black.
• Create a composite PDF and change overprint settings within the PDF.
• Assign overprint settings in your RIP.
• Apply overprint settings to an image or object and add it to your library, or edit a placed file in its original
application.

See also
“Preview color separations” on page 622
“Overprinting page items” on page 625

Determining when to overprint manually
Automatic trapping in InDesign—either as built-in trapping or Adobe In-RIP Trapping—nearly eliminates the need
for manual overprinting. However, manual overprinting can be an effective solution in the rare cases when you can’t
use automatic trapping.
Use the following guidelines to determine whether or not to use overprinting:

• Consult with your service provider to see if their output devices support manual overprinting.
• Overprint when the artwork doesn’t share common ink colors and you want to create a trap or overlaid ink effects.
When overprinting process color mixes or custom colors that don’t share common ink colors, the overprint color
is added to the background color. For example, if you print a fill of 100% magenta over a fill of 100% cyan, the
overlapping fills appear violet, not magenta.

• Don’t overprint when using a stroke to trap two process colors. Instead, you specify a CMYK stroke color that uses
the higher value from the corresponding inks in each original color.

• Make sure that you and your prepress service provider agree on when and how to overprint manually, because
doing so will significantly affect trapping options specified in the Print dialog box. Overprinting is supported by
most, but not all, PostScript Level 2 and PostScript 3 devices.

Overprinting page items
You can overprint strokes or fills, paragraph rules, and rules above footnotes. You can also simulate overprinting of
spot colors.

See also
“Preview color separations” on page 622
“Define custom stroke styles” on page 338
“Footnotes” on page 176
“Adjusting ink neutral density values” on page 494

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Overprint a stroke or fill
You can overprint strokes or fills of any selected paths using the Attributes panel. An overprinted stroke or fill doesn’t
need to be trapped, because overprinting covers any potential gaps between adjacent colors. You can also overprint a
stroke to simulate a trap (by overprinting a color you’ve manually calculated as the proper combination of two adjacent
colors).
Keep the following guidelines in mind as you apply manual overprinting:

• If you use the Overprint Fill option on a 100% black stroke or fill, the black ink may not be opaque enough to
prevent the underlying ink colors from showing through. To eliminate the show-through problem, use a four-color
(rich) black instead of a 100% black. Consult with your service provider about the exact percentages of color to add
to the black.

• When using a stroke to trap objects (but not text characters), adjust the stroke alignment so the stroke falls outside
the path or object, rather than inside or centered on the path.

• When using a stroke to trap two spot colors or a spot and a process color, you usually apply the lighter color to the
stroke, and overprint the stroke.
Use the Separations Preview panel to preview how colors will overprint.
1 Select one or more paths with the Selection tool

or the Direct Selection tool , or select text characters with the
Type tool. To overprint the stroke of a path that is pasted inside a frame, you must first select the nested (inner)
path using the Direct Selection tool.

Overprinting fills and strokes
A. Cyan (bottom layer) B. Magenta (middle layer) C. Yellow (top layer)

2 Choose Window > Attributes.
3 In the Attributes panel, do any of the following:

• To overprint the fill of selected objects, or to overprint unstroked type, select Overprint Fill.
• To overprint the stroke of selected objects, select Overprint Stroke.
• To overprint a color applied to the spaces in a dashed, dotted, or patterned line, select Overprint Gap.

Overprint a paragraph rule
1 Make sure a swatch exists for your overprint color.
2 Using the Type tool, click an insertion point in a paragraph.
3 In the Paragraph panel, choose Paragraph Rules in the Paragraph panel menu.
4 In the pop-up menu at the top of the dialog box, choose the paragraph rule you want to overprint.
5 Select one of the following, then click OK.

• To overprint the stroke of the rule, select Overprint Stroke.

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• To overprint a color applied to the spaces in a dashed, dotted, or patterned line, select Overprint Gap.
Note: The Overprint Stroke and Overprint Gap options in the Paragraph Rules dialog box can be saved as part of a
paragraph style.

Overprint rules above footnotes
InDesign can automatically insert a rule to separate footnotes from the body of the document. You can choose to
overprint the rule.
1 Make sure a swatch exists for your overprint color.
2 Choose Type > Document Footnote Options.
3 In the Footnote Options dialog box, click the Layout tab.
4 Select Overprint Stroke, and click OK.

Simulate overprinting of spot inks
Overprint simulation is useful for simulating the effects of overprinting spot inks with different neutral density values
(for example, red and blue). When you print to a composite output device using overprint simulation, you can see if
the resulting color is one that you want to overprint or knock out.
1 In the Output area of the Print dialog box, choose a composite option in the Color menu.

