Select Window > Output > Trap Presets to open the Trap Presets panel.
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to apply trap presets and configure trapping settings to compensate for printing press misregistration in Adobe InDesign.
Trapping compensates for ink misregistration during offset printing by creating slight overlaps between colors that butt against each other, preventing visible gaps.
Use this procedure when your document contains abutting spots or process colors that require trapping adjustments. For documents with primarily black text or those using process colors with common ink components, trapping may not be necessary. Always have a consultation with your prepress service provider to determine appropriate trap settings for your specific press conditions.
Before trapping your document, verify that your output device supports either InDesign built-in trapping or Adobe In-RIP Trapping. Built-in trapping requires a PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file that supports separations and limits trap widths to 4 points. Adobe In-RIP Trapping requires a PostScript Level 2 or later output device with RIP support for Adobe In-RIP Trapping and an appropriate PPD file. This checklist is useful for reference before exporting a file for print:
- InDesign document ready for print output
- Consultation with the prepress service provider was completed regarding trap settings
- PPD file installed for the target output device
- Knowledge of whether on-host or in-RIP separations will be used
Create a custom trap preset
The [Default] trap preset uses standard settings suitable for many commercial printing situations. Create custom presets only when your prepress service provider specifies different values.
Select the panel menu icon and then select New Preset.
Enter a descriptive name for your trap preset in the Name field.
In the Trap Width section, enter values specified by your prepress service provider for Default and Black trap widths.
Configure Trap Appearance, Images, and Trap Thresholds settings as recommended by your prepress service provider.
Select OK to save the trap preset.
Assign trap presets to page ranges
Select Window > Output > Trap Presets.
Select the panel menu icon and then select Assign Trap Preset.
In the Assign Trap Presets dialog box, select the Trap Preset you want to apply.
In the Pages section, select All or Range. You can enter specific pages or ranges using hyphens and commas (for example, 2-4, 6, 9-10, 12). You can also disable trapping on specific pages that don't require it, such as pages containing only black text, select [No Trap Preset] from the Trap Preset menu and assign it to those page ranges. This improves processing performance.
Select Assign to apply the preset to the specified pages.
Select Done to close the dialog box.
Configure print settings and trap the document
Select File > Print to open the Print dialog box.
Select the Output tab.
For Color, select Separations for on-host separations or In-RIP Separations for in-RIP separations.
For Trapping, select Application Built-In to use the InDesign trapping engine, or Adobe In-RIP if your output device supports Adobe In-RIP trapping.
If your prepress service provider recommends specific ink settings, select Ink Manager, configure the settings as specified, and select OK.
Configure additional print options as needed and select Print.
Trap multiple documents in a book
When trapping book documents, assign trap presets within each individual document.
Open the InDesign book file.
Select the panel menu icon and then select Synchronize Options.
Ensure that the Trap Preset option is checked so that any custom Trap Presets in the parent document are available to all the documents in the book.
Open each document in the book file.
Assign trap presets to appropriate page ranges.
Save each document after assigning trap presets.
Configure print settings and trap the document or export the book file with trapping applied.
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