PageMaker to PDF: Acrobat 5 to 6 differences...

[Steve_...@adobeforums.com]

Creating PDF's: Hit or Miss?

Creating a PDF from Pagemaker 6.52, using the Print-to-Distiller method, or the Export method, occasionally produces rectangular blocks of black within the PDF document and usually at the bottom of a page, bleeding off the page.

Opening the PDF in AA5, I was able TO SELECT each black box and hit delete and each would disappear. Then reSave.

In AA6P, I can not seem to find or determine how to select these boxes and delete. What tool? No tool selects the big-black-rectangle.

So... how do I select? Or, how to delete those errors/boxes? Also, hey, while I'm asking... How or why do these boxes appear in the PDF anyway, and not/never in my PageMaker doc? (Btw, the PM doc does not have any hidden, papered, white-filled boxes which might cause them to appear black in the PDF.)

Your help is greatly appreciated... Thanks. ~Steve

[Steve_...@adobeforums.com]

Is there no one to help me here?
Please!
Did this post for anyone?

[Nathan...@adobeforums.com]

1. Make sure you've copied the ADPDF6.PPD file into your C:\PM65\RSRC\USENGLSH\PPD4 folder so that it can see the PPD file.
2. Since PageMaker 6.5 was designed around Distiller 3.0, don't expect the PDF export to work with 6. Instead, make a PostScript file and distill it.
3. To make a PostScript file, set up a custom printer style with the following properties:

* Set the printer to "Adobe PDF on My Documents\*.pdf"
* Set the Printer Description to "Adobe PDF" (if you don't see it, you didn't do step 1 above)
* On the Options section, set the graphics mode to normal (not optimized subsampling)
* Also put a check on "write PostScript to file"
* Also make sure Font Inclusion is set to "PostScript and TrueType"

Then to use the printer style, click File > Printer Styles > [name of your new style]. When you get the print dialog, go to Options and choose the PostScript file name.

4. Open Acrobat Distiller and drop the PS file into it.

Also, which version of windows? I think PM 6.5 has some issues with Windows XP. So if you're on XP, you might want to get PageMaker 7.0 or even wait for the new InDesign-for-PageMaker thingy to come out. :)

Nathan

[Steve_...@adobeforums.com]

Nathan...

Thanks for the PM6.5 Acro6-PPD and Print Styles update...

I processed as you outlined and the results are the same... same black rectangular boxes/stripes appearing in the PDF after distilling, only on page 1.

So.... must be a PageMaker issue? Strange to have additional graphics appear out of nowhere... (And, yes, Win XPP with PM65)

Any idea why I was able to select those black boxes/stripes in Acrobat 5 and delete and I can not do the same in Acrobat 6P???

Thanks again! :(

[Nathan...@adobeforums.com]

If you're using Acrobat 6.0 Professional, you should be able to remove the boxes using the TouchUp Object tool (Tools > Advanced Editing > TouchUp Object).

Since you're using the right PPD and distilling manually, that makes it a PageMaker issue. Have you posted in the PM forums?

A few more questions that you should include answers to if you reply here or post in the PM forum:

1. Do you get the black squares/stripes if you try to PDF a brand-new PageMaker file?

If YES: Uninstall PageMaker, delete the C:\PM65 folder, then re-install.
If NO: Cut/paste one element at a time until you identify which one is causing the strange blocks:

a. Make a duplicate of your file, and open the duplicate.
b. Select one element, and use Edit > Cut
c. Switch to your fresh file and use Edit > Paste In Place (not sure if PM has this feature, I know InDesign does). Or just paste it, since I doubt positioning matters.
d. Save the new file and try to PDF it.
e. Repeat steps b, c, and d until you get a PDF with the black lines/boxes. The last element you copied is your culprit.

2. Did uninstalling and re-installing help?
3. Do you have any 3rd party plug-ins installed for PageMaker? If so, remove them.

If nothing helps, it's probably just XP. :( Maybe someone in the PageMaker forum can offer more advice.

Nathan

[de_...@adobeforums.com]

I think the black square issue is covered in the PM forum faq. If i remember correctly is thas to do with TT fonts.

Here we go:
Donald Gruener "1.8 - Mysterious black streaks appear in PDF" 5/3/02 1:32pm </cgi-bin/webx?13@@.ef8523c/0>