Lines in pdf conversion look thick!

[odhi...@adobeforums.com]

It's an architectural plan linked as eps in indesign the one I'd like to convert to pdf. In Indesign High quality display mode, in a "fit to windows zoom" I see very smooth and thin lines and everything seems perfect. I convert that page in pdf but in zoom at the same level I see very thick lines! I know they just look like that because if I zoom them everything is as it should be but in an aerial view isn't properly rendered.
Is there an option in the pdf conversion I should check? I can use both print pdf or export...
let me know please!
thanks!

mz

[Peter...@adobeforums.com]

How does it print? PDF is often a little flaky about display of thin lines, in my experience, but they print fine.

Does it make a difference if you open the .eps file in Illustrator and save as native .ai, then link that instead? I think I recall some previous discussions about line renderings from .eps files generated by some CAD programs.

Peter

[Gernot_...@adobeforums.com]

If the lines are really too thick - as shown by zoom,
where the linewidth grows proportionally - then the
information is already in the PDF. Perhaps by applying
'Fix Hairlines' in AcrobatPro.
If the original vector lines in the EPS a very thin -
which happens for instance by downscaling a technical
drawing - then PostScript systems are handling this case
like zero linewidth: the thinnest device pixel line is shown.
In Acrobat use
Edit > Preferences > Page Display > SmoothLineArt=Off
The line is shown for all zoom factors by one-pixel
rendering.
For SmoothLineArt=On, the line looks considerably thicker,
but the visual linewidth is still independent of the zoom
factor.
So far actually tested by CS2.

I'm programming plenty graphics directly by PostScript as
EPS', place in ID or PageMaker and export as PDF.
It happened never that a sufficiently thick line was rendered
thicker in the PDF.

The remedy is IMO: use Fix Hairlines with a sufficiently large
minimal linewidth, for instance 0.3 mm.

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

[Aleks...@adobeforums.com]

I have the same problem, I'm writing a document in Word using MathType and when I convert it to pdf here is the result
<http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3213/probleeeem.jpg>

[Aleks...@adobeforums.com]

I converted those formulas to GIF format and its the same

[jong...@adobeforums.com]

Aleks,

It's not the same problem at all. The lines in the original post appeared to be too thick -- and that's because they were drawn at the minimum thickness (1 pixel) on a zoomed out screen, and without using Acrobats advanced drawing settings. The original file is actually perfectly allright -- as can be seen by zooming in and/or printing the file on a moderately high rez printer.

Your problem is that the lines are too thick. However ...

I'm writing a document in Word ...

... and this is a forum for Adobe InDesign ...

[Peter...@adobeforums.com]

Lighten up! :)

Plenty of people write in Word and bring the result into ID, and I've seen quite a few threads about problems with equations and MathType.

Granted this is a different problem and should be in its own thread, but there's no need to get grumpy.

Aleks, try searching the forum for MathType and see what comes up.

Peter

[jong...@adobeforums.com]

Ow! -- so far me trying to bring it gently ...

It also didn't help this seems a totally new problem...

Aleks, try this: export one of the equations directly to EPS (I think I remember MT being able to do that) and distill it. Does it look the same, or better? Try opening the EPS with Illustrator -- does that help? Given the export to GIF did the same suggests an error inside MathType itself, and you possibly might confirm or disprove this.

[Aleks...@adobeforums.com]

I just saw that this is InDesign subforum :) Sorry

Exporting to EPS helps, lines are still thick but much less, thanks jongware, seems that problem is with MT.

[Kenneth...@adobeforums.com]

My workflow for equations is Word > Mathtype (fix as needed) and save
standalone file for future corrections > copy and paste to Illustrator,
save as AI > Place in Indesign.

This has solved a number of problems for me, and I've published
thousands of equations this way.

--
Kenneth Benson
Pegasus Type, Inc.
www.pegtype.com