Placing InDesign files instead of eps

sluce

New member
We create teaching materials in InDesign. We need to show pages of other documents as part of the content. (i.e. "Hand out this page to the students").
Last year we created eps files and placed them. Time consuming, hard to keep track of pages, especially annoying when changes had to be made.
This year we were thrilled to discover we can place "live" InDesign pages in the document.

However, the printer says "no - gotta stick with the eps" (even though we send them pdfs)

We can't switch printers, so we'd like to know how to educate our printer. Their argument is that the eps method "works" and there are no guarantees with the InDesign files.

Advancements in applications and our workflow aren't any good if we can't get the document to print!

Thanks!
 
Re: Placing InDesign files instead of eps

I've done it many times, and it works as well or better than placing an
.eps file (or pdf, ai, or psd for that matter). Why on earth would they think
that a linked InDesign document would be any different than the InDesign
document you're using to generate the pdf files now? How will they even
know? If they need flattened files give them PDF 1.3 compatible PDFs.

Edited by: doubting_thomas on Apr 28, 2008 4:19 PM
 
Re: Placing InDesign files instead of eps

So, if you are sending PDF's how would the printer know or care how you are producing them? Or do you mean the printer is having problems with the new PDF's? If so, what kind of problem are they having? I'd guess that if they are having problems with CS3 PDF's that they haven't kept their RIP upgraded.
 
Re: Placing InDesign files instead of eps

just remember - these placed indy files act just like an image - so ya gotta supply them just the way you'd supply an image - unless you are supplying pdf's - then joe's right :)
 
Re: Placing InDesign files instead of eps

> {quote:title=sluce wrote:}{quote}
> ... we'd like to know how to educate our printer.

maybe with a big stick
 
Re: Placing InDesign files instead of eps

I worked with many major textbook publishers for many years. EPS is the WORST way to bring in pages. Fonts, embedded images, and other issues can cause an EPS to "break" when it goes to final output.

About 5 years ago, the company I worked for (this was during the Quark 4 days, decided to use placed PDF files for the placed "Student Pages" in the teacher's editions. This was a very good solution as overnight we got rid of font and low-res image problems. We just needed to make sure that the PDFs were properly produced. At that time we ensured that by producing the PDFs ourselves from the original student edition files.

Placed InDesign files make this workflow even better because now you can also make edits to the original placed pages. In our old workflow we needed to go back to the original book files and rePDF any pages that had changes (very unlikely since we wanted to properly represent the printed student page).

Hope this helps. It sounds like your printer is suffering from "This is the way we do it" syndrome.
 
Re: Placing InDesign files instead of eps

Do the linked InDesign files get scooped up when the file is packaged? I have yet to have an opportunity to need this feature, but I'm sure looking forward to it, when I do. :)
 

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