how to export indesign layers to photoshop layers (same structure)

[Arjan_Scholten_Muntz-MCG]

how can I export all individual layers in indesign to a photoshop file with the same layer structure?

is there a script you can use?

thanks

[Eugene Tyson]

You would need to have one layer on at a time in InDesign.

Then copy and paste the objects into photoshop.

They will be grouped as Smart Objects. As these can be resized in photoshop to virtually any size without distortion, Smart Objects will become raster on output, at the resolution you set the file to. So if you make a new document that's 72 dpi, then the smart objects will output at that res.

If you have text, you will need to to highlight the text in InDesign and copy and paste it into a text layer in Photoshop. It will lose formatting like bold, italics etc.

But you can copy and paste it into Photoshop - including text, but it becomes rasterised on output. So set the resolution high if you want text to be good.

You can export the File from InDesign to jpg or EPS too. Or Acrobat with layers in Compatibility 6 or above.

Why are wanting it in Photoshop? If we understood what you were doing we might have a better solution for you?

[Arjan_Scholten_Muntz-MCG]

well

some colleagues made their website designs in indesign

while it is easyer to make concepts fast in indesign, faster than in

photoshop

I found a script that makes a photoshop.eps of selected layers,

but that is not so easy,

or

is it possible to make a layered pdf and then open it with the same layer-

structure in photoshop?

Met vriendelijke groeten,

Arjan Scholten

[Eugene Tyson]

I have not been able to find a way to open a layered PDF in photoshop with layers in tact.

If you open an EPS in photoshop it rasterises everything, including type.

If it's just for wireframing a site, then you can use InDesign.

Here's a good read

http://indesignsecrets.com/indesign-for-interactive-design-wireframing.php

and some interesting links from the comments

A 1.5 hour video

http://vimeo.com/4068294

Some Templates

http://unify.eightshapes.com/wireframes/wireframes-preview/

[Arjan_Scholten_Muntz-MCG]

interesting stuff!

thnx

Met vriendelijke groeten,

Arjan Scholten

[Peter Spier]

What are you doing with the layered Photoshop files?

I think the more typical path from InDesign to Web would be to export for Dreamweaver in ID.

[Arjan_Scholten_Muntz-MCG]

in CS-3?

or in CS4?

we use the photoshop files to make a design, ready for a webbuilder/

programmer

Met vriendelijke groeten,

Arjan Scholten

[Peter Spier]

You can do it in either version. In CS3 it's under Cross-Media Export in the File Menu. In CS4 it's more obvious with a direct listing in the menu.

This is outside my normal workflow, but I can tell you that using this technique you get a folder full of images, the text, and a blank CSS style sheet, ready to manipulate in an authoring program -- you don't get a finished page. The key to success with this method is the religious use of styles for everything, including object styles which as I understand things generate div tags. I'm sure there's a lot more online and in the help.

Peter

[Eugene Tyson]

FYI

Commonly people wireframe sites in Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks etc. and hand it over to coders who will turn the wireframe into an active functional site.

Going the Dreamweaver route would require the user to be extra efficient with the design in InDesign and to understand how to code.

Handing off what InDesign spits out as a code from the average user, this for coders would be a nightmare for them to work with, they probably would just start coding it again and dump what you gave them.

I know some coders who don't even bother with Dreamweaver. They lay it out as they like it. Then they sit down and hand code the whole site.

[Peter Spier]

No question. I used to do HTML in Notepad back in the days when I did HTML.

I guess I'm not really sure what the layered PSD is doing that sending the text, images, and a PDF of the ID layout for reference wouldn't achieve. Just exploring the options is all...

[Eugene Tyson]

Well as I said .. it was "FYI". Not knocking the idea, just for other readers who don't know why this is done the way it is.

[rob day]

I use ID because it's simply faster when it comes to setting type and page geometry. Photoshop's typesetting is still a relative nightmare—with the script I can start in ID and move to PS as needed.

[Arjan_Scholten_Muntz-MCG]

that will happen in case of a Content Management System driven website

Met vriendelijke groeten,

Arjan Scholten

[rob day · Accepted solution]

If you are on a Mac this Applescript will do it:

http://www.zenodesign.com/forum/PageToPSLayersV3.zip

The script exports PDFs of the ID layers and reassembles them in PS. In order to get the layers to register you need to include registration marks in the PDF preset you choose—the zip archive includes the preset I use. After running the script you can use canvas size to eliminate the crop marks.

[Arjan_Scholten_Muntz-MCG]

YES

great

thanks Rob

I was looking for this AppleScript!!

it works great

[rob day]

You're welcome. I realized as I posted that there's no reason the canvas resizing can't happen in the script, so I've just updated it to include the canvas resize. Same address.

[Eugene Tyson]

Can it work on a PC?

[Steve Werner]

Rob specifically said it was for the Mac using AppleScript. He said it worked between applications (InDesign and Photoshop) which AppleScript can do.

[Eugene Tyson]

I know he said it was for Mac. What I meant was would it be hard to get it to work for the PC.

[Scott Falkner]

This seems like much ado about nothing. So someone prototyped a website in InDesign, but you usually prototype in Photohop, so you want to convert their template to Photoshop, just so the final site builder can recreate it for the third time in HTML. Have you asked them if PDF or InDesing are acceptable formats?

[rob day]

You might want more than a prototype. It would be reasonable to want the slices of the page that need to be as pixels in a well ordered and layered Photoshop file.

[utzaki]

Hi Rob,

Just wanting to say thanks a lot for the script. It helped me big time!!

If you have time, can you please answer these 2 questions:

1. Why is the colour different than if I export it to PDF and open it in Photoshop?

2. The registration thing behaves a little weird on my CS4. I must always choose 'High Quality Print', let the script produce a screwed up PSD, then re-run it once more with your preset. If I just continue using your preset for several times consecutively, the document size will be too wide or too tall. So I must use 'High Quality Print' in between pages. Sorry if it sounds confusing.

Thanks again!!

[rob day]

Does the version you have resize the canvas in Photoshop to eliminate the crop marks from my PDF preset, or are the crop marks visible when the script finishes?

[lulu355]

i am actually trying to get the applescript code that will let me bring my pdf into Photoshop with the layer structure intact but the link doesn't work. Will you please repost it?

[rob day]

http://www.zenodesign.com/forum/PagestoPSLayers.zip