Like many things in the graphic design universe, there are different ways to convert documents into PDF files. Some applications provide a “shortcut” command to turn their native files into a PDF file, generally somewhere in the Print or Export dialog. The best (and our preferred) way to create a PDF is a two-step method. You first use the Print dialog box to create a PostScript (PS) file from the application you created your document in (QuarkXPress, PageMaker, InDesign, etc.). This process is sometimes called “printing to disk” or “printing to file,” because the information doesn’t actually go to the printer. Instead, you capture the information as an electronic file. This PS file is then “distilled” into a PDF file. so, the two parts of the process are Capture (turn your text and graphics into a pure PostScript, or PS, file) and Distill (convert the PS data into a PDF).

You should create your PostScript files with the Adobe PostScript drive (AdobePS) and the Acrobat Distiller PPD (PostScript Printer Description) in the application you used to create the document. It is a good idea to make sure you have the latest version of the Adobe PostScript driver. You can download the most recent driver from www.adobe.com. Granted, there are quicker ways to create a PDF file, but this two-step approach gives you much more control over the parameters that go into the PostScript file, which allows you even more control over the final PDF file. This process delivers the best results in terms of quality.

If the document you have created includes multiple spot colors, or colors that are going to be printed as process inks (CMYK), you should set your document up as if you were going to actually print out the color separations yourself. This includes indicating which spot colors are going to print or that all the colors are going to be converted to Process Colors, Page Size & orientation (Portrait or Landscape), selecting Spreads (if you have created Spreads in your layout), and setting Crops & Register Marks in your authoring application. (If all your text is Black and your artwork is going to print in Greyscale, you obviously don’t need to create Separations, and can make a Composite file.) You make all of the choices you would normally make if you were going to print the color separations, except, the Destination is File (or Disk) and not Printer. In most applications, the Print button will change to Save and you will be allowed to choose where you want to save the resulting .ps file. Once you have created the PS file, you can then open it in Adobe Distiller and convert it into a PDF file which you send to us for output to our imagesetters.The process so described is for documents that are created on a Macintosh computer.

To create a PostScript file on a Windows system, open the document in the application you created it in and choose File>Print. Select a PostScript printer or Acrobat Distiller from the list and choose Print to File. Be sure that the “.ps” extension is included in the file name when you select the location on your computer where you will save the file. Select Properties in the Print Setup dialog box and select any options you want, including the option to embed fonts and click Print or OK.

Do not use the PDFWriter driver to create a PDF file on either the Mac or Windows platforms. This low-grade driver is intended for PDFs that contain only text and is not recommended for any level of sophisticated output.

Before you actually convert the PostScript data you have just created into a PDF in Acrobat Distiller, you need to set up your parameters (what Distiller calls “Job options”). You might think of Distiller as a kind of PostScript printer that outputs PDF rather than toner on paper. You must install the retail version of Adobe Acrobat (not the Acrobat Reader that anyone can download for free) in order to use Distiller. In fact, Distiller is automatically placed inside the Acrobat folder during installation. It’s a good idea to create an alias of the Distiller program and place it on your desktop. Windows users will want to place a “shortcut” on their desktop. This means you don’t have to go digging thru folders and subfolders when you want to distill your latest PS file. Besides, you Drag-and-Droppers need an icon to Drop onto, right?

If you are not familiar with Distiller, it is an extremely powerful engine capable of creating a wide variety of PDFs. One very important thing to remember about Distiller is that it uses the last set of Job Options you chose on the next file you distill, unless you specify otherwise. If you repurpose your creations (for Print, or Web, or Multimedia usage), it’s a good idea to get into the habit of checking your Job Options before converting files. There are four “factory installed” Distiller Job Options.

eBook is the default setting for Distiller 5 Job Options. There is nothing particularly special about this setting, it just comes first in the alphabetical listing of options. the eBook options were designed for PDF files that are intended to be read on-screen or projected onto a large screen. The file size is a good balance between image resolution that creates a small file (disk size), yet looks good and prints easily at draft quality. All of the information is compressed in the eBook Job Option.

The Screen Job Options are designed for documents that will be viewed on-screen. This opotion produces a very small file which is optimized for byte serving on the Web and is ideal for distributing files as e-mail attachments. Images are resampled to 72 DPI and medium compression is applied to the rest of the data.

PDFs created with the Print Job Options output well on standard 300–600 DPI office printers. file size is balanced against print quality by using very little resolution downsampling and applying a high compression factor. By default, color spaces are tagged for color management.

The Job Options we prefer are Press because they are designed for high resolution imagesetting to film or plate in the commercial printing process. Quality is the prime concern here, so file size is not a factor. Files tend to be the maximum size in order to preserve the document completely for accurate printing. All settings reflect the high resolution required for professional printing. Color images maintain a resolution of 300 DPI and monochrome images are set at 1200 DPI. All document fonts are embedded. We recommend you use the default settings for Press Job Options for all PDFs you send us for offset color printing. If you decide you want to use a lower quality printing process after you have sent us the PDF, it’s very easy to regenerate the PDF with Print or eBook Job Options, depending on your needs. As with most compression schemes, it’s nearly impossible to get resolution detail back after it’s been “thrown away.”

If you prefer to use the built-in PDF creation available in the major page layout applications (QuarkXPress, PageMaker, InDesign, etc.), we highly recommend that you change your Distiller settings to Press and do not allow the application to Override your Distiller settings.

Before closing we need to address the subject of Font Embedding. Our preference (and recommendation) is that you Embed All Fonts you use to create your document. If you are concerned about the size of your PDF files, you can save some file size by “subsetting” the fonts you embed. Subsetting basically embeds only those characters you actually use in the document, not the complete character set. This is a good idea unless there is ever a need to correct a typo or change small sections of type after you have sent us the PDF file. If the corrections or alterations require a character(s) that weren’t subset and we don’t have the font you used available, we cannot make the change and you’ll have to create a new PDF with the changes made. As with regular document output, if you have the same font in both PostScript and TrueType format, PostScript is preferred. You should also know that some font manufacturers do not allow embedding of their fonts, or have limitations on embedding. Close inspection of the licensing agreement that came with the font will generally alert you to any restrictions the font manufacturer has placed on their product.

If you have any doubts or questions about how to set up your PDFs so that they priint easily and at the quality you desire, don’t hesitate to call us before you create the final product. Communication is the key to a professional job on both our parts.

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