InDesign

About device- and driver-dependent PostScript files

Select a printer and a supported driver in the Printer menu. A device- and driver-dependent PostScript file has the following characteristics:

  • It is driver-dependent. The PostScript file will contain code generated by InDesign and by the driver. The InDesign code is primarily responsible for the page content, including font downloading, and for setting basic device information, such as media size, resolution, and screening. The driver is primarily responsible for setting special driver features, such as watermarks, and for enabling or controlling special device features. Since InDesign doesn’t have complete control over creating the PostScript file, the level of DSC compliance isn’t quite as high as it is with driver‑independent PostScript files. The level of DSC compliance, and therefore the PostScript file’s suitability for prepress tasks, depends on the printer driver used.

  • It is device-dependent. It contains code for enabling and controlling specific device features, making it less compatible with devices other than the target device.

  • It can be composite or separated (all of the color output methods that InDesign supports are available).

  • It can be trapped by InDesign (either by using Application Built-In or Adobe In-RIP Trapping).

  • It can be printed directly to the device, or to file.

A device- and driver-dependent PostScript file is ideally suited for proofing (by the designer) to desktop PostScript printers. It can also be used by service providers who don't plan to do any prepress tasks to the job outside of InDesign or the RIP system. In other words, if trapping is done, it happens in InDesign or at the RIP.