Adobe InDesign CS4 - Manual (Page 618)

610 USING INDESIGN CS4
Printing
A printer driver isn’t used when the printer selection is “PostScript® File.”
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.
See also
“ Choosing the right method for creating a PostScript file ” on page 609
“ Setting up a printer ” on page 591
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.
Printer selection: PostScript ® File
Operating system PPD Prepress suitability
All platforms Device-independent ***
Device-dependent ***
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 **
Updated 18 June 2009