Prepress Image Optimizer
A practical, free alternative to costly commercial DTP optimization tools.
Built for prepress professionals who need an efficient image workflow without the cost of a large commercial solution.
An Adobe InDesign + Photoshop ExtendScript — not a standalone application.
Prepare linked images for print with batch resizing, color profile conversion, Photoshop filters and Actions, and automatic relinking.
Free to use. Donations are very welcome.
Requirements
Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop must be installed. Start Photoshop before running image processing from InDesign.
Download Prepress Image Optimizer — Google Drive →
Opens a public Google Drive folder. Download the ZIP archive and unzip it before installation.
How to install
1. Download and unzip the archive. Do not run the script directly from the ZIP.
2. In InDesign, open Window > Utilities > Scripts.
3. In the Scripts panel, right-click the User folder and choose Reveal in Finder on macOS or Reveal in Explorer on Windows.
4. Copy the complete PrepressImageOptimizer folder into the Scripts Panel folder. Keep the main JSX file together with its lib folder.
5. Start Photoshop, return to InDesign, and double-click PrepressImageOptimizer.jsx in the Scripts panel.
Compatibility
Development and the available native test baseline are on macOS. The recorded baseline used Adobe InDesign 21.3.0.60 and Photoshop 27.7. The script uses cross-platform ExtendScript APIs and is expected to work on Windows and on earlier compatible Adobe versions, but those combinations have not all been tested and compatibility is not guaranteed.
AVIF and WebP support depends on the installed Photoshop version and codecs. Always work on copies and verify every output before production.
Help keep DTP Brew brewing
If this script saves you time, consider supporting its development. Your contribution helps improve Prepress Image Optimizer and build more free tools for everyday prepress work.
Support by card transfer
Card number: 2200 3005 0532 1719
More tools are brewing
More scripts to simplify prepress workflows are planned. Prepress Image Optimizer is the first.