Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on July 22, 2016, 10:43:10 AM

Quote from: Farabomb on July 22, 2016, 10:42:23 AMThe main color combination in prepress is black and blue.

And RED!

Sales colors are brown and corn-yellow.

Quote from: Possum on October 21, 2014, 12:52:38 PMNot me, I'm a Quark fan. Just had to hop on here to say HI, haven't seen you in a while.

Didn't see this until this morning. Hi, Possum!

You guys crack me up.

I'd actually seen that document that you linked to, Joe, but it doesn't really address my need as much as the JavaScript reference has.

Thinking I'm gonna hack something together as much as I can as quickly as I can, and then spend the next few months or so figuring out a way that I can super automate this using scripting. Neato stuff.

Ninja master is currently reading the 300+ pg. InDesign JavaScript reference. There's, like, a LOT of stuff in there that's nifty.

Quote from: Joe on October 21, 2014, 02:03:50 PM:confused:

Why does the ID doc need to be interactive then?

WTF are you asking rational questions like that, Joe?!? What has this place come to?!?

Basically, I'm trying to create a document that a trained monkey can produce, given a data file and two pieces of art. There's a lot of job-specific info at the top of the proof that's going to be populated via variable data. The art, and the placement of the human-readable elements on it, have to be done manually, as there are waaaayyyy too many variations in element placement on those things to automate it. That leaves me with the checkboxes in the middle section, which my boss wants to be "click to select" instead of click in this box and type a "4" (Zaph Dingbats checkmark).

The reason why we're trying to make it so "hands off" is because we're expecting a flux of data people coming in here any day now (anybody want a job in a cool city?), and we haven't had the best of luck finding someone with a good mix of prepress and data skills. So, we're planning on whoever has to use this document not having the best ID skills in the world.

Happy now?!? Geez, what's with all the pertinent questions?? Somebody better come in here to add a "doomed" or I'm afraid I might have to let my B4PGold membership lapse.

Quote from: Joe on October 21, 2014, 01:37:40 PMWell I think  it can probably be done with scripting but have no idea why anyone would want to. So you are going to be sending this ID document to customers? What if they don't have InDesign?

No, that's the kicker. We'll be sending the customer a .pdf of the document.  

Quote from: Ear on October 21, 2014, 01:18:36 PMI don't even know what to say about it. Acrobat form would be the obvious choice. Your boss tied your hands and feet together and told you to go run the Ninja Warrior Stage 4.

And yet, next to this very window I'm typing in, under my profile picture, it says I'm a Ninja Master. I will emerge triumphant. 

 Well, initially we were going to go with PDF, but there are too many unique circumstances which require us to make small changes in stuff on the proof, and my boss doesn't want to deal with that in Acrobat.  Which is odd, because I'm under all kinds of restrictions on how to put it together, because most of the people using the document won't have much (if any) actual ID experience! Like ... I can't use character or object styles, my boss would prefer that I not use layers, can't use PDF profiles to tweak settings for each individual customer, etc. This is gonna be a fun project, and by 'fun' I mean  .

Howdy,

I'm being tasked with combining all of the different data proofs we provide to all of our different customers (one data proof to rule them all). These proofs are prepared in InDesign, and I'm trying to automate most of it.

In the middle section of the page, there are a series of specifications that currently are selected by manually typing a Zaph Dingbats checkmark inside of a checkbox that's placed as a .tiff.

My boss wants me to change these to radio buttons, with, like, interactivity and logic attached to them (one button selected deselects other buttons type of stuff). I'm almost entirely sure that you can't create an interactive document that lives and is functional entirely in InDesign. All of my previous experience has resulted in the interactivity we desired being functional in a pdf created from an InDesign document.

But before I report this up the ladder, I thought ask here, since there are at least a couple of people who have heard of InDesign on this forum. Anyone prove me wrong?

Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on October 10, 2014, 02:49:07 PM

Quote from: youston on October 10, 2014, 02:43:42 PMI could be getting one right now, ya never know - oh - OH - OHHHHH!!!

Gross.

Just know, that I am high-fiving you in spirit... the "atta-boy" kind of high-five, not a "tagging me in" situation.

I could be getting one right now, ya never know - oh - OH - OHHHHH!!!

Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on October 10, 2014, 12:30:06 PMMy number one bitch so far? "NexPress Dry Ink raised clear"... they couldn't have named that just a little less fucked up?

YES!! THIS!! Exactly.

And if you DO insist on having such a long-winded name for it, why can't you at least be consistent with your capitalization?!?

Happy to help, and good luck with that NexPress. On the rare occasions that ours was working, it output BEAUTIFUL stuff. (That's what I did all those CD cases for my wife on.)

Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on October 10, 2014, 11:43:02 AM

Quote from: youston on October 10, 2014, 11:09:42 AMLook, all you need to do is make sure that the color that's representing Dimensional Clear is named "NexPress Dry Ink raised clear" (or something like that ... it's been awhile) and that all the elements in that color are set to multiply. I used to output to the Nexpress all day from PS & Illy.

I'm currently running tests, and all their documentation indicates that the PDF HAS to be generated out of InDesign, unless you run the PDFs through these certain actions with Pitstop.

Thanks for the info.

Well, I haven't had to deal with this for a few years, so something could have changed, I suppose, but on its face, that sounds ridiculous. I've done hundreds of jobs with dimensional clear, and never once used PitStop with them. What, does InDesign lay some sort of golden blessing on top of the transparency, FFS?!?

Actually, we had a manual that we got with the NP that explained how to design and output for dimensional clear in Indy, Illy & Photoshop. Never once was PitStop mentioned. 

The only issue with the dimensional clear that I recall is that when loading XMPie output, some box had to be checked on the RIP on the front end of the NP to bring back the multiplication after XMPie flattened the crap out of the file. I can't for the life of me remember what that box was called, and the guy who ran the NP with me died last week. If I get some time over the weekend, I'll see if the Wiccan couple across the street has a Ouija board. Maybe then I can come up with some details. ;-)

Look, all you need to do is make sure that the color that's representing Dimensional Clear is named "NexPress Dry Ink raised clear" (or something like that ... it's been awhile) and that all the elements in that color are set to multiply. I used to output to the Nexpress all day from PS & Illy.

... and they lived happily ever after.

I'm out, fellas. I guess I truly am a part-timer.