Change Overprint InDesign
Script for Adobe InDesign
Change the overprint of all elements, selected elements, or all on a selected layer.
- Change fill or stroke or both
- Set overprint on or off
- Adapt open source to customize or create other scripts
For the Illustrator version of this script, see Change Overprint
Also see related script Color Layer Items InDesign
Change Overprint InDesign
How-to Video
How to use the script
The interface has two sections: Scope, and Overprint. Click the OK button and elements are modified as directed.
Section 1: Scope
All — every element throughout the document are affected.
Selected — only the currently selected elements are affected.
Layer — elements on the selected layer are affected. In the drop-down list, choose the desired layer.
Section 2: Overprint
Fill overprint — enable and select On or Off to change the fill overprint of elements. Disable and the fill overprint of all elements remains unchanged.
Stroke overprint — enable and select On or Off to change the stroke overprint of elements. Disable and the stroke overprint of all elements remains unchanged.
Regarding overprint
When told to overprint fill or stroke, and the item color is either zero percent CMYK or otherwise equivalent to “white” or “paper”, the script does not enable overprint, and when done, alerts the user “Items with no color (white) were not set to overprint.” This behavior is to prevent inadvertently overprinting white, which results in an invisible element once printed.
Source code
(download button below)
/*
Change Overprint InDesign
Copyright 2022 William Campbell
All Rights Reserved
https://www.marspremedia.com/contact
Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software
for any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES
WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR
ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN
ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
*/
(function () {
var title = "Change Overprint InDesign";
if (!/indesign/i.test(app.name)) {
alert("Script for InDesign", title, false);
return;
}
// Script variables.
var doc;
var error;
var layerNames;
var swatchNone;
var warningWhite;
// Reusable UI variables.
var g; // group
var gc1; // group (column)
var gc2; // group (column)
var p; // panel
var w; // window
// Permanent UI variables.
var btnCancel;
var btnOk;
var cbOPFill;
var cbOPStroke;
var grpOPFill;
var grpOPStroke;
var listLayers;
var rbAll;
var rbLayer;
var rbOPFillOff;
var rbOPFillOn;
var rbOPStrokeOff;
var rbOPStrokeOn;
var rbSelected;
// SETUP
// Script requires open document.
if (!app.documents.length) {
alert("Open a document", title, false);
return;
}
doc = app.activeDocument;
// Get layer names.
layerNames = doc.layers.everyItem().name;
swatchNone = doc.swatches[0];
// CREATE USER INTERFACE
w = new Window("dialog", title);
w.alignChildren = "fill";
// Panel.
p = w.add("panel");
p.alignChildren = "left";
rbAll = p.add("radiobutton", undefined, "All");
rbSelected = p.add("radiobutton", undefined, "Selected");
g = p.add("group");
g.alignment = "left";
rbLayer = g.add("radiobutton", undefined, "Layer:");
listLayers = g.add("dropdownlist", undefined, layerNames);
listLayers.preferredSize = [150, -1];
// Panel.
p = w.add("panel");
p.alignChildren = "left";
// Group of 2 columns.
g = p.add("group");
// Groups, columns 1 and 2.
gc1 = g.add("group");
gc1.orientation = "column";
gc1.alignChildren = "left";
gc2 = g.add("group");
gc2.orientation = "column";
gc2.alignChildren = "left";
// Rows.
cbOPFill = gc1.add("checkbox", undefined, "Fill overprint:");
grpOPFill = gc2.add("group");
rbOPFillOn = grpOPFill.add("radiobutton", undefined, "On");
rbOPFillOff = grpOPFill.add("radiobutton", undefined, "Off");
cbOPStroke = gc1.add("checkbox", undefined, "Stroke overprint:");
grpOPStroke = gc2.add("group");
rbOPStrokeOn = grpOPStroke.add("radiobutton", undefined, "On");
rbOPStrokeOff = grpOPStroke.add("radiobutton", undefined, "Off");
// Action Buttons.
g = w.add("group");
g.alignment = "center";
btnOk = g.add("button", undefined, "OK");
btnCancel = g.add("button", undefined, "Cancel");
// Panel Copyright.
p = w.add("panel");
p.add("statictext", undefined, "Copyright 2022 William Campbell");
// SET UI VALUES
if (doc.selection.length) {
rbSelected.value = true;
} else {
rbAll.value = true;
}
configureUi();
// UI ELEMENT EVENT HANDLERS
rbAll.onClick = function () {
rbSelected.value = false;
rbLayer.value = false;
configureUi();
};
rbSelected.onClick = function () {
rbAll.value = false;
rbLayer.value = false;
configureUi();
};
rbLayer.onClick = function () {
rbAll.value = false;
rbSelected.value = false;
configureUi();
};
cbOPFill.onClick = configureUi;
cbOPStroke.onClick = configureUi;
btnOk.onClick = function () {
if (rbLayer.value && !listLayers.selection) {
alert("Select a layer", " ", false);
return;
}
w.close(1);
};
btnCancel.onClick = function () {
w.close(0);
};
// DISPLAY THE DIALOG
if (w.show() == 1) {
try {
app.doScript(process, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, title);
if (warningWhite) {
alert("Items with no color (white) were not set to overprint");
}
} catch (e) {
error = error || e;
alert("An error has occurred.\nLine " + error.line + ": " + error.message, title, true);
}
}
//====================================================================
// END PROGRAM EXECUTION, BEGIN FUNCTIONS
//====================================================================
function colorItems(items) {
var i;
var item;
var text;
var vc = function (c) {
// Validate object has property 'space'.
