Need help creating usable postscript files

Steve Werner

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Jun 3, 2003, 11:03:21 AM6/3/03

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Richard,

I just created a 16-page booklet with the dimensions you specified, set up as 4 spreads. You seem to have run into a bug when selecting Device Independent Postscript. I got the same results.

However, it worked fine when I either chose Postscript and selected Distiller as the PPD (Acrobat 5), or choose Adobe PDF as the printer (Acrobat 6 Professional). So I think that that's your workaround.

Richard Sohanchyk

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Jun 3, 2003, 10:42:10 AM6/3/03

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I have a 16 page booklet. Each page is 4x9. I created 4 spreads of 4 pages each. I can generate a PDF out of ID but my printer can't print it. When I create a postscript file, I select postscript file, device independent. However, when I open the resultant PDF after distilling, all my PDF's are 8.5 x 11 and I'm missing 2 pages per spread. Any advice? I am running latest jaguar and ID.

This specific printer can print live files but I would prefer to send PDF as I email him almost all my files and a PDF files are smaller than all the archive files.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Steve Werner

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Jun 3, 2003, 11:30:33 AM6/3/03

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Peter appears to be correct.

I pulled out my copy of the Adobe InDesign 2.0 Print Service Provider Toolkit. On pages 44-45, it says (in part):

"InDesign PostScript file, driver and device dependent
PostScript generated by: Adobe InDesign only
Device targeted: None....

"Note: Because this output path is driver- and device-independent, it cannot assume what paper sizes are available at the output device. If you intend to eventually create a PDF file using this output path, set up a default page size in Acrobat Distiller."

Since I had never had to create Device-Independent PostScript, I hadn't played with this option.

Peter Truskier

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Jun 3, 2003, 11:19:33 AM6/3/03

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This may not be a bug. I think device-independent PS intentionally leaves the setting of output page size up to the RIP.

In any case, Steve's suggestions will certainly wor. If you do use Device-Independent, you can set the default page size in Distiller's Job options..."General" tab. This is et to 8.5 X 11 by default.

Richard Sohanchyk

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Jun 3, 2003, 12:20:12 PM6/3/03

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Very unintuitive. Why don't they just give you an option in print window just as you would have if printing to an actual printer. Quark (that piece of crap!) gives you that option. You set up your file just like you would if you were going to print, then you select file as your output option. In ID, it's a bit of busy work to generate a PDF. I know all printers should be using sw/hw that came out this morning but this one vendor is a small offset shop who has no need to upgrade as I'm the only consistent ID client he has at present.

Thanks again for the quick response. I'll try it again when I get a chance later today.

Aad Schram

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Jun 4, 2003, 2:09:21 AM6/4/03

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Richard,

Using an option that isn't there in Q and then complain when it doesn't work... doesn't work indeed.

Generating a PDF the way you want it is in fact easier than Q, simply select the Acrobat driver and set the papersize to Custom (the standard setting). The custom setting creates a 'papersize' that's adapted to your document size. And not only that: it varies depending on wether or not you use cropmarks, bleeds etc.

Might be a good idea to check the capabilities before complaining...

Richard Sohanchyk

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Jun 4, 2003, 10:48:28 AM6/4/03

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Ard: of course the option is there in quark. You select all your regular parameters. Click the printer button along the bottom, in the next window at the top right you select "file" and you end up with a properly created PS file that my printer can send directly to his platemaker. It also generates a PDF that isn't cut off.

I tried all the PPDs and got the same result. That's why I posted. I have a few free minutes this morning. I'll try from another workstation. Even device independent should give you the correct page size. And what's the difference between all those alphabet distiller options?

Thanks again.

Peter Truskier

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Jun 4, 2003, 12:51:08 PM6/4/03

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Even device independent should give you the correct page size.

Not sure this is true. It does give you the correct page size in that the entire page is there and the DSC comments correctly identify the page size like this:
%%BoundingBox: 0 0 792 1224
%%HiResBoundingBox: 0 0 792 1224
%%CropBox: 0 0 792 1224

What it does not do is attempt to trigger the device to use the page size ("paper") in question. This is because it has no PPD information as to what page sizes are available or the PostScript commands required to select them.

What's perhaps more interesting is why Distiller will not set its page size in response to the DSC comments in the case of a PS file as it can in the case of an EPS.

FWIW, I think that InDesign is doing exactly the right thing in creating truly device-independent PostScript. It might be a reasonable Distiller feature request to have it change its page size based on the DSC comments in a device-independent PS file.

The main point, however, is that you can avoid the problem entirely by selecting the Distiller PPD rather than the Device-Independent setting

Jeffrey Smith

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Jun 4, 2003, 1:09:41 PM6/4/03

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Richard, the various Acrobat PPDs are for the following:
CS = Chinese simplified
CT = Chinese traditional
J = Japanese
K = Korean

Richard Sohanchyk

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Jun 4, 2003, 1:37:25 PM6/4/03

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Jeff: thanks. I had no clue.