Preparing Adobe InDesign Files For Printing

Launch the Adobe InDesign application.
Choose File > New > Document.
Set the Width & Height of your document to the final trim size of the product you are printing.
Set the Bleed to 1/8" (0.125") on all four sides of the artwork. This will allow an extra 1/8" (0.125") on each side of the document to ensure accurate cutting.
Set the Slug to 1/4" (0.25") at the top of the document if you need to provide our production any special file or printing instructions. This information will be not appear on the final printed product since it will be trimmed away.
All other settings in the New Document window will depend on your finished design, including the number of pages, facing pages for multiple page documents, and page orientation.
Click the Create button.

To achieve the finest print quality, set and place all photos and images into your design in the original size at 300dpi.
Color convert and place all photos, images and type as CMYK (not RGB).
Black & white photos should be set and placed as Grayscale.
Heavy black solids and backgrounds should be converted to Rich Black (C=60 M=40 Y=40 K=100).
Black text and headers that are 60pt. or smaller can be set as 100% black.
Extend your artwork bleeds to 1/8” (0.125") for photos, backgrounds and design elements that will trim to any page edge.

During the design phase of your project, periodically File > Save your file to your computer.
When you have completed your design and have deleted any design guidelines/templates, choose File > Package to create a new folder of the packaged document. This will ensure all photos, images and fonts are properly linked to the document.
Click the Package button. If there are any missing links to the InDesign document, a notification window will appear displaying any issues.

PrintSource360 processes all print files through a PDF workflow, which is proven the most reliable format for processing design files for high-quality print production.
Exporting files to a PDF with the correct settings eliminates errors while compressing the files for faster proofing and plating processing.
Choose File > Export.
Select Save As (enter document name). Select Format (Adobe PDF-Print). Click Save.
Following are our preferred settings for exporting a print-ready PDF file. To ensure the finest printing quality, please match the settings exactly as displayed below: