How to get PDF as glossy pages for cover and back pages, and newsprint for Inner content [inDesign CC]?

Question

I have been creating an Adobe InDesign replica of a print magazine for my own learning purposes. This question is about the design and print side of InDesign.

I have created an advertising magazine [a free pick-up local one], page size 204mm width x 277mm height, and it has adverts in the following sizes:

Full-page advert 178mm width x 250mm height

Tall advert 86mm width x 249mm height

Wide advert 179mm width x 123mm height

Half-size advert 87mm width x 124mm height

Cover page, pages 2-4 and 53-56 are glossy, pages 5-52 are newsprint. There is also an insert between pages 32 and 33 in glossy print, with page numbers 1 to 8 in Roman numerals [I - VIII].

What would I need to do to ensure these come out correctly - would I export Pages 1-4, I-VIII, 53-56 as ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI) and pages 4-52 as ISOnewspaper26v4?

Would I then merge the PDFs in page number order in Acrobat, and soft-proof in Adobe Acrobat or Reader?

Also - some of the advertisers have colored adverts with grayscale image [e.g. blue box 87mm width x 124mm height but grayscale pictures] - is there a way to grayscale the image [maybe copy and greyscale in Photoshop?].

I would appreciate any advice and help - this is for my own learning purposes, and not an actual commercial print, I am doing this to understand the printing side of things [I am at a basic level of InDesign proficiency].

Answer 1

I've worked in a print shop for over 10 years and we never requested jobs to be output separately based on stock choice. I would just output the file as a high resolution PDF that's ready for press (don't forget bleeds, if needed).

The printer will then take your file and lay it out on their press ready file in order to run the job accordingly on their equipment. In other words, if the file needs to be separated by page for a stock choice, they will do it during prepress. The pressman would then be told which pages to run on which stock.

It is worth speaking to your printer before you finalize everything. As they may have suggestions to help you help them. Which in turn could save you money. The more they work on your file, the more they will (most likely) charge you. If it is possible, the best thing to do would be to print out a mockup on your printer at home, take the mockup to them and go over the details with them. That would enable them to give you the best direction.

As for the grayscale, you could open the file in Photoshop and convert to gray. If the page is to be printed with black only, you will need to do the conversion. If not, your job could be refused by the printer (as it doesn't match specs quoted) or they will have to convert it for you and most likely charge you for the time to do so.

However, if the page is being printed in full color, having the grayscale image made of CMYK, although not ideal, should still work. Or at the very least it shouldn't cost you more money. It would be advised to convert it before sending it to them because this could result in poor image quality, especially if surrounded by other colors. In that case, if the pressman needs to adjust the output of a certain color to pump up the color near your image, it could cause your image to look dark or it could give the gray a color cast, depending on the color adjusted by the pressman. More Cyan to pump up the blue, could result in a blue/black duotone looking image. Which is probably not what the advertisers were looking for.

Hope that helps.