Trying to use Illustrator files in InDesign

I used to do the finish work on grocery circulars for a chain in Colorado, and they would provide a base document of master pages, and then I'd update all the versions with correct pricing and swap out brand name logos and wording.

The more "standard" workflow that I use and see is an InDesign document that has all the text  in text boxes, and artwork (photos and graphics) are placed from Illustrator and Photoshop into the document.

It sounds like you are asking your print company to go the other way - that you are providing the text as an Illustrator file? Once that file is placed it can't be edited in InDesign - they'd have to go back to Illustrator and edit it there and then update it every time a change needs to be made.

If the circulars are copy intensive and the printer has to make edits to the text (regional pricing, for example) and drop in matching brand specific artwork, then the printer may be trying to tell you they'd prefer to work in InDesign. Not that they CAN'T use the Illustrator files, just that it would be easier to do those edits in InDesign.

Actually, if you have to use a hack to get Illustrator content to your printer via InDesign, absolutely don't try placing a .AI file in InDesign, but rather, save as PDF/X-4 with no downsampling of images. Simply placing a .AI file will not work at all if the .AI file doesn't have PDF compatibility and the PDF compatibility option of Illustrator doesn't provide the highest quality PDF content. That's why you should go with PDF/X-4.

That having been said, why can't your printer directly take PDF and specifically PDF/X-4? That's pretty much the standard for the print industry these days.

          - Dov