---
tags: book production
---

# Preparing Lightning Source Templates for Printing

There's always been an issue with Lightning Source, in that the templates they generate won't work in their print system without being 'fixed' before your use them. The issues are with the template defaults for the 'appearance of blacks'. I believe the printing machinery can't deliver what the template defaults ask for.

#### Here's a step-by-step on how to fix it.

1) Open the template in Adobe InDesign, and go to `InDesign > Preferences > Appearance of Black`. 

2) Uncheck the 'Overprinting of [Black]' checkbox. Easy so far.


3) Next open the Layers panel and fold out the layers so you can see them all.


4) You'll see a lot of the layers are locked. Unlock them all so we can edit them.

5) Now, unfortunately a lot of the cropmarks and even the barcode provided are rendered in a weird 'Overprint Fill' mode We have to turn all that off for all page items. Open the Attributes panel with `Window > Output > Attributes`. A new 'Attributes' panel will appear.


6) Click on the document background and hit 'Command+A' to select everything. You notice that the 'Overprint Fill' checkbox is *semi-checked* (see below). We need to make sure that this checkbox is **unchecked** for every item on page.


7) The main barcode makes this trickier than it should be. The outer barcode group doesn't have 'Overprint Fill' checked, BUT the image parts **INSIDE** the barcode group do. So, select the inner elements and uncheck their 'Overprint Fill'.


8) Now you should be hit 'Command+A' and uncheck 'Overprint Fill' across the whole document. Make sure you have missed any items. This is now a viable Lightning Source template.


9) To finish up, create a new layer in the Layers Panel, call it 'Artwork' and move the barcode object to that new layer. All your new design work goes on this layer or new layers above it. Lock the original two layers again so they can't get altered or corrupted or moved.

You're good to go!

##### tags: `Book production`