Export file as tiff to print? 1

[lilypaddesign]

I created an InDesign file (a business card) on my mac in OS10, which I will be getting professionally printed. The printer I am using doesn't have InDesign and they said I need to export the entire file as a tiff in order for them to print it. I can't figure out how to do this. Alternatively, I could recreate the file in PageMaker but I'd rather not spend the time. Is there a way to open the InDesign 2.0.1 file in PageMaker 6.5 (which runs on OS9)?

 

[MarcusStringer]

No, They ment to say, PDF instead of Tiff.

There are heapsof info in the help menu which will explain this process.

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[lilypaddesign]

Actually, I had exported it as a pdf but the printer still said they couldn't use it and said they would need it as a tiff.

 

[jimoblak]

You had better be getting a colossally cheap deal on these cards.

Make sure that when you convert your PDF to TIFF, you do so as 600-1200 ppi without anti-aliasing. It is best to convert to bitmap mode in Photoshop if you cannot export from Acrobat in this mode.

- - picklefish - -
Why is everyone in this forum responding to me as picklefish?

 

[texasjoe]

Indesign ---> Acrobat ---> PDF ----> Photoshop ---> TIFF!

What could be simpler?

LOL

 

[MarcusStringer]

What sort of backyard Printer are you dealing with?
Like Jimoblak said, you want to hope you are getting it cheap.
They must not be doing much work if they only get stuff in Tif Format.

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[lilypaddesign]

Thanks, everyone, for your input. The cards are pretty cheap. How does a Printer get color separation from a pdf? If I supplied the Printer with the pdf of the business card and the original Illustrator file of the logo (which is on the card), should they be able to print the card using those two files? I design mostly for the web so I'm somewhat ignorant about getting files print-ready.

 

[MarcusStringer]

Most Printers can handle PDF through their output RIPs which do the seperations. And some ask for seperated PDF which you can do in your print window befor making the PDF. If you give them the Logo, they will just be woundering why, PDF only should be fine.

But don't you have to give them Tiff's??

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[lilypaddesign]

Yes, that's what they told me (that they couldn't use the pdf and wanted a tiff). What I'm confused about is if I placed a 2-color overlapping graphic in the InDesign file which I created in Illustrator, how does InDesign create a color separation of that image when exporting to pdf? Isn't it just a flat image in InDesign?

 

[jmgalvin]

If you have Illustrator, it would probably have been better to use that if you had known about this beforehand. You really should find a different printer, but here are some things you can do via Indesign and Illustrator.

In Indesign go to File/Export and pick EPS. In the next window you can leave the General stuff as is.. Click on Advanced and, under transparency flattener you can pick High Resolution or, if you’ve maintained your Illustrator logo as a vector, 100% vector. Save the eps.

Open the eps in Illustrator and make sure you yu get the thing centerd so it coesn’t get clipped . Under Effect menu go to Document Raster effects. Since you probably have a lot of text at a small size, you’ll want a very high resolution. While 600 dpi will get you through, 1200 will be better for fine text. Leave the background transparent and don’t check either of the options. Hit Okay.

Then export to Tiff. With the high resolution, the tiff should be HUGE but it should print ok.

 

[MarcusStringer]

Jmgalvin, although that method will work. Can't lilypaddesign simply make a PDF then open it in PhotoShop, to save as a tif?

There is an option under the File>Print, then under the output tab change
Composite CMYK to Seperations.

Then do all the other setup stuff (it's all self explainatory) then print a Postscript file which you would then run through Distiller to get the PDF

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[jmgalvin]

Marcus: It looks like the printer is the type that can print out of Word or Appleworks. They might not even be doing any separations, but just running it through one of those fancy Xerox setups. There's one of those Minuteman shops near my home and thats how they do it. They can't take any page layout/design apps nor pdf. They actually like Appleworks.

Either that or they're plugging it into Quark, but then they usually ask for eps.

I assume that you could just save a press quality pdf out of Indesign, anp place it into a 1200 dpi PS doc and save as tiff, but lilypad design did not mention photoshop. I'm usually a little leery of using Photoshop for print when small, fine text is involved. I've received quite a few logos in tiff format and fine text had become unusable.

Illustrator was mentioned, I'm used to it and I think the result would be ok.

Like all things computer, there are 10,000 dofferent ways to get the same result. People generally stick with what comforts them. I'm very comfotable in Illustrator.

 

[MarcusStringer]

Fair enough, I didn't even think about one of those little ODP places. It makes me shiver just thinking about them trying to get a good result from Appleworks.



Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[lilypaddesign]

I made the tiff like Jmgalvin instructed (thank you!) and you're right, it's huge! I am actually more comfortable using Photoshop, and my Illustrator is an old version, but it seemed to work fine. I'll see what the Printer says tomorrow. I know the Printer does not use InDesign, but uses PageMaker. Initially they requested the file as a pdf, which I gave them, but then informed me that they couldn't get a color separation from it. Could that mean I didn't create the pdf correctly? It seems pretty straighforward in InDesign.

 

[MarcusStringer]

Then follow my steps earlier to get a seperated PDF out of InDesign

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[texasjoe]

PDFs made by exporting from InDesign are often problematic for printers.

You're better off using Acrobat to make the PDF.

Joe