supplying pdf's to printers

[PeterArnel]

I am interested to know the issues
Peter

[ktinkel]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[Steve Rindsberg]

Isolating the PDF from all of its parental units couldn't hurt anything, of course. But I wouldn't want to leave anyone with the impression that it's necessary.

[Michael Rowley]

Steve:

But I wouldn't want to leave anyone with the impression that it's necessary

You can embed most fonts, but I should not rely on Adobe Acrobat embedding a font that had 'embedding not allowed'. That information can't be in a PS font, of course, but it will be in an OTF or TT font. So: in general all the fonts will be safely embedded (unless you've turned on 'Use local fonts'), but it pays to look at the font information in 'Properties'.

[annc]

Originally Posted by PeterArnel

I am interested to know the issues

The printer of a quarterly I produce – a printer that has won many national awards – went to ftp/pdf the issue before last, and there was a problem at the time; strangely, some black text on the cover failed to print on the proof. I let them know and they fixed it without the necessity for a second file.

The next issue, using the same profile, worked just as smoothly as the previous issues did with native InDesign files. There was no change for me at all, so I am assuming they made internal modifications to ensure that all text output correctly. These people are very good to deal with, and have been for as long as I've been sending them jobs, which is about six years.

Does this help at all? I can give you names and e-mail addresses if you need them.

[annc]

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).

The award-winning printer of one of my jobs went to PDF via ftp the issue before last. There was a strange problem with some disappearing text on the cover of the first pdf issue, not associated with particular fonts; but they fixed it without any need for me to change the profile. The next issue proofed and printed beautifully without any changes to the profile they gave me. And I can tell you that some of the photos I have to deal with are quite a bit more than just below acceptable quality...