*** From the Archives ***
This article is from March 14, 2010, and is no longer current.
Slugging it out with InDesign
Whenever I teach InDesign I usually begin by having the students create a new document while we explore the interface. As we explore the new document window I usually I ask my class what they think a slug is, but rarely do they know. Some of my favorite answers over the years include ?if you pour salt on them they melt? and ?my husband catches them with a bowl of beer and they drown.? While both of those options are interesting (and if I have to pick a way to go, the second option might be tempting), it also points to the lack up understanding of the slug.
Fortunately InDesign’s slugs are not slimy, but they are a special area of the pasteboard that can be included when you output (PDF, Print, etc). Typical uses of slugs include notes and/or file information. Mike Rankin wrote up a great article last year on using notes.
Using Slugs for Document Information
Keeping track of information of every printout while you work can be tough. There is a lot of information that you may have to record for other people. This can include the file name, job number, etc. I have seen business handle this in a variety of methods varying from stamps, envelope, or nothing at all. While these techniques may work, it can be a pain to manually fill out every time you print out something.
Rather than manually writing out all of this information, it is far easier to record this information inside a text frame in the slug.
Information that I include on my slug
- File Location (which includes its name)
- Job#
- Client
- Project Type
- Publication
- Dimensions
- Bleed
- Creation Date
- Creation Author
- Modification Date
- Modified By
- Routing Information
Text Variables Make Life Easier
While most of these fields need to be manually filled out each time, it is possible to automate some of the fields with InDesign?s text variables (type > text variable > insert variable). The file location information can be automated by file name text variable. You will need to customize the options to include file path. David Blatner?s wrote up a post on this a few years ago.
Creation date and modification date can also be automated with the text variables as well. I would recommend that you modify those variables to ensure a consistent look.
It would seem at first that document size and bleed would be options for text variables, but alas this is not the case. Hopefully in the future they will be options and it will be one less thing to worry about as you create and edit documents.
After your slug is setup you can save it as a snippet, put it in a library, and/or save your file as a template for easy assess for yourself and other co-workers.
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I also put in fold marks and such. Works very well.
When I was a kid I used to think stepping on a slug was bad luck and sign of the rain coming!!!
Well, I’m glad I’m using it the right way. Thanks for the confirmation James.
I usually put the document name and location with the creation and modification dates.
Never thought about the dimensions, but that could be very useful actually.
Thanks!
Usually Im telling people that the slug is primarily for commenting and most often for the times when you want to indicate your own fold marks (or special crop marks) for whatever reasons to the printers.
Altough Ive had wierd and worrying phonecalls in the past from China when doing packaging there, asking me to remove the slug and comments as they do not know how to treat them. I´ve also tried setting a layer with comments as a non-printing layer to indicate my intentions but then they often really don´t know whats going on, or worse bother… i guess an old fashioned phonecall combined with a fax with written comments is sometimes better suited in some circumstances than actually using the slug.
Long live high end electronic communication…
Other than that, using variables is a nice way to add information in an automatic fashion. But the interface in InDesign when adding these variables is a bit lacklustre. Im aware of that you can export a jdf (job defnition format file as specified by CIP4) when exporting to pdf , but then the information is not accessible within the InDesign-environment (as far as i know). The well intended format doesnt seem to be as popular as it maybe should be among us designers.
My question is then, shouldn´t there be a plugin or script for adding or accessing this kind of information in a more elegant manner? with or without JDF.
What about a menu with tickmarks to add filename/pagesize/total number of pages or whatever to your info? It could also include things like special colours, logos, emails and other things that is important for you and your current job.
I know most of this information can already be added within the JDF-format dialog box) when exporting to pdf (tick add JDF in advanced menu in export to PDF or add later in Acrobat). How about adding your choice of info to the slug and also exporting this info out as a seperat file for inclusion in a searchable library? You could then search for all 16-page jobs or a4-format jobs or whatever information that has been added. Or maybe add the info to our beloved Adobe Bridge (when exporting pdf with JDF it also exports a .JDF file which is in reality a custom xml-file).
Maybe there is a solution out there already? but I havent found one yet…and I guess this is where the JDF fails as a format for us designers, as its not easily available within InDesign. But still its a brilliant idea to use the slug as a place to keep usefull information about the document for us designers, instead of in numerous emails or post-its or databases… bad thing is that you need to open the document to get hold of the info placed in the slug…
Another idea is to expand what Adobe already included in the somewhat flimsy printing instructions that you get when you are choosing package. How about expanding this menu and getting the info you want accessible from within the document without having to export the info to a seperate file but also allow us to choose export info to slug?
Variables are great, but i find them incomplete and never show what I want.
So, I am actually working on a script to automate my slug:
I created a custom slug using a table, filled it up with placeholder text and saved it as a snippet.
The script will eventually pull information from my document, place my slug, and perform a Find/Replace that will automatically input bleed, trim, safety.
This script could evolve into a menu item, or even a window that appear at the creation of a document, so that additional info could be place (publication, units, markets, job #, etc.)
It could even be combined with a custom version of the crop marks script and could end up as a powerful alternative to the expensive plug ins that are on the market.
triple triangle has a great product that is 100% customizable…
Hello guys,
I was wondering if anyone knows of a resource, or if it is possible to automatically insert text from an Indesign page into its file name when saving. Eg. I have created multiple email signatures for my company and want to make it easier to identify them individually without having to open the resulting jpeg or png. I want to peg a name to each file.
Thank you in anticipation.
Andrew
Im using an export script, which will read out “bookmarks” which you can add to pages (using it as a name for the page), to use in the export filename.
@Andrew – I am not aware of a method to do what you are trying to accomplish. I would recommend that you put a post in the InDesignsecrets forums on this topic and maybe someone will have an answer for you.
Hi James Fritz
Can you send me your mail id, So we conversation for some kind of business.
Thank You
Suraj Ghube
can we move the slug guide and if do how can i do that
Gabe: You can’t drag the slug guide manually, but you can change its position by setting a different slug measure in File > Document Setup.
Bug alert. We have used triple triangle to build InDesign files for years. Very helpful. InDesign cc2014 has great trouble reading and opening files that have gone thru triple triangle. Multipage documents takes MINUTES to open (and to write pdf files), and when they open, they have an asterisk in the title bar that denotes changes to the document, even though no commands have been given. And the bug appears to be centered in the character styles menu, where there are hundreds, (we’ve had over two thousand) unnamed styles that InDesign cc2014 has generated in response to something in triple triangle. I hope it gets fixed, because it is a deal breaker. Triple triangle has been unhelpful and accusatory in customer service inquiries.
Hi All,
I have created an artwork sign off box that automatically updates the job number / filename / creation date in InDesign… is there a way when the artwork is saved as a pdf that the lead creative can open the pdf check that it’s OK and add his signature (or name) to the pdf and then the Project Manager can do the same on her PC?
Does everyone need the full version of Acrobat Pro in order to do this?
Thanks in advance,
Rupert
I use slugs for every client PDF regardless of the final use. Keeps track of dates, versions, etc. It’s stored in my library and dragged it into slug area that is the default for every job.
Would there be a backdoor way to add a field for time spent with the file open?
Would make it easier to calculate or track costs on a job.