Note: You cannot simulate overprinting when Composite Leave Unchanged is selected.
2 Select Simulate Overprint.

Change the black overprint setting
To knock out black objects in InDesign, you must prevent the black swatch from overprinting. Unlike most color
swatches, which knock out by default, the black swatch overprints by default, including all black strokes, fills, and text
characters. The 100% process black appears as [Black] in the Swatches panel. Knock out black objects by either
deselecting the overprint default in Preferences or by duplicating the default black swatch and applying the duplicated
swatch to color objects that knock out. If you disable the overprint setting in the Preferences dialog box, all instances
of Black knock out (remove underlying inks).
It can be cheaper and easier to have the print shop overprint process black on the press.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Appearance Of Black (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Appearance Of Black

(Mac OS).
2 Select or deselect Overprint [Black] Swatch at 100%.

Note: Overprint [Black] Swatch at 100% does not affect tints of [Black], unnamed black colors, or objects that appear
black because of their transparency settings or styles. It affects only objects or text colored with the [Black] swatch.

See also
“Change the appearance of CMYK black (Illustrator, InDesign)” on page 466

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Inks, separations, and screen frequency
Ink Manager overview
The Ink Manager provides control over inks at output time. Changes you make using the Ink Manager affect the
output, not how the colors are defined in the document.
Ink Manager options are especially useful for print service providers. For example, if a process job includes a spot color,
a service provider can open the document and change the spot color to the equivalent CMYK process color. If a
document contains two similar spot colors when only one is required, or if the same spot color has two different names,
a service provider can map the two to a single alias.
In a trapping workflow, the Ink Manager lets you set the ink density for controlling when trapping takes place, and it
lets you set the correct number and sequence of inks.
Note: InDesign and Acrobat share the same Ink Manager technology. However, only InDesign has the Use Standard Lab
Values For Spots option.

A
B
C

Ink Manager
A. Process ink B. Aliased Spot ink C. Spot ink

Open the Ink Manager
Do one of the following:

• From the Separations Preview panel menu (Window > Output > Separations Preview), choose Ink Manager.
• Choose File > Print, and click Output. In the Output section, click Ink Manager.

Specify which colors to separate
Each separation is labeled with the color name that InDesign assigned it. If an icon of a printer appears next to the color
name, InDesign creates a separation for the color. Any spot inks—including those defined and used in imported PDF
files or EPS graphics—also appear in the ink list.
1 In the Output area of the Print dialog box, select Separations or, if you use a PPD file that supports in-RIP

separations, select In-RIP Separations.
2 Do one of the following:

• To create a separation, make sure that the printer icon is displayed next to the color name in the ink list.

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• To choose not to create a separation, click the printer icon next to the color’s name. The printer icon disappears.

Separate spot colors as process
Using the Ink Manager, you can convert spot colors to process colors. When spot colors are converted to process color
equivalents, they are printed as separations rather than on a single plate. Converting a spot color is useful if you’ve
accidentally added a spot color to a process color document, or if the document contains more spot colors than are
practical to print.
1 In the Ink Manager, do one of the following:

• To separate individual spot colors, click the ink-type icon to the left of the spot color or aliased spot color. A process
color icon appears. To change the color back to spot, click the icon again.

• To separate all spot colors, select All Spots To Process. The icons to the left of the spot colors change to process
color icons. To restore the spot colors, deselect All Spots To Process.
Note: Selecting All Spots To Process removes any ink aliases you’ve set up in the Ink Manager and can also affect
overprinting and trapping settings in the document.
2 (InDesign only) To use the Lab values of a spot color rather than CMYK definitions, choose Use Standard Lab

Values For Spots.

Create an ink alias for a spot color
You can map a spot color to a different spot or process color by creating an alias. An alias is useful if a document
contains two similar spot colors when only one is required, or if it contains too many spot colors. You can see the
effects of ink aliasing in the printed output, and you see the effects on-screen if Overprint Preview mode is on.
1 In the Ink Manager, select the spot color ink you want to create an alias for.
2 Choose an option in the Ink Alias menu. The ink type icon and ink description change accordingly.

Display or output spot colors using Lab values
Some predefined spot colors, such as colors from the TOYO, PANTONE, DIC, and HKS libraries, are defined using
Lab values. For backward compatibility with previous versions of InDesign, colors from these libraries also include
CMYK definitions. Lab values, when used in conjunction with the correct device profiles, give you the most accurate
output across all devices. If color management is critical to your project, you might prefer to display, export, and print
spot colors using their Lab values. The Ink Manager option Use Standard Lab Values For Spots lets you control which
color mode InDesign uses for these predefined spot colors: Lab or CMYK. If you need the output to match earlier
versions of InDesign, you should use the CMYK equivalent values.
Note: To improve on-screen accuracy, InDesign uses the Lab values automatically if Overprint Preview is on. It also uses
Lab values when printing or exporting if you’ve selected Simulate Overprint in the Output area of either the Print or
Export Adobe PDF dialog box.
1 Choose Ink Manager in the Separations Preview panel menu.
2 Do one of the following:

• For Lab values, select Use Standard Lab Values For Spots.
• For CMYK values, deselect Use Standard Lab Values For Spots.

