Printing a composite

You can print a color or grayscale composite proof to check colors in your document. A composite image can help you design and proof your layout before you print final (and costly) separations.

When InDesign prints a composite, it prints all of the colors used in the file on one plate, regardless of whether any individual colors are selected.

Consider the following issues when printing composites:

• While no proof will give you an exact representation of your final output, you can greatly improve its accuracy by calibrating all the devices you use to create a document (such as scanners, monitors, and printers). If the devices are calibrated, the color management system can help you get predictable and consistent color.

• Any overprinting options that you’ve selected in the document will print correctly on a printer that supports overprinting. Since most desktop printers don’t support overprinting, you can simulate the effects of overprinting by selecting Simulate Overprint in the Output section of the Print dialog box.

  Important: Selecting Simulate Overprint will convert spot colors to process colors for printing. If you intend to use a file for separations on a RIP, or for final output, do not select this option.

• When you print to a black-and-white printer, InDesign produces a grayscale composite version of the pages. If the document contains color, InDesign prints visually correct grays to simulate that color. For example, the gray that simulates a 20% tint of yellow is lighter than a 20% tint of black, since yellow is visually lighter than black.

• When you print a book with chapters containing conflicting spot inks or trap styles, you can instruct InDesign to synchronize settings with the master document.

• If you’re using color management with the Book feature, make sure that each document in the book uses the same color management settings in the Color Settings dialog box.