Lively discussions on the graphic arts and publishing — in print or on the web

PeterArnel · 05-21-2006, 02:36 PM

I am interested to know the issues
Peter

ktinkel · 05-21-2006, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterArnel

I am interested to know the issues

Fonts. Proofing on a safe network (one that doesn’t have the images and fonts used, to see if the PDF is complete).

dthomsen8 · 05-21-2006, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktinkel

Fonts. Proofing on a safe network (one that doesn’t have the images and fonts used, to see if the PDF is complete).

Here I thought a PDF came as a package, complete with its images and fonts, unlike a HTML page, which needs the images and fonts to be displayed properly by a browser. Of course, that may only be true with the Adobe Reader on a computer, and not with printing equipment.

Steve Rindsberg · 05-21-2006, 07:24 PM

Fonts I can understand but images? PDF doesn't link to external images, so I can't imagine a situation where you'd need to worry about isolating the computer where you proof from the original images.

On the PC, the last several versions of Acrobat (and even the free Reader) have had a "Use Local Fonts" option (on the Document menu in Reader 7). If you turn this off, it should use only the fonts embedded in the PDF. I don't have enough occasion to distribute PDFs to know whether this is 100% reliable. Do you know of instances where it hasn't been?

ktinkel · 05-22-2006, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Rindsberg

On the PC, the last several versions of Acrobat (and even the free Reader) have had a "Use Local Fonts" option (on the Document menu in Reader 7). If you turn this off, it should use only the fonts embedded in the PDF. I don't have enough occasion to distribute PDFs to know whether this is 100% reliable. Do you know of instances where it hasn't been?

I don’t know, but I have heard complaints about it. What version, what expertise, which fonts — not sure of any of that, of course.

Users may well misunderstand what embedding rights are allowed for their fonts.

And you’re right about images, but can you think of any way that isolating and checking could do any harm? <g>

PeterArnel · 05-22-2006, 01:38 PM

Kathleen I have been interested to read the replies - for a printer to be able to provide the service at the price - the pdf workflow is the only way

http://www.pdfx3.org/ -.
Peter

Robin Springall · 05-23-2006, 02:22 PM

Hiya Peter,

As you know, we supply Press PDFs every day to our printers. Sometimes our clients supply them to us, but we prefer to make 'em here. OK, here we go:

Fonts. Bloody fonts! If you're printing the PDFs from Acrobat, you have to turn off Use Local Fonts, (oh, and turn on Overprint Preview while you're at it). When creating PDFs, your clients should always embed all fonts rather than just a subset; if they're using Distiller they should set the job to fail if the fonts cannot be embedded.

Your clients must never use OPI (pretty obvious).

Transparency. The safe bet is to ask your clients to create PDFs down to v4, as this will flatten trannies. However, as the world embraces transparency more and more, you'll probably have to go with the flow.

Aggrobrat 6: get rid of it, quick. On the rare occasions we get incorrect print from suppliers it's always because they've used a computer running v6: eg stripey vertical lines, images falling out of frames, wonky transparency.

I was going to mention that Acrobat 7 has preflight profiles that you can set up to detect boo-boos like RGB and low-res images, but I expect your Insight system does a better job. It also has the advantage for you that your clients have to approve the Insighted PDF on your server before you make the plates.

Michael Rowley · 05-23-2006, 03:24 PM

Robin:

I was going to mention that Acrobat 7 has preflight profiles that you can set up to detect boo-boos like RGB and low-res images

That's what I was asking about: can you rely on it, or will the printer possibly still find fault?

Robin Springall · 05-24-2006, 02:41 AM

The prefart works pretty well. Acrobat 7 has an annoying habit of saying that images are index, when they aren't if you open them in Photoshop.

Howard White · 05-24-2006, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin Springall

The prefart works pretty well.

Now that's a prepress term I hadn't encountered before.

Anyway, I have a trifold brochure on press or about to be, and hope PDF is bullet-proof (It has been for other recent projects, including display ads.)

HW

05-21-2006, 02:36 PM	#1
PeterArnel Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: North of Swindon in the UK on the edge of the Cotswolds Posts: 997	supplying pdf's to printers I am interested to know the issues Peter

05-21-2006, 07:24 PM	#4
Steve Rindsberg Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 7,629	Fonts I can understand but images? PDF doesn't link to external images, so I can't imagine a situation where you'd need to worry about isolating the computer where you proof from the original images. On the PC, the last several versions of Acrobat (and even the free Reader) have had a "Use Local Fonts" option (on the Document menu in Reader 7). If you turn this off, it should use only the fonts embedded in the PDF. I don't have enough occasion to distribute PDFs to know whether this is 100% reliable. Do you know of instances where it hasn't been? __________________ Steve Rindsberg ==================== www.pptfaq.com www.pptools.com and stuff

05-23-2006, 03:24 PM	#8
Michael Rowley Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ipswich (the one in England) Posts: 5,105	Robin: I was going to mention that Acrobat 7 has preflight profiles that you can set up to detect boo-boos like RGB and low-res images That's what I was asking about: can you rely on it, or will the printer possibly still find fault? __________________ Michael

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05-22-2006, 01:38 PM	#6
PeterArnel Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: North of Swindon in the UK on the edge of the Cotswolds Posts: 997	Kathleen I have been interested to read the replies - for a printer to be able to provide the service at the price - the pdf workflow is the only way http://www.pdfx3.org/ -. Peter

05-23-2006, 02:22 PM	#7
Robin Springall Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ealing Common, London W5, where I duplicate CDs and DVDs. Posts: 1,259	Hiya Peter, As you know, we supply Press PDFs every day to our printers. Sometimes our clients supply them to us, but we prefer to make 'em here. OK, here we go: Fonts. Bloody fonts! If you're printing the PDFs from Acrobat, you have to turn off Use Local Fonts, (oh, and turn on Overprint Preview while you're at it). When creating PDFs, your clients should always embed all fonts rather than just a subset; if they're using Distiller they should set the job to fail if the fonts cannot be embedded. Your clients must never use OPI (pretty obvious). Transparency. The safe bet is to ask your clients to create PDFs down to v4, as this will flatten trannies. However, as the world embraces transparency more and more, you'll probably have to go with the flow. Aggrobrat 6: get rid of it, quick. On the rare occasions we get incorrect print from suppliers it's always because they've used a computer running v6: eg stripey vertical lines, images falling out of frames, wonky transparency. I was going to mention that Acrobat 7 has preflight profiles that you can set up to detect boo-boos like RGB and low-res images, but I expect your Insight system does a better job. It also has the advantage for you that your clients have to approve the Insighted PDF on your server before you make the plates.

05-24-2006, 02:41 AM	#9
Robin Springall Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ealing Common, London W5, where I duplicate CDs and DVDs. Posts: 1,259	The prefart works pretty well. Acrobat 7 has an annoying habit of saying that images are index, when they aren't if you open them in Photoshop.