See also
“Ink Manager overview” on page 628

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Color separations

About halftone screen frequency
In commercial printing, continuous tone is simulated by dots (called halftone dots) printed in rows (called lines or line
screens). Lines are printed at different angles to make the rows less noticeable. The Screening menu in the Output
section of the Print dialog box displays the recommended sets of line screens in lines per inch (lpi), and resolution in
dots per inch (dpi), based on the currently selected PPD. As you select inks in the ink list, the values in the Frequency
and Angle boxes change, showing you the halftone screen frequency and angle for that ink.
A high line-screen ruling (for example, 150 lpi) spaces the dots closely together to create a finely rendered image on
the press; a low line-screen ruling (60 lpi to 85 lpi) spaces the dots farther apart to create a coarser image. The size of
the dots is also determined by the line screen. A high line-screen ruling uses small dots; a low line-screen ruling uses
large dots. The most important factor in choosing a line-screen ruling is the type of printing press your job will use.
Ask your service provider how fine a line screen its press can hold, and make your choices accordingly.
A

Line screens
A. 65 lpi: Coarse screen for printing newsletters and grocery coupons B. 85 lpi: Average screen for printing newspapers C. 133 lpi: High-quality
screen for printing four-color magazines D. 177 lpi: Very fine screen for printing annual reports and images in art books

The PPD files for high-resolution imagesetters offer a wide range of possible screen frequencies, paired with various
imagesetter resolutions. The PPD files for low-resolution printers typically have only a few choices for line screens,
usually coarser screens of between 53 lpi and 85 lpi. The coarser screens, however, give optimum results on
low-resolution printers. Using a finer screen of 100 lpi, for example, actually decreases the quality of your image when
you use a low-resolution printer for final output.

Specify a halftone screen frequency and resolution
❖ In the Output section of the Print dialog box, choose one of the following options:

• To select one of the preset screen frequencies and printer resolution combinations, choose an option in the
Screening menu.

• To specify a custom halftone screen frequency, select the plate to be customized, and then enter the lpi value in the
Frequency text box and a screen angle value in the Angle text box.
Note: Before creating your own halftone screens, check with your service provider for the preferred frequencies and angles.
Also, be aware that some output devices override the default frequencies and angles.

See also
“About halftone screen frequency” on page 630

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About emulsion and image exposure
Depending on the type of printing press used and how information is transferred from the film to the printing plates,
you may need to give your service provider film negatives or positives, with emulsion side up or down. Emulsion refers
to the photosensitive layer on a piece of film or paper. Typically, print service providers require negative film in the
United States and positive film in Europe and Japan. Check with your service provider to determine which emulsion
direction they prefer.
To tell whether you are looking at the emulsion side or the nonemulsion side (also referred to as the base), examine
the final film under a good light. One side appears shinier than the other. The dull side is the emulsion side; the shiny
side is the base.

Emulsion options
A. Positive image B. Negative C. Negative with emulsion side down

Important: The emulsion and image exposure settings in the Print dialog box override any conflicting settings in the
printer driver. Always specify print settings using the Print dialog box.

Specify emulsion
1 In the Output section of the Print dialog box, for Color, choose Composite Gray or a separation option.
2 For Flip, select one of the following options:
None (the default) Makes no changes to the orientation of the imageable area. Type in the image is readable (that is,

right reading) when the photosensitive layer is facing you.
Horizontal Mirrors the imageable area across a vertical axis so that it is wrong reading.
Vertical Mirrors the imageable area across a horizontal axis so that it is upside down.
Horizontal & Vertical Mirrors the imageable area across the horizontal and vertical axes so that it is wrong reading.
Type is readable when the photosensitive layer is facing away from you. Images printed on film are often printed
Horizontal & Vertical.

Specify the image exposure
1 In the Output section of the Print dialog box, for Color, choose Composite Gray or a separation option.
2 Select or deselect the Negative option.

Checking separation and document settings
The Summary area of the Print dialog box displays a summary of color management information, printer’s marks
dimensions, and bleeds for the document. The section also indicates whether trapping has been enabled.
You can also perform a quality check before printing or handing off the document to a service provider.

