Print requirement: Maintaining Exact Image Placement Across Languages

[Mateomono]

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?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

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.

[Mateomono]

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

[Mike Witherell]

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.