InDesign Time Saver...

DigitalCrapShoveler · July 19, 2010, 03:53:49 PM

So, today I get this job, native InDesign. Approxiamately 600 support images... all JPGs. I hate JPGs, so much so, I refuse to output a job natively with any resident. So, I open all 600 and resave them as PSDs. Now I have to relink all 600 because the extension changed. So, I open the links palette, go to the flyout menu located in the upper right corner of the palette in CS4, (also in CS5) and go the the Relink Folder selection. A dialog box opens asking where to find the folder containing the images and below is an input tab to change the extension, but relinking to the same name. I change it to psd and hit enter. Works flawlessly.

gnubler · July 19, 2010, 03:59:19 PM

Kickass.

But why not save as TIFF LZW? Smaller files.

DigitalCrapShoveler · July 19, 2010, 04:00:54 PM

NO compression. I no like compression... too problematic. While it works most of the time, it's the one time that bites you right in the keister!

gnubler · July 19, 2010, 04:02:03 PM

I've never had a prob with LZW. Plus if you save them all as PSD you pretty much need Photoshop to open/edit them. TIFF is more universal.

DigitalCrapShoveler · July 19, 2010, 04:08:16 PM

Why would I want to edit them in anything else? PSD supports transparency without attaching a tag that COULD become corrupt. Tiffs were meant for 4 channel 8-bit output. Anything else they do have been bastardized over the years to make them more "convenient" and versatile. I don't need to compress files that are just going to be decompressed at the RIP stage. Plus, clipping paths and spot channel support all resident and work great with PSDs. All other file formats are specific to the function they were created. Grow up.

gnubler · July 19, 2010, 04:33:20 PM

Well, look at the big bad 13 year old! :tongue: It's not my fault you're older and more mature than I am.

If these are just flat images, TIFFs are more versatile. You didn't mention anything about paths or channels.

Joe · July 19, 2010, 04:52:51 PM

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Got my popcorn and a comfy chair. Go ahead....

gnubler · July 19, 2010, 05:00:41 PM

To be cntd...

hotmetal · July 19, 2010, 05:15:01 PM

Quote from: gnubler on July 19, 2010, 04:02:03 PMI've never had a prob with LZW. Plus if you save them all as PSD you pretty much need Photoshop to open/edit them. TIFF is more universal.

In this crowd, does anyone use anything other than Photoshop to open/edit raster images? I fail to see any reason to save a file to tif anymore. What I really, really hate, though, is when the client sends jpgs and the person doing alts saves it back to fucking jpg. That's just plain ignorant. (But, then, there's the guy on 1st who hates psds almost as much as he hates pdfs and, given the chance, will save a file with spot channels that came in as psd to fucking DCS.)

However, great Indy relinking tip, DCS!

Skryber · July 19, 2010, 06:01:00 PM

Rampage errors linked PSDs from Indy in EPS files unless I embed the images. I haven't figured out why yet.

gnubler · July 19, 2010, 06:54:25 PM

Quote from: hotmetal on July 19, 2010, 05:15:01 PMIn this crowd, does anyone use anything other than Photoshop to open/edit raster images?

Yeah, we all use Photoshop. But I often open TIFFs with Mac Preview if I don't feel like launching PS, just to see what they are. I think TIFFs can also be placed in Pub, Word, and all that shit but PSDs cannot. I wouldn't want to run another batch on all 600 PSDs in the event the client decided they wanted all their files. I can hear it already..."What's a PSD? I can't open it."

GIMP can open PSDs, but there is occasional weirdness if layers are involved. It can open TIFFs without issue, though.

youston · July 19, 2010, 07:27:03 PM

Quote from: hotmetal on July 19, 2010, 05:15:01 PMIn this crowd, does anyone use anything other than Photoshop to open/edit raster images?

I edit them in binary code. Frankly, I'm a little disappointed that DCS doesn't. :undecided:

gnubler · July 19, 2010, 08:09:52 PM

LOL. Yeah, I didn't want to say anything but I sometimes open PSDs with Word. It takes some skill.

David · July 20, 2010, 07:12:20 AM

Quote from: gnubler on July 19, 2010, 08:09:52 PMLOL. Yeah, I didn't want to say anything but I sometimes open PSDs with Word. It takes some skill.

Damn, and here I've been using Excel for all these years...

DigitalCrapShoveler · July 20, 2010, 08:06:29 AM

Quote from: youston on July 19, 2010, 07:27:03 PM
Quote from: hotmetal on July 19, 2010, 05:15:01 PMIn this crowd, does anyone use anything other than Photoshop to open/edit raster images?

I edit them in binary code. Frankly, I'm a little disappointed that DCS doesn't. :undecided:

It got boring. I am much more visual these days.

Gnub, in this stack of shit I had to convert, were several PSDs with transparent BGs. I need to extrapolate a little further: In my travels and with the equipment I run, (disclaimer) I find tiff, eps, jpg, psd all have very specific functions in regards to their usability. If the image is flat, 8-bit, 4 channel no extras, I'll go tiff. If the image is for the INTERTUBES I'll go jpg. If the image is flat and has a clipping path, I'll go eps. However, most of these file formats allow you to interchange these functions now. In the past that was not true. You know me enough, to know I live from my experiences in getting bit on Press. I don't tread lightly when considering file formats and never have. A customer or desinger may not know or care, but I do. It's my job.

PSDs are THE most versatile file format in conjunction with the CS family. It's like the end-all-be-all file format. It encompasses everything you will ever need for raster based stability in a file format. I go back to the lowest common denominator. Since the other file formats are problematic and unreliable, I switch them all to PSDs, IF they do not conform to my set of rules. It's all voodoo Prepress shit I won't bore you any longer with.

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InDesign Time Saver...