InDesign to Illustrator

[Cmd-P]

I haven't worked with label printing and I am sure there are several of us who are just like me. Can you explain what you have to manipulate in an Illustrator file to get it to print on a label (flexo press). Perhaps this will help the rest of us understand what is needing to be done to our files.

Sorry to interject, but answers to this question could possibly save gazillions of dollars and also put me out of work once and for all.

This question ought to have it’s own thread and I can’t even scratch the surface, but many things are often needed to be done to prepare supplied "print ready" files: from minor text editing (if required) and removal or remapping of colors, to adjusting percentages in gradient backgrounds, manipulating or resizing graphics and placed images and their windows for template accuracy (as John W. just mentioned); and not to mention, adding or adjusting holding lines, ko’s and built-in traps for these images.

Fortunately, I have a “make it nice” button on my keyboard that automates most of these and other processes.

And NOT to say that Indesign can’t do all that’s needed, but I too am more familiar and prefer Illustrator for labels, packaging, and many page layout jobs as well.

 

[BarbWPP]

As a side comment, and if needed, or if you are tired of hunting down links, it is also possible to copy from Illustrator into InDesign. Just have to be careful about non-proportional scaling of things that should be kept proportional - such as logos.

And, so far for me, and no matter the preference settings, as far as I have managed to test it (not my strong skill set), text copied from AI and pasted into InD always goes to outlines/paths/curves, whatever you want to call them, so no editing as text from then on. Text can be copied from a pdf and pastes in as text, however - so if needed, save as your AI file to pdf, and go from there.

 

[zoran]

Z, how does rejecting Adobe InDesign files in favor of Adobe Illustrator files avoid "Adobe lock in"?

My apology, I should be more diligent in reading long threads, I missed this question.
When they say Illustrator files, I thought they meant eps files as that is usually lingo people use.
I doubt most of the people send AI files.
In case of eps, it is not locked in to Illustrator as most other software can recognize/work with eps in one way or another.

Nothing personally against Adobe, however I am still feeling betrayed by Adobe Cloud and consider it to be money grab, even though it does seem inevitable at this point that sooner or later we'll all end up using Adobe Cloud regardless if we want it or not.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

zoran, I believe when packaging/label/tag folk as for an Illustrator file, that is what they are asking for – a native file, not an .eps version of a native file (which is not the same thing). I don’t believe that they are being slack with lingo/terminology.


Stephen Marsh

 

[Chief_1975]

Nearly all artwork for packaging, labels, cartons etc is done using Adobe Illustrator. Multi page leaflets are the exception as traditionally these are handled better in InDesign.

 

[pcmodem]

Nearly all artwork for packaging, labels, cartons etc is done using Adobe Illustrator. Multi page leaflets are the exception as traditionally these are handled better in InDesign.

So far, everyone has said Illustrator is used for labels. Other than I feel more comfortable in Illustrator over InDesign, I haven't seen anyone post a good reason why Illustrator is used. If there are features Illustrator has which InDesign doesn't. Great, share them and what they are used for. I am looking to educate myself as to the why. Then I can understand the how.

Brian

 

[Stephen Marsh]

So far, everyone has said Illustrator is used for labels. Other than I feel more comfortable in Illustrator over InDesign, I haven’t seen anyone post a good reason why Illustrator is used.

Because that is traditionally where label/tag/packaging specific tools have been supported – namely from Esko and other players in these industries (either stand alone tools or as plug-ins). Tools could be trapping, channel mapping, dynamic bar code or nutritional info or step and repeat/nesting to CAD files etc. This is where the skill-set of employees is and not every label/tag/packaging shop may have InDesign (however with CC this is of course changing).

If there are features Illustrator has which InDesign doesn’t. Great, share them and what they are used for. I am looking to educate myself as to the why. Then I can understand the how.

Brian

Cupshaping/Envelope distortion is one specific tool that Illustrator and Esko have that does not exist in InDesign. This distortion is used to account for the differing diameter of the top vs the bottom of a cup or tub.

One can supply Illustrator PDF page layouts to commercial printer’s, however one may not make too many friends by doing so – which is the flipside to InDesign being supplied to label printers.


Stephen Marsh

 

[pcmodem]

Because that is traditionally where label/tag/packaging specific tools have been supported – namely from Esko and other players in these industries (either stand alone tools or as plug-ins). Tools could be trapping, channel mapping, dynamic bar code or nutritional info or step and repeat/nesting to CAD files etc. This is where the skill-set of employees is and not every label/tag/packaging shop may have InDesign (however with CC this is of course changing).

Cupshaping/Envelope distortion is one specific tool that Illustrator and Esko have that does not exist in InDesign. This distortion is used to account for the differing diameter of the top vs the bottom of a cup or tub.

Thank you for sharing and I do see where Illustrator would be more powerful than InDesign in certain cases.

Should trapping still be an issue with newer RIP's that have trapping built in? I know for commercial work manual trapping, for the most part, is a thing on the past.

Brian

 

[zoran]

zoran, I believe when packaging/label/tag folk as for an Illustrator file, that is what they are asking for – a native file, not an .eps version of a native file (which is not the same thing). I don’t believe that they are being slack with lingo/terminology.


Stephen Marsh

Then I stand corrected, in such case my theory does not apply.

 

[Simon Ivarsson]

Thank you for sharing and I do see where Illustrator would be more powerful than InDesign in certain cases.

Should trapping still be an issue with newer RIP's that have trapping built in? I know for commercial work manual trapping, for the most part, is a thing on the past.

Brian

Most label converters do their trapping with illustrator plugins from esko, PackSharp etc or with standalone editors like Artpro or Packedge and not in the RIP. Simply because the result isn't good enough otherwise.

 

[Glenn McDowall]

traps for flexo can be a long way from the norm, biggest one I had to put on was 3mm for printing on to cardboard just under 2m across. For Litho they are, as suggested, almost a thing of the past, either added automatically by the workflow or just left butt-fit. I'd be interested to know how some of the really big stuff is produced, for example at the canvas/tarpaulin on the side of a lorry/truck.