Do I need to flatten my psd, or delete all other layers when placing it in InDesign to go to repro?

[MissSparkles75]

Keeping images as PSD's for repro is all a bit new to me as I've always saved my images for repro as 300ppi CMYK jpgs but I want to learn more about keeping my images as PSD's in my InDesign documents.

I have an image with a transparent background (the jigsaw piece shown in my image below) and have a few questions:

1) As I write this I realise I cannot flatten the psd as I have asked in my heading because I will lose the transparent background, but should I delete all the other layers in my psd that aren't in use before I pdf my document from InDesign (e.g. tidy up my psd layers in Photoshop so no unused layers get printed from my PSD by mistake)?

2) By dropping an unflattened PSD (the jigsaw piece) into InDesign with a transparent background, will this stay transparent when printed, it won't flatten with a white box around when it is made into a PDF will it? 

3) I think I have read that I can keep the PSD's as RGB and they will get converted to CMYK in the PDF-ing process, is this true, can this be done? I have never done this before as I always change my images from RGB to CMYK manually in Photoshop. If it is something that happens in the PDF-ing process do I need to select something specific when choosing my PDF specs / options?

4) One last thing, I am keeping my images as PSD's as I am concerned that JPG's are lossy and therefore PSD's will print better quality images, is this the case or would flattened TIFF's with a transparent background be a better bet?

[jane-e]

Hi

It is a "best practice" to place your layered PSD into InDesign.

After you place it, you can go to Object > Layer Options and change the visibility of the layers or choose a different Layer Comp. You can right-click the image in InDesign > edit in PS, then when you save and close InDesign displays the updated file.

Read this article from InDesign Secrets on why you should keep your images in RGB:

https://indesignsecrets.com/import-rgb-images-indesign-convert-cmyk-export.php

Yes, you can convert to CMYK when you make a PDF, but be sure to select which CMYK to convert to and don't accept the defaults. The Press joboptions does a conversion and High Quality does not, but all joboptions files can be modified to best suit your needs. Talk to the printer about what to choose.

~ Jane

[MissSparkles75]

Thanks Jane. And when my psd has a transparent background (no background layer, just canvas) this will stay transparent when saving my whole doc to a PDF will it?

[D Fosse]

Yes, just make sure you're exporting to a PDF/X standard that supports transparency.

In any case, you can always open the exported PDF and check.

[jane-e]

The only PDF/X Standard that supports transparency is PDF/X-4:2008, which is compatible with Acrobat 7.

The other two PDF/X Standards from 2001 and 2002 use Acrobat 4, which does not support transparency. Transparency is supported in Acrobat 5 and later.

~ Jane

[MissSparkles75]

Oh right,  most of the time I'm asked for PDF/X-1a: 2001, so I've just done a test saving as that and have just checked the PDF and my jigsaw piece is still on a transparent background, would that mean it would be okay when it's printed, not sure why it's still showing as a transparent if the PDF / X:1a isn't supporting it? 

If PDF / X -1a: 2001 is required would I be best to create my image in Photoshop (with the jigsaw piece dropped in over the image behind in the PSD doc) and save the doc as the PDF / X:1a  to be on the safe side or is it okay to assume that if the transparency is showing in the PDF it will print like that?  

[D Fosse]

Yes, I tend to use /X-1a myself, because it's safe in almost any scenario.

The transparency support applies to the finished PDF. If you drop a transparent image over another in InDesign, and then Export to PDF/X-1a, it should come out correctly in the PDF, no white rectangle. I just tested it again and it works as expected.

With Overprint Preview turned on in InDesign, you should get a reliable preview.

The PDF/X-1a isn't transparent, it has already been flattened by Id in the Export process. But if you need to send, say, a logo with transparency, as a PDF - then you can't use /X-1a. Then you need /X-4.

And again, make sure you pick the correct CMYK profile in the Export > Output section. As long as you do that, work with RGB images in InDesign. Doing it this way ensures easy re-purposing of the original InDesign document, if press conditions change (like from coated to uncoated paper or vice versa). If you already converted your images to a CMYK profile you would need to go all the way back to the original image file.

[MissSparkles75]

Excellent, thanks for your help, glad to see I can use the PDF/X- 1a.