Export with confidence—no matter the destination.
Adobe InDesign gives you powerful export options—but choosing the right settings can mean the difference between a pixel-perfect brochure and a printing disaster. Whether you’re creating materials for print, PDF, EPUB, or web, this guide breaks down the best export settings for each.
🖨️ Exporting for Print (High-Quality Output)
Use when creating files for professional printing—like brochures, business cards, posters, or packaging.
Recommended Settings:
- File > Export > Adobe PDF (Print)
- Adobe PDF Preset: High Quality Print or Press Quality
- Pages: Export as pages (not spreads)
- Compression:
- Color/Grayscale: Bicubic Downsampling to 300 ppi for images above 450 ppi
- Compression: ZIP or JPEG (high quality)
- Marks and Bleeds:
- Enable Crop Marks
- Use Document Bleed Settings (usually 3mm or 0.125in)
- Output:
- Color Conversion: Convert to Destination (Preserve Numbers)
- Destination: CMYK (use your printer’s ICC profile if available)
- Fonts: Embed all fonts
✅ Use for: Offset printing, commercial print jobs, print shops
📄 Exporting to PDF for Digital Use
Use for brochures, reports, forms, or presentations shared via email or web.
Recommended Settings:
- File > Export > Adobe PDF (Interactive)
- Includes support for hyperlinks, buttons, forms, and videos
- Compression:
- Images: 150 ppi is a good balance of quality and file size
- Use RGB color for screens
- View Settings:
- Set initial view: Fit Page or Fit Width
- Enable Bookmarks and Thumbnails if applicable
✅ Use for: Email newsletters, eBooks, interactive forms, digital portfolios
📚 Exporting to EPUB (Reflowable or Fixed Layout)
EPUB is great for digital publications on tablets and eReaders.
A. Reflowable EPUB
- File > Export > EPUB (Reflowable)
- Best for simple, text-heavy documents like novels or guides
- Text adapts to screen size
- Use Paragraph Styles for structure
- Embed fonts when licensing allows
B. Fixed Layout EPUB
- File > Export > EPUB (Fixed Layout)
- Best for image-rich, designed layouts (e.g., children’s books, portfolios)
- Supports buttons, video, animations, multi-state objects
✅ Use for: Digital books, interactive manuals, iBooks
🌐 Exporting for Web or Screen
To share graphics or layouts as images for websites, social media, or presentations.
Recommended Settings:
- File > Export > JPEG or PNG
- Resolution: 150–300 ppi depending on use
- Color Space: RGB
- Quality: Maximum
- Anti-aliasing: On
- Export Range: All pages or selection
✅ Use for: Social media graphics, email graphics, web embeds
🎯 Bonus Tips for Cleaner Exports
- Always preflight your document (Window > Output > Preflight)
- Use Package to gather fonts and links before sending to print
- Add metadata and keywords to PDF exports for SEO
- Test EPUB and interactive PDFs in multiple readers
- Use layers to control what’s shown or hidden on export
📘 Final Thought
InDesign is built for versatility—but exporting with purpose is what sets professionals apart. By choosing the right format and fine-tuning your settings, you’ll ensure your final product matches your vision—whether on screen or in print.
Export wisely. Deliver beautifully.
