6 meter banner?

[anogenic]

Hi,

I need to create a 6 meter x 1 meter banner in Indeign, 5.486 meters is the maximum size in Indesign, what can I do? Half size it and double resolution?

Thanks

[BobLevine]

Exactly.

Bob

[Eugene Tyson]

236 inches

39 inches

I'd work at 23.6 inches and 3.9 inches.

[MW Design]

And I would likely do it at 30% of scale. Which would be roughly a 70.85" width.

But I would also want to know the nominal viewing distance so I could properly adjust any bitmaps used (if any). So for instance, if the nominal viewing distance was as close as 3', then I would desire the images to be between 640 dpi and 740 dpi. Etc, etc.

Even in software that can handle large banners at 50% scale, I usually choose to drop down further.

At 10% of scale, and if larger dimensioned images are used, the pixel dimension could be larger than I would be comfortable with in order to achieve an effective DPI I would want.

Take care, Mike

[ryan_marchese]

Working at 50% scale will probably be the easiest for you (math-wise) and also be the kindest for your printer. I do pre-press, and there is nothing more annoying than recieving files at odd percentages (such as 30%). Most printers (machines) can be set to do the math for you, but companies will still have a person checking the files beforehand, and having to do odd math is kind of a pain.

As a rule of thumb, I usually stick to 100%, 50%, 25% and 10% (as needed by program limitations). Creates easy math for you and for anyone touching your files for production.

[natalyay71643217]

So if I choose 10%, what resolution should I choose then if the printers request looked like this: Scale 1:1 300 dpi?

[Peter Spier]

3000 ppi effective resolution in the .indd file (and DON'T downsample the PDF!!!!)

[ingeb24277994]

I have to create a banner 7 x 2,5 m for an exhabition and dilver it in PFD on real scale (7 x 2,5 m) 150 dpi.

So I createted it in Indesign at 50% (3,5 x 1,25 m).

Now my question. How can I create the PDF on real scale?

Thanks for the reply.

[Peter Spier · Accepted solution]

You can't create a PDF from InDesign that is 7 meters long, even if you break the layout into two 3.5 meter pages and export a spread. The maximum dimension that ID will export is 216", or a bit less than 5.5m, and your PDF will be cropped.

Did the printer tell you they must have the PDF at full size? 50% scale is pretty standard...

[ingeb24277994]

Yes, that was the instruction I received.

I tried several things, looked the whole weekend on the internet for a solution. But couldn't find anything that would work.

Ok, so I send them the 50% scale document.

[Peter Spier]

Illustrator is also incapable of producing a document that size, so I don't know what they expect you to do. Be sure to tell them that the PDF is half-size.

[MW Design]

Not to be too argumentative...but one can create a larger PDF using spreads and not have the PDF clipped. However, one does need to export as an EPS and distill. Therefore the contents really ought to be conducive for this workflow.

It is easier to do in CorelDraw (which is what most large format printers use in my experience). But the process remains the same, export as an EPS, distill using the Oversized Pages preset.

I've made far larger banners this way for what seems like a million years.

Mike

[Peter Spier]

Thanks, Mike.

I'm so focused on exporting PDF that I forget one can distill.

[ingeb24277994]

Thanks for the comment Mike, but I have to deliver the file in PDF.

Instructions were:

PDF, real scale (7 x 2,5 m) 150 dpi.

So I have 2 options:

Deliver in EPS on real scale

Deliver in DPF on 50% scale

Both not exactly what they want.

[Peter Spier]

No, what Mike is saying is Export to EPS at 100% scale, then open Acrobat and Distill the EPS to PDF (whether you need to open Distiller from the Tools menu, or simply Create PDF from the File menu will depend on your version of Acrobat). This is not normally a recommended workflow, but you don't have a lot of options here.

[Laubender]

Some details added, if you are working with EPS export:

Best not to include a Preview with your EPS on export. That would enlarge the EPS file massively.

If you are using EPS => Distiller => PDF:

Important: Make sure that you are using a joboptions file with Distiller that is at least PDF Version 1.6 (Acrobat 7).
Note: Your PDF will be truncated to 5.080 meter if you are using a lower PDF version. And there will be no error message with Distiller.

And that also means you cannot do a PDF/X. Also with InDesign's PDF Export the maximum width or height of a PDF/X is 5.080 meter if you are choosing a PDF/X preset.

The maximum size (without bleed) you can do with EPS is about 54.8 meter in width and 5.48 meter in height if the pages are arranged side by side in one row, because the maximum width or height of an InDesign page is 5486.4 mm and you cannot have more than 10 pages in one spread. You can rearrange the pages with the Page Tool if you want to reach a larger overall height.

But there are other restrictions as well with working in InDesign:

1. No variable zoom factor lower than 5 %.

Either that or you have to work always in a view that should show the whole pasteboard, but effectively will stop at 2.8 %.
And that could mean: No overview of the whole banner in InDesign.

2. Maximum point size of text is 1296 Pt.

If you want to enlarge the text beyond that limit you have to scale the text frame.

All good reasons not to work with a scale ratio of 1:1, but maybe with 1:10 (easiest math).

Regards,
Uwe

[ingeb24277994]

Thanks for all the replies! I sent them this morning both files, so he can choose