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Prior to creating your PDF you must first check that all the links and fonts used in your document are updated and intact. The following simple steps will help in making the printing of your files easy and efficient.
Verify Your Placed Graphics (Links)
This step will insure that all the placed graphics aren’t missing or outdated.
- (1) Go to Window pull down menu and select “Links” to open the Links palette in InDesign if not already open.
- A window with the Links palette will open.
Review Your Links
- (2) This Links palette shows a list of all the links used in your document.
- Review the list and ensure that there are no links missing or links that require updating.
- (3) If you see a “stop sign” icon to the right of a link, this means the original file has been moved and InDesign cannot find it to print correctly. If this happens, you will need to re-link. Highlight the link, then click the link button at the bottom of the palette. From here you will be able to browse your computer and find the new location of the missing link. While this dialog box is open, (4) uncheck the box “Import Options” and check the box “Search for Missing Links in This Folder”. Doing this will update multiple missing links located in this location. Select the link and click Open.
- (5) If you see a “caution sign” icon to the right of a link, this means the original file has been modified after it was originally placed and needs updating. Select the modified links and simply click the Update Link button. (6) Your palette should now look like this without errors.
Review Your Fonts
- (7) Go to Type pull down menu and select
“Find Font” to open the fonts palette in InDesign. - (8) Your Find Fonts palette will open with a list of all the fonts used in your document.
- If you see a “caution sign” icon to the right of a font, this means it needs to be installed or replaced.
- (9) If there are fonts that need to be replaced or activated, select the font and replace with an active font from the menu at the bottom of the palette. Then click on the “Change All” button on the right of the window. Do this for all missing fonts until they are all updated.
- If you don’t fix these font issues, InDesign will automatically replace them with a default font.
- (10) Your palette should now look like this without errors.
- After updating all your fonts and links, you are now ready to create a PDF from InDesign!
Exporting your file as a Hi-Res PDF
- (11) Go to File pull down menu and select “Adobe PDF Presets” to open the Export palette in InDesign.
- An additional fly out menu will open, select “High Quality Print” from the menu. This setting keeps all raster images at 300dpi while downsampling images over that resolution down to 300dpi. This will not increase any images under 300dpi so keep that in mind while selecting graphics to use.
- A window with the Export palette will open.
Saving your PDF
- (12) This is where you can name and choose the location for saving your PDF.
- After you have labeled your PDF click the “Save” button at the bottom right of the window.
- A Export Adobe PDF window will open.
PDF exporting settings
- Here you can finalize the settings of your PDF.
- Starting with General settings on the left, you will export ALL or pages that will be printed from your document.
- Continue to the following item on the left menu, Marks and Bleed.
Marks and Bleed
- (14) If your document has No Bleed (images or graphics that stop at the document’s margins, no less than .25”), your Bleed setting should be set to “0” on all 4 sides.
- No marks are necessary.
Document Bleed Settings (bleed)
- (15) If your document has Bleed (images or graphics that continues past the document’s margins and past the trim area) your Bleed setting should be set to “.125” on all 4 sides.
- No marks are necessary.
Make Your Hi-Res PDF!
- (16) Click on the Export button at the bottom of your window.
- Your file will save in the location that you specified in step 12 with the name that you gave your document.
