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Question

Print requirement: Maintaining Exact Image Placement Across Languages

Forum|Forum|11 months ago
March 23, 2025
4 replies
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Hi, I am working on my first book layout and read through the documentation from the printer. This requirement seems a bit odd to me:

Language Mutations
Complete CMYK data for each language version (the exact placement of images must be maintained across all language versions).

How is it even possible to have the exact placement? The German version has way more text than the English version. In addition, in some areas, the graphics are slightly larger or smaller so that they fit better into the layout. Is this normal, or am I misunderstanding something?

Print

Mike Witherell

Community Expert

I was re-reading this and marveling that the published information from the commercial printer uses quite a bit of unclear language and aging expressions. Almost as if it hasn't been updated since the late 1990s. They choose to communicate with an abundance of "insider" terminology. And just to re-iterate what was already said quite well: "bitmap" means an old filetype on early Windows, and it also refers generically to *all* pixel-based image file formats, like PSD, TIFF, JPG, PNG, etc.

Mike Witherell

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

Hi, I am working on my first book layout and read through the documentation from the printer. This requirement seems a bit odd to me:

Language Mutations
Complete CMYK data for each language version (the exact placement of images must be maintained across all language versions).

How is it even possible to have the exact placement? The German version has way more text than the English version. In addition, in some areas, the graphics are slightly larger or smaller so that they fit better into the layout. Is this normal, or am I misunderstanding something?

By @Mateomono

You should really speak to the printer - show them your files and ask for guidance.

This part you're referring to - refers to two situations:

1) multiple languages - where EVERYTHING, the whole book is printed in CMY - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow - then Black is overprinted,

2) two different printing machines are used - whole sections of the book are printed in Black only - then only some sections are printed in color - CMYK and/or extra colors.

First method of printing requires NO SHIFT IN LOCATION OF ANYTHING - if there are images / graphics that require Black overprint - everything needs to be "pixel perfect",

Second method - you COULD shift things a bit - but rather only within a single section - but in this case "section" doesn't mean InDesign's Section but range of pages.

The method of overprinting Black is used to save costs - but it's rather used only for big runs and/or multiple languages.

M

MateomonoAuthor

Known Participant

@Robert at ID-Tasker Thank you for your input! Yes, I just contaced them.

Peter Spier

Community Expert

This requirement is most likely because they expect to change only the single plate that carries the text for each language.

If anyting else changes, no matter how slightly, they must make all new plates for that page and do a new make-ready cycle, and tht increases the cost dramatically.

M

MateomonoAuthor

Known Participant

@Peter Spier So that means every single graphic and image needs to have the exact same size across both books?

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

@Peter Spier

Thank you for your help! I had one more question related to creating print-ready files.

All of my images and vectors have been imported as AI and PSD files. In their documentation, they mentioned Bitmap, and I was wondering if I need to do anything here. Should all images and vectors be converted to Bitmap?

Sorry if this is a bit of a dumb question—I'm fairly new to all of this

Hey there, no worries at all there's really no such thing as a dumb question when it comes to print prep. The short answer is: you generally don't need to convert everything to Bitmap.

When a print guide refers to “bitmap,” they’re typically talking about raster (pixel-based) images at a certain resolution, not literally asking you to convert all your AI (vector) or PSD (layered) files into 1-bit black and white.

Vector artwork (like AI or EPS) is resolution-independent, so you want to keep it in that format whenever possible for the sharpest print quality. PSD files are also fine as long as their resolution is appropriate (usually 300 dpi for standard colour images, and higher for line art).

The “ideal” resolutions they mention (300 dpi for contone, 600 dpi for fine screens, 1200 dpi for line art, etc.) are basically guidelines for any raster images you might have. If you have an actual black and white line-art piece (like a pen-and-ink illustration), that’s when you might make it strictly 1-bit (bitmap mode) at 1200 dpi to keep those lines razor-sharp.

But if your images are already in AI or PSD with proper resolution and colour mode (CMYK if it’s going to press), you’re golden. Keep them that way. No need to flatten or convert to 1-bit unless your printer specifically demands it.

edit* @Peter Spier sorry for interjecting at the same time as your post.

M

MateomonoAuthor

Known Participant

@muhammad_9494The image placement is the same, but in the German version, it might be on page 18, and in the English version, it might be on page 17, due to there being more copy in the German version. Also, in the English version, it might be slightly smaller to fit better into the layout. Does this matter?

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