Indesign PDFs

[uredsjim]

We're soon to get CS4 installed on all our Macs, and was wondering if anyone in the industry users the PDF facility thats built into Indesign as PDF's ready for the printers.

We have Asura which is a good piece of kit that creates print ready PDFs for us currently. But was curious if Indesigns PDFs would be suitable?.

Any views?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Colorblind]

I would like to know as well. I still take the PS to PDF road (my PDFs are produced by my Agfa ApogeeX workflow) only because some publications require us to make the PDF from PS files and not to do straight exports. It doesn't make sense to me since all I send is PDFX-1a anyway. Did some tests and my 2 rips can handle PDFX-1a exported from InDesign CS4. I even had a few jobs where PS to PDFX-1a would result in strange flattening appearance in the PDF where straight PDFX-1a export from InDesign CS4 would produce a "perfect" PDF. So yes, I would like to know if anyone has experienced any problems with (already flattened) PDFs, such as X1a flavor, exported from InDesign CS4-5.

 

[Sherbert]

PDFXs from any version of Indesign CS will be loads better than any third party software.

There is no other way in my opinion. Just make sure you use the correct PDFX setting and flattener, or use pass4press settings from PPA : Pass4press

 

[oxburger]

We use ID's export feature for our ApogeeX workflow.

 

[MacTwidget]

We have been exporting PDFs directly from InDesign CS4 and CS5 for quite a while now for use with our RAMPage workflow. It has worked very well for us.
The problem with either exporting as a PDF/X-1a or distilling a PS is that neither support native transparency.

 

[Norcrans]

We are creating all of our pdf's by exporting them directly out of InDesign CS3/4 and have had no issues running them through our Prinergy 4 workflow. We have also accepted pdfs from customers that were exported directly our of InDesign CS3/4 and Quark v7/8 with little to no issues. The biggest problem with Quark has been if they have left OPI settings turned on in there Quark export settings.

 

[DCurry]

I've been exclusively exporting PDFs from InDesign for years now with nary a problem, in Prinergy 5 as well as Apogee 6 workflows. In fact, the only app I have to write to PS first and then Distill is Quark 6. Everything else gets exported direct to PDF or Save As PDF (Illustrator and Photoshop.)

 

[Sherbert]

We have been exporting PDFs directly from InDesign CS4 and CS5 for quite a while now for use with our RAMPage workflow. It has worked very well for us.
The problem with either exporting as a PDF/X-1a or distilling a PS is that neither support native transparency.

How about PDF X3?

 

[MacTwidget]

How about PDF X3?

PDF/X-3 does not support live transparency either.
For support of live transparency you'd have to do to PDF/X-4 (1.6)

 

[Duncan Hyde]

Been doing the same from InDesign Cs4 and 3 for a while now PDF-x1a if you want it flattened or PDF-x4a if your workflow supports live trans. We did X1a's on our older Creo PSM workflow for years now we use x4a's on our SCREEN Trueflow 7.0 which supports live trans so far it always makes a perfect PDF..

So no worries ok!

 

[kaiserwilhelm]

We have exported out of CS3, CS4, and now CS5 for over five years. We go straight in to TrueFlow and come back out as an APPE pdf. I only have to distill when I go through EVIL Quark.

 

[MacTwidget]

We have exported out of CS3, CS4, and now CS5 for over five years. We go straight in to TrueFlow and come back out as an APPE pdf. I only have to distill when I go through EVIL Quark.

We used to do the same with Quark (Distill PS).
QuarkXPress 8.1 and newer support live transparency in PDF export. We use it and have had no real problems to speak of. Although I am still a little cautious since they don't use Adobe's PDF code instead using Jaws from Global Graphics.

 

[DavidMa]

We export out from all the Indesign versions (CS2, 3, 4, & 5) to our Esko workflow. Not any problems to speak of, other than some "design" issues.

 

[Sev]

We export PDF/X-1a files from ID CS3 and CS4 and soon CS5 quite often, with no problems. I took the built-in PDF/X-1a preset and then customized it, such as adding crop marks, and 1/8 bleeds. I saved the custom preset so I dont have to navigate to the marks and bleeds pane, just export and go.
The resulting PDF files will always pass the PDF/X-1a certification in PitStop. We do ad fulfillment for one client that does high-end magazine ads in both USA and UK. We export PDF/X-1a files for these ads, and create the Matchprint proofs to supply to the publishers and have got nothing but good coments from the publishers about the files we send. Now as for Quark, well, enough said...

-Sev