Packaging Adobe InDesign Files for Press

First of all, let's assume you have finished your design layout in Adobe InDesign, done all your proofreading, finished your preflighting and are sure you have the best pictures available. Now you are ready to send your packaged files to your print provider. How do you do that?

Packaging In InDesign
If you are still in Preflight, click the Package button in the lower right corner. Otherwise, with the document open go to File->Package.

The first window to appear is for your contact information and any instructions you may have for your print provider. You can leave this blank if you want, it's your choice. Click Continue.

In the next window you will navigate to a place where you want to save the packaged job. I recommend your desktop or Flash drive, any place that will be easy to find when you are done packaging. At the top of the window create the name of the new folder that will contain your packaged items. At the bottom there are some check boxes. You will want to include Fonts, Linked Graphics, and Update Graphic Links in Package. Click Save.

Be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this page.

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The next window will probably be a Font Alert with a copyright notice. Ignore this by clicking OK.

InDesign will then package those items into the folder you just created.

Use a utility program such as WinZip to zip the new folder to create an archive. When the folder is zipped, you have what you need to send to your print provider. You can place the zipped file on a disk, upload to your print provider's ftp site or email it (if it is a small file.)

You've now packaged your layout for press. That's all there is to it.

Watch the seminar video below for Preflight and Packaging step by step instructions. Also, you will find my Blog address below the video.