Mac users - pdf help needed please

[Russethouse]

I know there is a band of die hard Mac users here and wonder if anyone can recommend a good program for making pdf files. I need this so that others can proof read double page magazine spreads(which are picture 'heavy') but whatever the software my husband uses at present it is 'losing' captions and pics etc. The file would be made from copy in Quark.

Of course cheap or shareware would be great.....?????

[Renaud]

Acrobat from Adobe is the classic (and only?) programme that makes PDFs. You can download Abode Reader but I think you have to pay for the full programme. (At least I had to many moons ago.

Once you have it go to print, then select save as file etc. If you are using interesting typefaces (ie not the bog standard ones that come with your machine) also select 'embed all fonts'

Good luck

[Will]

Renaud is right about Adobe Acrobat (not to be confused with the free Adobe Acrobat reader) being the official, professional and most versatile method of creating PDF documents. However there are a number of alternative solutions. I use pdf995 (http://www.pdf995.com/) to produce PDF documents from originals in Quark Xpress and MS Word, among others. It is a free program, very good, but as far as I know is only available for Windows.

Mac alternatives include PrintToPDF (http://www.jwwalker.com/pages/pdf.html), Jaws PDF (www.jawspdf.com) and one from Mac-net (http://www.mac-net.com/248489.page). Not all are free, and the free one looks a bit complex to set up. I haven't personally tried the Mac programs, but if they work as well as the Windows one I use I think you may be perfectly satisfied.

[bigjimbishop]

You can make PDF file on a mac using a program suite called Open Office. Available totally free from http://www.openoffice.org/

It's a bundle of office programs including spread sheets, power point and word editors.

Open source so no trial period and FREE Hurrah.

I've been using it for 2 yers now and very happy.

[Lespearsons]

If you are sending a pdf for viewing for proofing purposes what are you doing with the files when approved? If you are sending off your Quark file plus all you hi-res pics etc surely you would be better off making a pdf for output after approval of the viewing pdf. To do this I would use Adobe Acrobat and make all pdfs the same way.

regards

Keith

[Russethouse]

This is complicated because I am not the Mac user, it the other half (new G5 with extra memory)......he says he uses an option on Quark to make a pdf, but when he views it, we (its a job that I deal with because its about the pottery I collect)have lost a few pics, captions or both.

Should he be using an additional program ?

I could download the software Will recommends (for pcs)but I would have to scan in the proof pages to my pc, which seems a little low tech and clumsy.

As you can tell its the blind leading the blind here.

As far as the job is concerned it often the captions where the errors occur

[Dog]

[quote]If you are sending a pdf for viewing for proofing purposes what are you doing with the files when approved? If you are sending off your Quark file plus all you hi-res pics etc surely you would be bett...[/quote]

It is best to send QuarkXPress files plus fonts and all supporting files plus a screen resolution pdf and hard copy to the printers. They can check the files etc make minor alts enhance pics, add bleeds for imposition and other necessary stuff. Please request a proof. The printer will be happier and so will you! I have spent too many years sorting out improper or incomplete files trying to meet deadlines.

[Russethouse]

We usually send a disc to the printers but we have several proof readers, in the USA and France as well as the UK so if we can make it work pdf would be fine for that purpose (its a nightmare anyway as we deal with French, American English and English as well as factual errors, punctuation etc.

My husband has been involved in the print industry for 40 years so he is OK on most things its just that we haven't used pdfs before, NOW he tells me he does have Acrobat pdf maker so why is the copy being corrupted ?

[Dog]

[quote]We usually send a disc to the printers but we have several proof readers, in the USA and France as well as the UK so if we can make it work pdf would be fine for that purpose (its a nightmare anyway a...[/quote]

It depends what is being corrupted - please be more specific.

If it's the fonts that are changing the most likely reason as mentioned in another posting is that Acrobat Distiller has not been set up correctly. It needs to know where your fonts are and you must set the Job Options to screen.

I do not know which font management system he is using but would recommend AdobeTypeManager and the fonts being used should be activated when using Distiller.

He must be doing something wrong I was only involved in printing for 34 years and managed to retire at 47!

Good luck.

[Dick Smith]

You also need to check that the receiver's version of Acrobat is compatible - they aren't always. I used to have terrible trouble with this as the UK government wouldn't support late versions of AA, so stuff created after (I think) v5 had lots of problems.