Adobe InDesign - Manual (Page 775)

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The PPD used by the selected printer appears in the PPD text box at the top of the Print dialog box.
About device- and driver-dependent PostScript files
Select a printer and a supported driver in the Printer menu. A device- and driver-dependent PostScript file has the following characteristics:
It is driver-dependent. The PostScript file will contain code generated by InDesign and by the driver. The InDesign code is primarily
responsible for the page content, including font downloading, and for setting basic device information, such as media size, resolution, and
screening. The driver is primarily responsible for setting special driver features, such as watermarks, and for enabling or controlling special
device features. Since InDesign doesn’t have complete control over creating the PostScript file, the level of DSC compliance isn’t quite as
high as it is with driver-independent PostScript files. The level of DSC compliance, and therefore the PostScript file’s suitability for prepress
tasks, depends on the printer driver used.
It is device-dependent. It contains code for enabling and controlling specific device features, making it less compatible with devices other than
the target device.
It can be composite or separated (all of the color output methods that InDesign supports are available).
It can be trapped by InDesign (either by using Application Built-In or Adobe In-RIP Trapping).
It can be printed directly to the device, or to file.
A device- and driver-dependent PostScript file is ideally suited for proofing (by the designer) to desktop PostScript printers. It can also be used by
service providers who don't plan to do any prepress tasks to the job outside of InDesign or the RIP system. In other words, if trapping is done, it
happens in InDesign or at the RIP.
Create a device-independent PostScript file
Select PostScript File in the Printer menu, and select Device Independent in the PPD menu. A device-independent PostScript file has the following
characteristics:
It is 100% DSC-compliant, making it ideal for such post-processing tasks as trapping and imposition.
All device and driver dependencies are removed, so that the file will print to almost any output device. However, special printer features
found in PPD files, such as image exposure, available media sizes, and optimized screen frequencies, aren’t available in device-independent
output.
The color output is always composite CMYK, but it also includes spot colors. As a result, it has to be separated in post-processing software,
or at the RIP using in-RIP separations.
It cannot be trapped by InDesign; trapping must occur at the RIP, or in post-processing software.
It can only be printed to file (not directly to a device or application) from InDesign.
A device-independent PostScript file is ideal for composite prepress workflows, where the file will be trapped and separated later in the
production process, such as during imposition, trapping, or at the RIP (if the output device supports in-RIP separations).
Printer selection:
Operating system Printer driver Prepress suitability
Mac OS 10.2 Built-in PS Driver for Mac OS X **
Windows 2000/XP Pscript 5 **
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