Any disadvantages to linking Photoshop layered files to your InDesign CS4 file
neila_stewart (13 points) | Wed, 2009-04-08 00:23Hello:
I am new to this forum and I have a question. When linking images to an InDesign file, can you think of any disadvantages to just using the layered Photoshop file? We used to convert our PSD files to flattened TIFs to reduce the resultant PDF size. But that seems to not be an issue anymore.
Thanks for your advice.
Neila
"Shun idleness" Voltaire
We do all the time here. Technology seems to come on leaps and bounds recently, to the point where we place psd's in most small jobs.
Saying that, I personally would rather place a flattened image into a document over a psd, purely 'cos I'm old-school.
PSDs can sometimes be a good option tho. For instance: we use little icon flags on quite a few jobs (rounded, shiny boxes with a country's flag in). Instead of having 200 seperate files, we use on layered psd with all the flags in it. Then we use InDesign's OBJECT LAYER options to switch on and off the country layers depending on which country is to be shown.
I guess the rules with PSDs is - use em if you think it's worth it.
That's my ten penneth.
Wish I'd logged in when i posted that.
Miklad
'Keeps losing his mojo, then finding it again'.
Yea - so long as the PSD is actually linked - whenever you edit the PSD it will update in Indy.
Good point with the object layers..
Jack
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BRANDING | PRINT | WEB
www.jhousedesign.com
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Thanks for your insight. I hadn't experienced any problems, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. I want to implement a new process with our designers to use the PSD. One benefit: when you package your files for archiving, you get the PSD instead of the flattened image. We've had problems with some designers forgetting to archive PSDs and this process change should solve that problem.
Neila