Nexus Workflow and Indesign/Quark

[tommrz]

We are strictly a label shop. We have dealt with mainly Illustrator and ArtPro files for years. We have taken on a new customer who builds everything in InDesign and Quark. I come from a commercial background so working with the files is not a problem. The problem is trapping. We have been exporting PDFx-4 files from InDesign and bringing them into Illustrator to do the actual production work. This causes a number of problems with transparency heavy files. My question is how are other Nexus Rip users handling this situation. We have no in-line trapping at the rip. Does Esko offer a module with AE12 that we could do this with? Can we even get a Esko normalized PDF out of InDesign or Quark? I wish I had Prinergy here just for these files alone!!!

 

[DCurry]

Can you use InDesign's or Quark's trapping? I'm not a fan of opening PDFs in Illustrator unless it's an absolute last resort.

 

[PrepressDan]

Yes, AE10 will do auto trapping on PDF files. You can even have a script in AE12 auto convert the Quark and InDesign files to PDF all in line with your workflow.

 

[StillWaiting]

Yes, AE10 will do auto trapping on PDF files. You can even have a script in AE12 auto convert the Quark and InDesign files to PDF all in line with your workflow.

Do explain ...

 

[tommrz]

Please, do explain...

 

[PrepressDan]

In AE12 (Automation Engine 12) you can have a workflow that takes native files (inDesign or Quark). The workflow would route based on file type, if it is inDesign it would route to a path that would run a script (applescript or javascript) that would open the document, link images and export to PDF. After the script is done, the PDF that was exported would continue on in the workflow to do whatever else you want it to do. (preflight, color handling, trapping etc....). You can put the file on hold after the trapping to inspect and or edit the traps. After you would release the file to whatever else (imposition, RIP etc...).

As far as the trapping. AE12 has a built in auto trapper that works based on rules. You can create as many different trap presets as you wish. You even have the opportunity to edit the traps via a editor. If these were illustrator you would use illustrator with or without the deskpack plugins. Being that you are talking Quark and InDesign I would prefer to use something like Neo or Pitstop. Neo is more powerful but also pricier.

Hope this all makes sense.

 

[StillWaiting]

We just export to PDF from InDesign then run the PDF via AE. Is there an advantage of running the "script" via AE? To get the PDF to be normalized for further tasks in AE? Esko support/installers has never mentioned that native InDesign or Quark file can be opened and/or travel in/through AE?

 

[DCurry]

In AE12 (Automation Engine 12) you can have a workflow that takes native files (inDesign or Quark). The workflow would route based on file type, if it is inDesign it would route to a path that would run a script (applescript or javascript) that would open the document, link images and export to PDF.

So, how are fonts handled? I can see that with InDesign you'd only need a folder called "Document fonts" residing in the same directory as the INDD file, but as far as I know Quark doesn't have that feature.

 

[PrepressDan]

usually when I script the export of PDF from either Quark or InDesign I have the script load a folder of fonts into the user fonts folder and then remove it when it is done. I guess it depends on how your job folders are set up. We have a job folder with sub folders (fonts, images). o

 

[PrepressDan]

We just export to PDF from InDesign then run the PDF via AE. Is there an advantage of running the "script" via AE? To get the PDF to be normalized for further tasks in AE? Esko support/installers has never mentioned that native InDesign or Quark file can be opened and/or travel in/through AE?

Is there an advantage? Not technically. We do it because it saves the operator from having to do it. Just trying to save time. The reason Esko doesn't mention it is that they have a policy not to support or write scripts. The scripting assistant is very new in AE and most of their installers are not very comfortable with it.

 

[Simon Ivarsson]

This of course depends on the amount of labels you have to process.
If its not that much I would probably do like this:
Export to pdf from INDD / Quark
Open in Illustrator using esko plugin "pdf import"
PDF Import for Adobe Illustrator - Import PDF files - Esko
Trap the files in illustrator with esko plugin "instant trapper"
Instant Trapper for Adobe Illustrator ® - Interactive trapping - Esko

 

[tommrz]

Simon,
Thats pretty much the way we have been doing it sans the Esko plugin. The problem is these folks love the blurs, bevels and shadows. Transparency everywhere and the files get messy when we convert them. We use PDF x4 in an attempt to hold all the transparencies but it does not seems to work 100%. I was looking for a solution like this:
Export PDF/Normalized PDF from InDesign or Quark---Submit to hot folder---AE12 does the trapping---Edit any traps as needed in Pitstop (or something similar)
I would like to avoid the Illustrator conversion if at all possible. We are talking 75 skus a month so far.

 

[Simon Ivarsson]

With PDF import plugin illustrator can handle PDF files very good actually.
So I see no problem using AI for editing the trapping created by AE. But the best software however to handle normalised PDFs are Packedge.
I wouldn't recommend Neo or pitstop.

 

[PrepressDan]

You still have to worry about live text. Don't believe PDF import does anything to handle that differently.

 

[tommrz]

So from what I have read there appears to be no inline solution without having to do a conversion of some sort. No way to export esko normalized PDFs in InDesign and Quark? How do commercial printers with Esko workflows handle this? It is cumbersome enough working on a single surface/single page file, I couldn't imagine doing this for a 32 page catalog.

 

[Simon Ivarsson]

The inline solution with script, just like explained before. But the conversion needs to be done somehow. Or are there any workflows that can use quark files??

 

[Esko_DavidH]

Is there an advantage? Not technically. We do it because it saves the operator from having to do it. Just trying to save time. The reason Esko doesn't mention it is that they have a policy not to support or write scripts. The scripting assistant is very new in AE and most of their installers are not very comfortable with it.

True enough - but there is quite a bit of documentation available already:
* a white paper: http://help.esko.com/Product/ShowDoc?language=en-us&productname=automationengine&versionname=12&docname=otherdocs&filename=Scripting_in_Automation_Engine.pdf
* and a summary in the User Guide: Scripting