From Photoshop to Indesign - Help!

[bomelon]

I've been trying to import some files I've made on Photoshop at 300 dpi into InDesign, but it the edges and fonts always appear pixelated and jagged even when I set the display performance to high quality. I've tried importing it as a psd, jpg, and png.. but all with the same result. However, exporting the psd to a PDF file got the file to display perfectly...
Is there another way to get this file to display properly in InDesign without using a pdf? And if not, what kind of settings should I be setting it to (it's press quality now).

If PDF is the right way for it to display properly, would importing the more pixellated jpg file instead of the pdf print out differently? Or is the difference only on how it is displayed on my computer?

 

[Jim Campbell]

I've been trying to import some files I've made on Photoshop at 300 dpi into InDesign, but it the edges and fonts always appear pixelated and jagged

I know it's not a direct answer to your problem, but can I ask why you're creating your text in Photoshop -- an image editing/creation package -- and then importing it into InDesign, which is a text layout and typesetting package?

Surely it would make more sense to do the text in InDesign, where you get much better font handling and typographic controls?

Cheers!

Jim

 

[nfable]

I just starting tinking w/ ID myself and I believe the referenced images for layout will not display 100% quality for the sake of dedicated processing ID needs for its purpose: layout; if it fully rendered all the jpegs in say a 30 page document, it would just crawl... But in export it will be full crisp glory.

Maybe there is a preview mode in ID that lets you see one page fully rendered... dunno

 

[Rt&Dzine]

When I import psd files that contain text into InDesign, the outline of the text is somewhat jaggy. The photo portion of the psd file appears smooth and the InDesign text is smooth. Everything prints perfectly so I've never been concerned.

 

[bomelon]

I think you're right - I just exported the jagged file as a pdf, and everything looks fine.

And actually, when I used the pdf (from the photoshop file I made) that displayed perfectly, maneuvering around was an absolute nightmare, so yes.. I guess the file was just too big to be fully displayed as a regular image file.

As for the text, I had only included the title (because I did some tinkering with that)

Thanks!

Oh, I did hear something about having "corrupt preferences" on the web being the problem, although I don't think that might be problem here, but does anyone know about that?

 

[DesignerOnMac]

I've been trying to import some files I've made on Photoshop at 300 dpi into InDesign, but it the edges and fonts always appear pixelated and jagged even when I set the display performance to high quality. I've tried importing it as a psd, jpg, and png.. but all with the same result. However, exporting the psd to a PDF file got the file to display perfectly...
Is there another way to get this file to display properly in InDesign without using a pdf? And if not, what kind of settings should I be setting it to (it's press quality now).

If PDF is the right way for it to display properly, would importing the more pixellated jpg file instead of the pdf print out differently? Or is the difference only on how it is displayed on my computer?

I use PS CS4 and ID CS4 everyday. Since most of my work is for print, I use the standard 300 dpi and either EPS or TIF formats and I have never had any issues looking at any images w/text that I import from PS into ID.

Since ID have many of the same effects as PS for text, I sometimes import the photo or image first. Add it to a layer, and then do the text on another layer in ID.

Both technics work just fine. Hope this helps.

 

[bomelon]

I use PS CS4 and ID CS4 everyday. Since most of my work is for print, I use the standard 300 dpi and either EPS or TIF formats and I have never had any issues looking at any images w/text that I import from PS into ID.

Since ID have many of the same effects as PS for text, I sometimes import the photo or image first. Add it to a layer, and then do the text on another layer in ID.

Both technics work just fine. Hope this helps.

It's not just the text that appears jagged though... but also the shapes within the image. I guess my question now is whether or not this will print jagged? The image itself is not jagged in any other application and the ID layout when exported to a pdf is perfectly fine... Should I worry about it when it goes to print?

 

[Shoesy]

It should be fine- but just give it a print to make sure! Can't hurt, but I'm sure if you've got half an idea about dpi settings it should all be fine, ID just doesn't render to screen as you might expect all the time. It is fast tho so it's a winner really.

 

[Rt&Dzine]

It's not just the text that appears jagged though... but also the shapes within the image. I guess my question now is whether or not this will print jagged? The image itself is not jagged in any other application and the ID layout when exported to a pdf is perfectly fine... Should I worry about it when it goes to print?

Vector images (text and shapes) in psd files look slightly jaggy when I import in InDesign. But the photo portions display beautifully.

It should be fine- but just give it a print to make sure! Can't hurt, but I'm sure if you've got half an idea about dpi settings it should all be fine, ID just doesn't render to screen as you might expect all the time. It is fast tho so it's a winner really.

+1

 

[Kwill]

Better InDesign Preview

View -> Display Performance -> View High Quality Display

 

[Rt&Dzine]

View -> Display Performance -> View High Quality Display

appear pixelated and jagged even when I set the display performance to high quality.

Same thing happens to me. The Display Performance does not affect the on-screen appearance of vector objects in psd files placed in InDesign.

 

[rjphoto]

I wouldn't worry about it if the PDF looks ok. Enlarge it to 100% on screen and look at it. If it looks good there it should print ok.

You said you were using 300dpi, but how big of an image are you talking about? If it is a HUGE 20x30 full page poster you just may be taxing the GPU and programs a little too much for on-screen rendering.

However you can have the opposite problem with an image that is too high of a resolution for the printer to raster. Think 1.5x2" image @ 4000 dpi. The printer was an Epson 9800 and all of the images on the poster that weren't down sized to 300 dpi were pixelated. Resized the images and all was fine.

 

[primalman]

Same thing happens to me. The Display Performance does not affect the on-screen appearance of vector objects in psd files placed in InDesign.

Uncheck "allow object-level" in same menu. Remember, in ID, your looking at a preview of the linked file, not the actual file itself. Same goes for QuarkXPress too.