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detric_1 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 01:00 AM

I am having a bit of a problem that I hope someone here can help me with. It's revolving around the marks that get put on a page from Indesign. (CS and CS2). When I print out, I generally turn on crop marks, reg marks and page information. Now the page information when I print either separated or in-rip separations puts the colors on the bottom. Not a problem whatsoever. The problem is that when I tell it to center the information in the bounding box I set up, these color items actually extend below the bottom crop mark. So when it's trying to center it in the PS file, it's taking a little sliver of the bottom of the colors and pushing the whole page up ever so slightly in the window. Now, when I rip this page and place my lowres file into preps and have preps automatically center it, it will be slightly off center.

This just cost me a ton of money tonight because one of our webs went down because a cross-over didn't line up. It was 1/64" out. We tracked it back to this color identifier on the bottom of the page. If I send out composite, it doesn't put the colors in and no problem. On this particular spread, the left page was 4/c, the right 6/c and they were worked about a week apart by 2 different people. Left page didn't have the identifier, right page did. Right page was higher by 1/64".

Now, my question is this. Does anyone know how to create a custom mark in Indesign? I think that if I can make a mark that is 1" long, the color identifier will not drop below the crop mark. Or, if anyone else has figured out a way around this problem, suggestions are always welcome.

Thanks all.

Dave

sequoyah · #2 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 03:05 PM

Dave,

Why do you need the color information or anything from that slug? I use Preps, but not in a workflow, and I generate ps from Indesign with no marks, both composite and separated.

Al Ferrari

detric_1 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 04:18 PM

The reason for me doing this is our current workflow/proofing process.

We assemble pages, output single page Fuji Finalproofs along with an imposed Iris proof. The single page fuji's need to have some form of page identifier on them. Now, I don't NEED the color information from indesign (it's nice to be sure that a spot is or isn't on the page, but I could live without it). But I need to have document name, date, time and page number on it from the document. I run a Nexus system, so with spot colors, I need to send either separated or In-rip separations which is where the color identifiers come from.

The problem comes when I bring in my low res file that nexus makes into preps . It centers the lowres, but the information in the ripped page isn't centered in the lowres.

It's very subtle, but on a crossover, it sticks out like a preacher at the Mustang Ranch.

Dave

sequoyah · #4 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 04:36 PM

Dave,

I think that there is some control in Indy for the size of that info box, but I don't know anything about it.

I think that you can enlarge the size of the crop marks in Indy. If so, then that would give you a way to rely on centering the fpo from Nexus. If that works, you can incoporate it into a print preset in Indy.

Al

detric_1 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 05:04 PM

That's exactly what I'm looking for Al. I'm hoping that if I can make a longer mark, the color information will not extend below that mark. Then I should be fine. I just can't seem to find it. There is a pulldown for type of mark, but I can't seem to change/find anything about how to make a custom mark.

Heck, I've even RTFM...and still can't seem to find it.

Thanks.

Dave

sequoyah · #6 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 05:26 PM

I don't have Indy here to check, but I am looking at p. 652 of Real World Indesign CS. In the print dialog itself, in the marks section, there is an input field for the offset of the crop marks. Seems like you can't change the lenght, but with the offset you can move them out to acomplish the same thing. Test it to see that this offset doesn't affect the page information, because if it does, you are screwed.

Al

detric_1 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 05:35 PM

Quote:

...because if it does, you are screwed.

ROFLMAO!!! Well, I'm screwed then. It all moves as a unit. I've already got my marks out at 21 point...and the same thing happens.

gotta get a longer mark...or else I'm gonna have to do something with nexus...just not looking forward to setting up the workflows....

Thanks Al. I'm glad I'm not the only one who think's I'm screwed

Dave

Joe · #8 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 07:15 PM

Supposedly there is a way detailed in the book "REAL WORLD InDesign CS" by Blatner and Kvern. InDesigns marks are stored in the folder /Library/Application Support/Adobe/ PrintSpt/. I don't have the book so I can't help much past this information.

Maybe make a copy of one of the two text files and modify it to see if you can change the marks to your needs.

sequoyah · #9 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 07:32 PM

Dave,

If you knew the exact distance of the outer bound of that information text mark from Indy, you could shift the runlist pages accordingly in Preps. And that could be scripted.

To find the exact distance of the outer bound of that information text create postscript for a simple test page with crop marks and that mark and open in Ilustrator. Then select all, and take down the dimensions. Deselect the page information box and take down the dimensions again. Work out the shift from that.

Al

detric_1 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-11-2006, 07:33 PM

Joe,

I don't seem to have said text files in my /Library/Application Support/Adobe/ PrintSpt/.

Are they possibly invisible...or possibly not installed?

I'll get the book - thanks for the recomendation.

Thanks.

Dave