return "space" in c;
};
for (i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
item = items[i];
if (item.getElements()[0].constructor.name == "Group") {
// Recurse (call self)
colorItems(item.pageItems);
} else {
// Not a group
if (item.getElements()[0].constructor.name == "TextFrame") {
// TEXT
text = item.texts[0];
// Fill
if (text.fillColor != swatchNone) {
// Fill overprint
if (cbOPFill.value && vc(text.fillColor)) {
if (rbOPFillOn.value && notWhite(text.fillColor, true)) {
text.overprintFill = true;
} else if (rbOPFillOff.value && notWhite(text.fillColor)) {
text.overprintFill = false;
}
}
}
// Stroke
if (text.strokeColor != swatchNone) {
// Stroke overprint
if (cbOPStroke.value && vc(text.strokeColor)) {
if (rbOPStrokeOn.value && notWhite(text.strokeColor, true)) {
text.overprintStroke = true;
} else if (rbOPStrokeOff.value && notWhite(text.strokeColor)) {
text.overprintStroke = false;
}
}
}
}
// ALL OTHER, NOT TEXT
// Fill
if (item.fillColor != swatchNone) {
// Fill overprint
if (cbOPFill.value && vc(item.fillColor)) {
if (rbOPFillOn.value && notWhite(item.fillColor, true)) {
item.overprintFill = true;
} else if (rbOPFillOff.value && notWhite(item.fillColor)) {
item.overprintFill = false;
}
}
}
// Stroke
if (item.strokeColor != swatchNone) {
// Stroke overprint
if (cbOPStroke.value && vc(item.strokeColor)) {
if (rbOPStrokeOn.value && notWhite(item.strokeColor, true)) {
item.overprintStroke = true;
} else if (rbOPStrokeOff.value && notWhite(item.strokeColor)) {
item.overprintStroke = false;
}
}
}
}
}
}
function configureUi() {
if (!(rbAll.value || rbSelected.value || rbLayer.value)) {
rbAll.value = true;
}
if (doc.selection.length) {
rbSelected.enabled = true;
} else {
rbSelected.enabled = false;
}
listLayers.enabled = rbLayer.value;
if (!(rbOPFillOn.value || rbOPFillOff.value)) {
rbOPFillOn.value = true;
}
if (!(rbOPStrokeOn.value || rbOPStrokeOff.value)) {
rbOPStrokeOn.value = true;
}
grpOPFill.enabled = cbOPFill.value;
grpOPStroke.enabled = cbOPStroke.value;
}
function notWhite(color, warn) {
if (
"colorValue" in color && // MIXEDINK has no property 'colorValue'
(
color.colorValue.toString() == "0,0,0,0" || // CMYK
color.colorValue.toString() == "255,255,255" || // RGB
color.colorValue.toString() == "100,0,0" // Lab
)
) {
warningWhite |= warn;
return false;
}
return true;
}
function process() {
var layer;
try {
if (rbAll.value) {
colorItems(doc.pageItems);
} else if (rbSelected.value) {
colorItems(doc.selection);
} else if (rbLayer.value) {
layer = doc.layers.itemByName(listLayers.selection.text);
colorItems(layer.pageItems);
}
} catch (e) {
error = e;
throw e;
}
}
})();Change Overprint InDesign
For help installing scripts, see How to Install and Use Scripts in Adobe Creative Cloud Applications.
Custom solutions based on any script, or completely new ideas, are possible at reasonable cost. Contact William for more information.
IMPORTANT: by downloading any of the scripts on this page you agree that the software is provided without any warranty, express or implied. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Always make backups of important data.
IMPORTANT: fees paid for products purchased from this site, or for programming custom solutions, are the purchase of a non-exclusive license to use the software and do not grant the purchaser any degree of ownership of the software. Author of the intellectual property and copyright holder William Campbell retains 100% ownership of all code used in all products and custom solutions.
IMPORTANT: scripts are developed for the latest Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Many scripts work in CC 2018 and later, even some as far back as CS6, but may not perform as expected, or run at all, when used in versions prior to 2018. Photoshop features Select Subject and Preserve Details 2.0 definitely fail prior to CC 2018 (version 19) as the features do not exist in earlier versions. For best results use the latest versions of Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
