Posted January 15, 2016
Working with complex InDesign layouts and image effects
BY Geoffrey Karr
For users of the Digimarc Barcode Manager to enable interactive printed images.
Watermarking an image that is placed into InDesign is often as simple as figuring out the size that image is placed at, applying that sizing information to the image, watermarking, saving a copy and updating the image link.
Sometimes it's not that easy.
This sample page has a number of boots on it that would be somewhat difficult to watermark individually since the images are not only on the small size, but also "thin". The watermark would have to be very strong to be readable and could cause some visual noise. Ideally watermarking some of the surrounding background around each boot would improve readability and allow for a lighter watermark. The problem is that each boot is outlined and the background is a blend from InDesign. If there are additional InDesign image effects like multiply or opacity, these changes would have to be added to the images that are watermarked.
Manually rebuilding the gradient background and images in a Photoshop file would be time consuming, but InDesign can do much of the work for you.
- First make 2 layers in InDesign, one for everything we want to watermark and the other for everything we don't want to watermark (such as the typography). Just like the sample page.
- Next turn off the layer we don't want to watermark and export the remaining artwork layer as a PDF or JPEG.
- I like the JPEG export since it will be the size of the layout and can include the bleed.
- Export at maximum image quality, CMYK at 300 dpi, include the profile and anti-alas the artwork.
- Open the exported JPEG in Photoshop.
- It's a simple matter to create selections of the different boots including some of the surrounding area and make them each a layer.
- Watermark each layer with the correct service.
- Save the file (I save these as Photoshop files with layers).
- Place the file back into InDesign, preferably on a new layer just about the export layer.
- Since the image is the same size as the document the placement is a 0,0 offset from the top left corner or less the additional bleed in the document.
All that's left is to test the readability and to make sure the images are linked to the correct payoffs.