Among the various new features in InDesign CS6, Grayscale Preview and Export should come in really handy to all print designers. For any print jobs that also need a grayscale output, you no longer need to maintain a separate file. You also don’t need to send the full color PDF to the printer and cross your fingers that they’ll do a proper conversion. This feature gives you proper control on your design, and reduces extra work for maintaining different layouts.
Grayscale Preview
Several Dot Gain profiles are available with InDesign CS6 that you can use to preview your layouts. Using this feature you can avoid maintaining different layouts for full-color and grayscale outputs.
- Use Proof Setup (View > Proof Setup) to specify grayscale proof options, and choose a Dot Gain or Gamma destination.
- After you’ve setup the proof, choose View > Proof Colors to toggle between grayscale and color output.
Export Grayscale PDF
When you export a grayscale PDF all page items, irrespective of their original color space, are converted to grayscale while exporting to PDF.
- Export document to PDF (Print)
- Click the Output tab in the PDF export options dialog box.
- From the Color Conversion list, choose Convert To Destination.
- Under Destination, choose a Dot Gain or Gray Gamma destination.
PDF Export Options dialog box
Have you tried out this feature yet? Let us know what you think. Do you think that you can use it for other workflows as well?
Have you tried InDesign CS6 ? Download a trial. Incase you need it, see the instructions to install a trial.
#1 by selvamurali on May 15, 2012 - 5:50 am
Great!!
This will help more peoples in the media industry.
thank you
#2 by Jim Steel on July 27, 2012 - 2:12 am
Works well, even on inexpensive portable printer. Selected Dot 25%. Set printer driver to B & W. Would have done even better by setting it to High Quality Grayscale.
#3 by Stephen on October 19, 2012 - 8:28 pm
Edit > Edit Colors > Convert to Greyscale is easier, especially if you don’t have a greyscale color destination set up in your PDF export options.
#4 by Jeff on December 13, 2012 - 5:19 am
I’ve tried what this site gives as an example and even looked for what “Stephen” posted October 19th said is easier. None of these options appear with my C6S InDesign. Every time it looks b/w I save and it saves as color.
#5 by Brian on March 8, 2013 - 5:14 am
Jeff, yes, I think what Stephen posted is actually from Illustrator. There is no Edit > Edits Colors > Convert to Grayscale option in InDesign.
What this article is describing is simply a preview. Your document is still actually in color, it’s just *previewing* it in B&W, not actually *converting* it to B&W. It just shows you what it would look like in B&W.
Then you export your PDF using similar settings in the output options.