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See also
“Define preflight profiles” on page 603

Proofing color separations
Create a hard proof to verify that colors will print on the correct separations, or a soft proof to preview how your
document’s colors will look when reproduced on a particular output device.
Note: While no proof will give you an exact representation of your final output, you can greatly improve its accuracy by
calibrating all the devices you use to create a document (such as scanners, monitors, and printers). If the devices are
calibrated, the color management system can help you get predictable and consistent color.
The hard proof represents your expectation of the way the final separations will appear, and helps the service provider
to verify that the output is correct. Be sure to print proofs on a PostScript printer; you cannot reliably proof color
separations printed from a non-PostScript printer.
For assurance that the file will print correctly, consider saving the separations as a PostScript file, converting the
PostScript file to Acrobat 8 PDF using Acrobat Distiller, and then viewing the PDF document in Acrobat. By viewing
the PDF document in Acrobat, you can inspect high-quality PostScript output on-screen at a high level of detail.

See also
“Preview color separations” on page 622
“About soft-proofing colors” on page 469
“Print a hard proof” on page 601

Producing in-RIP separations
To produce in-RIP separations, you need the following software and hardware:

• A PPD file that supports in-RIP separations.
• Any PostScript 3 output device, or a PostScript Level 2 device whose RIP supports in-RIP separations. If the
document contains duotones from Photoshop 5.0 or later, a PostScript 3 device is required to generate in-RIP
separations.
Note: Depending on the prepress software available, a service provider may be able to perform such prepress activities as
trapping, imposition, separating, and OPI replacement at the output device’s RIP. Therefore, your service provider may
prefer to receive a composite PostScript file of the document optimized for in-RIP separations, rather than a preseparated
PostScript file.

See also
“Creating PostScript and EPS files” on page 609

Print or save separations
1 At the top of the Print dialog box, choose a preset in the Print Preset menu, if one with the appropriate separation

settings exists.
2 Do one of the following:

• To print to an output device, choose the device in the Printer menu.
• To print to a file, choose PostScript® File in the Printer menu. Then choose a PPD that supports the output device.

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3 Click General, and specify the pages to separate.
4 Click Output, and do one of the following:

• To print to an output device, choose Separations to create the separations in InDesign.
• To print to a file, choose either Separations, or In-RIP Separations to save separation settings in a composite
PostScript file for processing in the RIP.
Note: To use Adobe In-RIP Trapping, you must be working with in-RIP rather than host-based separations. Otherwise,
the trapping feature won’t have access to all of the colors at once, and trapping won’t occur.
5 Click Graphics, and do the following:

• For Send Data, choose All.
• For Download, choose Complete or Subset, unless fonts will be inserted later (for example, at the RIP or by a postprocessing application).

• For PostScript®, select the PostScript level of the output device: Level 2 or Level 3.
6 Click Advanced, and do any of the following:

• To replace low-resolution graphics embedded in placed EPS files with their high-resolution versions at output time,
make sure that Read Embedded OPI Image Links was selected when the EPS file was placed in the InDesign
document, and then select OPI Image Replacement in the Advanced area of the Print dialog box.

• To omit different imported graphics types for later replacement by an OPI server, select from the Omit For OPI
options.

• For Transparency Flattener Preset, choose [High Resolution] or an available custom style with high-resolution
settings.
7 Choose any other print options.
8 Do one of the following:

• To print to an output device, click Print.
• To print to a file, click Save and accept the default filename, or type another name for the file. Then click Save again.
Note: Once you’ve created separations of the InDesign document, the settings you’ve chosen in the Print dialog box are
saved with the separated file. The file saves the separation settings, the PPD information, and any color conversions you
have specified in the Print dialog box.

See also
“Creating PostScript and EPS files” on page 609
“Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) files” on page 353
“Options for omitting graphics” on page 598

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634

Chapter 23: Automation
Extend the capabilities of Adobe InDesign CS4 by using scripts and plug-ins that you or someone else has created.
Create form letters, envelopes, and mailing labels using Data Merge.

Scripting
Scripting in InDesign
Scripting is a great tool for performing a variety of tasks. A script can be as simple as an automated common task or as
complex as an entire new feature. You can create your own scripts, and you can run scripts that other people have
created. For more information on scripting, see the Scripting Guide in the Adobe InDesign Technical Info folder on
the InDesign DVD. You can also find the Scripting Guide, scripting requirements, and other developer resources at
www.adobe.com/go/scripting_id.
The Scripting Guide contains an introduction to scripting and tutorials. The Technical Info folder also includes a
number of useful scripts that you can run, such as a script that draws guides around the selected object. Some of these
scripts appear by default in the Scripts panel.

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