Printing from Adobe InDesign to Epson Inkjet Printers
Before you begin: Work locally. Always start by moving your file to the desktop. Opening and printing files from a USB (or other) drive can create problems.
All jobs sent to any lab printers (inkjet or laser) must be released in Papercut before they will be sent to the printer.
1. InDesign has the capability of maintaining both RGB and CMYK colorspaces within one document. This workflow allows for CMYK elements with RGB or CMYK images, when set to the default color spaces for “North America General Purpose 2” (pre-set in Edit>Color Setting). These settings are for the working spaces: sRGB for the RGB profile, U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 for CMYK, and in Color Management set to preserve embedded profiles for RGB and Preserve Numbers for CMYK. To view your document color settings in an existing document, navigate to Edit>Convert to Profile. After viewing, click CANCEL – do not convert the profiles.
Convert to Profile
Note: It is NOT recommended that you change your profiles in the Convert to Profile menu. Changing your profiles in this menu will change your color values. If you need to change your profiles, it is recommended that you change them in the Edit>Assign Profile menu.
Print Queue
2. Navigate to File>Print. Select a printer from the Printer dropdown menu. Choose a print queue in the CMYK color space.
Page Range
3. The inkjet printers will only accept one page/spread and one copy of a document at a time. If your document has multiple pages, select only the page, or spread, that you want to print under the General section. You will have to print each subsequent page (or spread) separately.
Page Setup
4. In the Setup section, under the Paper Size heading, check to make sure Paper Size is set to Defined by Driver, and that the Orientation is set to Portrait.
(Do NOT use the portrait/landscape orientation buttons to rotate your document. It should always be set to portrait. If you wish to rotate the document, rotate it in InDesign, not the print dialog.)
5. Under the Options heading in Scale, make sure both the Width and Height are set to 100%.
Custom Sizes
6. Click the Page Setup button.
7. Select the printer you are using from the Format For dropdown menu. In the Paper Size dropdown menu, select Manage Custom Sizes…
Custom Paper Sizes
8. Click the + button to create a new custom size. Title it appropriately.
Set the Width and Height to the size of your document.
Set Top, Left, Right, and Bottom to “0.”
Note: If you have chosen to print your document with printer’s marks (trim, bleed, registration, etc.) add an additional 1/2″ margin on all four sides to accommodate the marks. If you choose a paper size that doesn’t have extra margin for your marks, the printer will crop them out and not show the marks.
Paper Size
9. Confirm that your new paper size is selected in the Paper Size dropdown menu and that your printer is selected in the Format For dropdown menu.
Click OK.
Color Management
10. In the Color Management heading, under Print verify that the Document profile is selected, which should be (Profile: U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2).
For Color Handling, choose Let Postscript printer determine colors and verify that the preserve CMYK Numbers checkbox is checked.
Papercut
11. When your document has reached Papercut, you will see a pop-up notification window.
Follow the releasing prints from Papercut instructions to release your print.
Remember to check the print cost before releasing the print – it can be a great indicator if something is wrong with the size of your print.