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Question

Is there a difference between exporting PDF Files in InDesign vs Illustrator?

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
March 29, 2019
4 replies
1978 views

Hello!

I was curious about some questions, but I couldn't find the answers I was looking for anywhere.

So here are my questions:

When you create a logo in Illustrator can you export the same logo in InDesign as a PDF file?

Is there any difference between the PDF's in Illustrator and PDF's in InDesign?

Because as far I as I know there are different types of PDF - vector and raster.

My problem is that i need to create a margin in my Illustrator projects, but I know that you have that option in InDesign when you are creating a new file.

So, Am I going to have problems with the printing process afterward or there is no difference between the PDF option in Illustrator and InDesign?

I would really appreciate it if someone can give me some advice or tips regarding this topic because I want to make sure when I'm sending the final files to my clients I won't have problems with the margins.

Thank you for your time!

This topic has been closed for replies.

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Some software is made that only accepts PDF 1.3 or less.

Also, some companies have standardised on it, even if it has no advantage: you must deliver it if it is what they insist on.

R

radoslava645Author

Known Participant

Got it!

How do you usually flatten a logo in Illustrator?

Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

wrote
Got it!
How do you usually flatten a logo in Illustrator?

You don't, if you can help it.

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

You can use transparency in both InDesign and Illustrator (and other apps). Transparency is where you can make a layer or object "part transparent" so you can see through it. You can put transparent things into PDF too, it just works.

Except... transparency was added way back in Acrobat 5.0. So it was a new kind of PDF too. We call that PDF 1.4.

So, files of PDF 1.4 or later (1.5, 1.6, 1.7) can have transparency. But PDF files that of an older type (1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3) cannot have transparency.

You may not think such old files are important but even today millions of files every day have to be made to an old PDF format (often PDF 1.3), so transparency cannot be used. To make everything work, the transparency is "flattened". What's that?

Well, suppose you had a photo, and you wanted red text over it, and wanted the text transparent so you could see the redness and the photo behind it. If you flatten a PDF, it will make a raster image combining these two things. This is a complicated process, to keep text quality (there are options to control that). After this, there is no real text left. Vectors MIGHT need to be rasterised (made a raster image), or not; it does as little as possible.

R

radoslava645Author

Known Participant

What are the benefits of using PDF 1.3 or less?

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

They are both good tools for making PDF. Both of them will make vector PDF from vector data, and raster PDF from raster data, using both types in one PDF. Only if you flatten transparency or use PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-3 does your vector data stand the risk of being turned into raster data.

The PDF files they may won't be identical (the same inside) but they should look the same outside, and have the same quality.

R

radoslava645Author

Known Participant

I'm kinda new to this topic so I was curious what does flatten transparency mean? Now I'm in the process of learning and I want to learn as much information as I can.

Thank you for your answer!

Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

If you have some types of transparent elements in a file they may be rasterised in the process of flattening.

Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

radoslava645 wrote
Because as far I as I know there are different types of PDF - vector and raster.

PDFs can contain vector and raster data but there are not separate types of PDF for these types. They coexist in the same container.

What exactly is your workflow here? Are you placing a logo you created in Illustrator in InDesign?

R

radoslava645Author

Known Participant

I'm not placing my logos in InDesign. That was just an idea I was considering, but I couldn't find anything online.

Regarding my workflow, I usually create the bleed and I try to calculate the margin size, but I'm afraid to continue applying this method because I know it's not probably right. And I also know that in InDesign you have these options when you are creating the files and that's why I posted my questions and concerns here.

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