InDesign - Exporting JPGs at 72dpi

[DoubleBounce]

I'm having an issue with exporting JPGs from InDesign at 72dpi - they're coming out at horrendously low quality, particularly text at smaller resolutions. I know InDesign's not ideal for web-based images, but I hadn't expected the results to be quite so bad.

The same artwork exported as high resolution PNG from InDesign then downsampled in Photoshop produces good results, but I'm hoping to avoid this and produce images directly from the INDD working file if possible (as there are a high number of images to be processed).

No problem if there's nothing to be done (as this was something of an experiment), but I thought it worth checking in with the Adobe community brains trust regardless.

Thanks!

[Ian Sayers]

Can you explain more about how you are exporting out jpg files please ?

If file > export and choosing jpeg format then check that the "image quality" is set to maximum and Format method is set to Progressive.

This saves the enitr page as a jpeg file so might not be what you are doing or want to do.

If exporting indesign as html then check the settings are correct - original or optimised with JPEG image quality set to maximum and format method as progressive.

[DoubleBounce]

Thanks for the repsonse - it was File > Export to JPG (both Baseline and Progressive settings at Maximum quality) that was leading to low-quality results.

[rob day]

Exporting a PDF and opening in Photoshop often produces better results. You might try this Javascript, it exports the page or selection to PDF and saves the PDF as a JPEG:

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/ca875a61-546a-416e-6475-ab3f3c29c717

The dialog looks like this:

There are two added options: Open in Photoshop leaves the JEPG open where you can edit or save to a different format. Open to Fixed Pixel Width lets you set any final pixel width for the page or selection. This is a recent translation of an Applescript, and I’ve only tested it in-house in version 2020.

[Ian Sayers]

@rob day I get an error when i try to run that script - no panel appears

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Thanks, not sure why I wasn’t getting the error here, but there is a missing variable. Haven’t had time to check it in 2021, but see if this updated script works:

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/ca875a61-546a-416e-6475-ab3f3c29c717

[rob day]

I tested with CC2021 and it seems to be working.

[DoubleBounce]

Perfect, thanks for posting this Rob!

[Ian Sayers]

This script is amazing @rob day  ! thanks for sharing it

[chris26019174xdj4]

Hi @rob day, do you still have this script available? the download link doesn't work anymore.

[rob day]

Here’s the latest version—I fixed a few bugs:

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/e62626e4-9f44-45a3-6da0-0a1b51e8ecbf

[chris26019174xdj4]

Amazing! Thank you.

I have just tested it but get this error message. I'm using Indesign 2022

 

[rob day]

I haven’t tested in CC2022, but it should work. What OS are you on—it might be a permissions problem.

[chris26019174xdj4]

Oh ok. I'm using Big Sur.

[rob day]

Hi @chris26019174xdj4 , Could you try it on a new document with a shorter name? Your file name is pretty long, so I want to make sure that’s not the problem.

The script saves out a PDF into you system’s invisible temp folder, so it looks like Photoshop can’t read the PDF on your system—there might be a fix for that.

[chris26019174xdj4]

Just tested it out on another file. I was hopeful that it was going to work because I had no error message and I got the spinning wheel when I activated it but nothing was created. 

[chris26019174xdj4]

I get an error message from Photoshop. It must be an issue when converting the pdf to jpeg.

 

[rob day]

Here’s a version that doesn’t save the PDF to your system’s temp folder—saves it to the ID file’s directory instead. See if this works:

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/46876fff-f410-486a-732d-8a4b1920e893

[chris26019174xdj4]

Brilliant! that works perfectly. The only downside is that it saves the pdf as well as the jpg. Thanks for your help.

[rob day]

The only downside is that it saves the pdf as well as the jpg

Right, that’s why the other version writes the PDF into your system’s temp folder. Youcould poke around in BigSur’s Security & Privacy. Look at Accessibility and Full Disk Access and maybe add InDesign and Photoshop to those lists.

[chris26019174xdj4]

Oh ok, thanks. I did try the Accessibility and Full disk access but it still didn't work. I will use the other one for now and ask an IT friend to have a look. Thanks for all your help. 

[chris26019174xdj4]

When I changed to full disk access I got the error message below.

w

[rob day]

Hi @chris26019174xdj4 ,

I’ve decided that using the OS temp folder is too uncertain, so I updated the original version to use the ID parent folder for the PDF, and then remove it after the JPEG is created. Here’s the link to that version—version 4 at the top of the script. Let me know if it works: 

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/e62626e4-9f44-45a3-6da0-0a1b51e8ecbf

[chris26019174xdj4]

That works perfectly. It will come in very handy. Thanks for all your help.