Creating a Preflight Report


When you create an InDesign document, you have two jobs: designer and production manager. As the production manager, you need to know if there could be any problems printing your job. Fortunately, InDesign has a built-in preflight utility that checks all the elements in your document to make sure they print correctly. (The name comes from the list that airline pilots complete before they take off.)

To run the preflight utility:

1.

Choose File > Preflight. InDesign takes a moment to check all the elements of the document and then opens the Preflight dialog box .

The Preflight dialog box lets you choose each of the categories for the various aspects of printing a document.

2.

Review the information in the Preflight Summary .

The Summary area of the Preflight dialog box gives you an overview of the categories checked during a preflight.

Tip

Any potential printing problems are flagged with an alert symbol in the Preflight Summary.

3.

Click each of the categories in the Preflight dialog box . (See the following exercises for details on these categories.)

The preflight categories let you see the details of the preflight report.

4.

Click the Report button to create a report of the preflight status.

or

Click the Package button to copy all the necessary files into a folder that you choose before you print the document.

Tip

The Package button is the same as the Package command located on the File menu. (See page 489 for more information on packaging a document.)

Tip

You can open the preflight report in a text editor.

Your service bureau may ask you to use only Type 1 fonts. The Fonts area lets you make sure that you have used the correct fonts and that they are correctly installed.

To review the fonts information:

1.

Choose Fonts from the categories on the left of the Preflight dialog box. This opens the Fonts area, which shows the type of font and whether it is installed in the system .

The Fonts area of the Preflight dialog box shows you the status of the fonts used in a document.

2.

If you want to replace a nonstandard or missing font, click the Find Font button. This opens the Find Font dialog box that lets you replace fonts (see page 361).

You also want to make sure that placed graphics are in the correct format and that they aren't missing or modified.

To review the Links information:

1.

Choose Links and Images from the categories on the left of the Preflight dialog box. This opens the Links area, which shows the placed images .

The Links and Images area of the Preflight dialog box shows you the status of the placed images in the document.

2.

Choose the modified or missing image.

3.

If the image is modified, click the Update button.

or

If the image is missing, click the Relink button. This opens the Find dialog box.

4.

Navigate to choose the missing image.

5.

Click the Repair All button to have InDesign update all modified images or open the dialog box for all missing images.

You should also check the colors and inks to make sure that the right number of colors print.

To review the Colors and Inks information:

  • Choose Colors and Inks from the categories on the left of the Preflight dialog box. This shows the colors used within the document .

    The Colors and Inks area of the Preflight dialog box shows the process and spot color plates in the document.

You can also look at the Print Settings for a complete list of all the print settings currently applied to the document.

To review the Print Settings information:

  • Choose Print Settings from the categories on the left of the Preflight dialog box. This shows the print settings applied to the document .

    The Print Settings area of the Preflight dialog box shows you the current print settings applied to the document.

You can also look to see if any external plug-ins were used in creating the document. You may need to alert your print shop that these plug-ins are necessary for outputting the document.

Tip

You don't need to worry about the plug-ins unless you have installed any special third-party plug-ins.


To review the external plug-ins information:

  • Choose External Plug-ins from the categories on the left of the Preflight dialog box. This shows any third-party plug-ins that have been installed .

    The External Plug-ins area of the Preflight dialog box shows any third-party plug-ins that have been installed.

    Tip

    Even though it was installed with the program, the InBooklet SE plug-in is considered a third-party plug-in.



InDesign CS2 for Macintosh and Windows(c) Visual QuickStart Guide
InDesign CS4 for Macintosh and Windows: Visual QuickStart Guide
ISBN: 0321573579
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 309
Authors: Sandee Cohen

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