Flattening Layers (as in Photoshop)

Question

Hi,I have finished a booklet and would now like to flatten the pages/layers, so only the visible are showing as in Photoshop. However I cannot find this setting, and do not want to send linked files etc.Is this possible, any advice most welcome.BIndesign CS3 v5, Win 7 Ult.

Joel Cherney · Accepted Answer

Once I have completed a page, I want to finalise it, so more alterations (accidental or deliberate) to made to the pictures. Its also easy to transfer as well, without having to worry that the correct pictures have been packaged.

Thanks for the assistance.

B

Well, the way to get what you want is by exporting a PDF. If it's still an InDesign file, then no matter what:

you will still need the linked image files,

you will still be able to edit objects

you will still be able to move objects around on the page

and so on. There's no way to prevent alterations in an InDesign file, that I know of. Now, if you were to give us reasons why you want this ability to finalize a given page, then we might be able to suggest the ways we'd emulate this InDesign, which are all very, very different from what you'd expect in Photoshop. However, the idea of finishing one page of a doc, and then locking it down and moving to the next page in the same document, strikes me as very odd, and not part of any sane print workflow. If you tell us why ("I want to be able to give INDDs to my coworkers where they can add text but not move or replace images"; "I want to not accidentally mess up my own work once I've marked it off my to-do list"; "I want to distribute templates from which people cannot copy objects or text") then I'm sure we can make useful suggestions; there's a heckuva lot of expertise hanging around in these forums, and someone will be able to make a reasonable suggestion.

Eugene Tyson · Answer

Flattening is not possible with layers in InDesign.

Unlike photoshop, where things are either text, vector or raster, and can be flattened into a raster layer; InDesign does not work like this.

When you work in InDesign you are making a layout, so you combine your vector, text and raster elements.

Use of layers would be for Master page items, guides, text, graphics and backgrounds (not necessairly in that order).

The combination of things make the layout print ready (and in some cases ready for web publishing).

You cannot combine layers in InDesign to rasterise them, as Photoshop does in Flattening Layers.

The best you can do is to use the Merge layers, but this would only combine all your layers into a single layer, and the text, vectors would remain as is, and not be flattened.

However, you can use Adobe Bridge.

Locate your file in Bridge. Then in Bridge, go to the OUTPUT menu (There should be "Essentials Filmstrip MetaData Output) in the top of the Bridge menu.

When you go to Output there is the option to make a PDF. Go through the settings carefully and make the choices that suit you.

When done, click save and choose your save location.

You will get a fully rasterised PDF with everything Flattened.

If this is not what you want, and you want to rasterise everything your InDesign document, and then send the InDesign document, then there is no easy way. It's a lot of work and it really does not help anyone.

What is the intent and what format do you want to send these files?

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