poor image quality in pdf from InDesign 2

[mbahundra]

I can't work out how to get a pdf with decent quality images from an indd file. I've tried both print and export and in both cases (and I've tweaked all the settings as far as I can) the images come out all pixellated and fuzzy - completely useless.

The original images are tiff files from Photoshop. When I place them in InDesign they are crystal clear. When I export to eps they are crystal clear. When I open them with Preview they are crystal clear. When I save them as a pdf with Preview they are crystal clear. But when I try and produce a pdf directly from InDesign... nope.

I could always go the eps to pdf via Preview route, and then assemle all the pdf files but of course InDesign produces a separate file for each eps and I have a 200+ page book to assemble...

Using InDesign CS2 Version 4.0 on OSX 10.6.2.

Help. Please.

 

[spamjim]

What PDF profile(s) are you using when exporting PDF from InDesign?

 

[Nocandu]

Hi

Try clicking PDF presets and then select Press Quality and see what happens.

If everything is working normally this should give you a nice clean PDF file.

If you don't get a good PDF then something isn't working right.

Mike

 

[mbahundra]

I've been trying with press quality and all the different flavours of Arobat (4 to 7). I haven't touched the standards ("none" or a variety of PDF/X choices) because I don't know what it means.

 

[apepp]

...choose PDFX 1a 2001 in indesign to export to pdf, turn any image downsampling off in compression...

...if that looks bad in acrobat then your source images are not of sufficient resolution, particularly if you have scaled up small images you will encounter problems...

andrew

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http://www.apepp.info

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[apepp]

...also ensure you include bleed values if your artwork needs trimming at the edges, which also means artwork must overlap the trim edge fro bleed to exist...


andrew

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http://www.apepp.info

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[Nocandu]

Hi

What are the size and resolution of the Images in Photoshop, that you are placing in Indesign?

For example. 3" by 3" at 300 dpi etc.

How big are they in Indesign?

Mike

 

[mbahundra]

Thank you apepp, excellent, perfect images, must have been the downsampling. (Didn't touch the bleed values because I don't know what they mean either, but the images now look perfect).

(FYI Nocandu the images were pretty big - that's why I was so baffled, eg, original image 360dpi, 70x30mm, placed in InDesign and resized to about 1% of original size - ie 7x3mm. All images were similarly scaled.)

 

[apepp]

...bleed values are where artwork extends the trim edge (3mm is usually sufficient)...

...so for example, if you imagine you want to print a solid black across the whole trim sized paper, you need to extend that black over the trim edges by 3mm or so...

...the bleed values set in pdf export will honour that extra artwork over the trim edges in the PDF, which is required for commercial printing...

...if the printed piece is saddle stitched or perfect bound then you don't essentially need bleed on the spine edges, but you do for wiro-bound work...

andrew

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http://www.apepp.info

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