Visio to PDF via Word

J. Arthur Random

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Jun 7, 2004, 8:24:51 PM6/7/04

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I'm trying to convert a Word document to PDF that has several fairly simply
Visio diagrams inserted in it.

I have tried every available way to include the Visio objects in the Word
file, from cut&pasting, to pasting as extended metafiles, to incorporating
as jpeg/gif/tiff, etc. Regardless of what I do, the resulting diagrams when
I convert the Word file to PDF are abyssmal and genuinely unusable.

All the MS products I'm using are from Office 2003, with the latest updates,
and I've used several products to do the PDF conversion, including Acrobat
Distiller (via Postscript) and several other lesser know PDF coversion
tools, e.g., PDF995.

I can't believe something this basic doesn't work and I couldn't possibly be
the only person who's tried doing this. I would enormously appreciate any
help/comments/suggestions from anyone here.

Many thanks in advance,
Art

Rob Schneider

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Jun 9, 2004, 2:23:58 PM6/9/04

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*If* using Adobe Acrobat's distiller or PDF Writer, then seek help on
understanding some of the settings re how the graphic images are handled
from Acrobat's help file. Seek online assistance from Adobe's support
forums. This issue, frankly, has nothing to do with Visio or Word and
is purely controlled by the tool you are using.

Another way to achieve this is to create the PDF direct from Visio, then
insert that PDF page into the PDF file created from Word (using Acrobat).

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

J. Arthur Random

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Jun 9, 2004, 6:29:26 PM6/9/04

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Thank you for your reply.

<sarcasm on>
Now, why would I have posted my message regarding PDF files in a Visio
forum?

Could it be that Visio is the only program with which I consistently have
PDF difficulties? Perhaps I assumed others here might have faced identical
problems and could provide some guidance? Could it be that this is a not
uncommon paradigm for soliciting help regarding specific applications?
<sarcasm off>

I actually have tried all reasonable permutations of settings in distiller
and none of them provide adequate results. However, I'll take your advice
and find some other (hopefully, friendlier) forum. And then, of course,
there's always the option of switching back to xfig and latex... (God bless
Linux.)

"Rob Schneider" <rmschne@removetheones_b1e1e1b.net.net> wrote in message
news:u5Yit7k...@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

Rob Schneider

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Jun 12, 2004, 3:51:49 AM6/12/04

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Sorry you don't feel environment friendly here ... While I don't make
PDF's from Visio or Visio derivatives (e.g. into Word) all the time,
I've done it many times over the years and frankly had not noticed any
problems.

I wasn't trying to shunt you elsewhere for no other reason that making
PDF's is the job of the tool "making the PDF". It's usually best to go
where the resources are.

I decided to test my capabilty to preoduct PDF's of Visio's embedded
into Word.

Test 1

To test my setup again, I took a fairly complex Visio diagram (at least
more me ... took about 8 hours of work to create). Visio 2003.
Selected all of the one-page diagram. Copy/Paste into Word 2003 (not
linnked). Created PDF with Adobe 6.0 "Adobe PDF" printer driver.
Result: crap.

Like you, I don't know why or what the root cause is. Hypothesis: bugs
in Adobe's PDF writing program.

However: Printing direct from Visio to PDF with same printer driver is
ok (perfect, as far as I can tell).

Test 2

Same Word doc as above. "Printed" to a PostScript file using the HP
DesignJet 750C/PS printer driver that is delivered with standard Windows
XP Pro. Converted this file to PDF using Ghostscript's utiltity "ps2pdf".

Result: perfect, far as I can tell.

</sympathy>

Conclusion: how the pdf is created from Word depends on the tool that
makes the PDF. <sarcasm>Gee, that sounds familiar doesn't it?</sarcasm>

Recommendation: Seek advice from the people who support/use the tools
that make the PDF's, e.g. Adobe or other. <sarcasm>Gee, that sounds
familiar, yet again, doesn't it?</sarcasm>

Additional Recommendation: Consider using Ghostscript. It's often a
better PDF maker than Adobe's tools. It's free. You can still use
Acrobat to edit the PDF.

Final recommendation: I think you would be making your life to complex
to use xfig and latex, but if that works for you, then go for it. You
can also use Ghostscript in Linux, by the way. It's included with many
(most?) distributions.

Pemo

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Jul 2, 2004, 10:28:34 AM7/2/04

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I'm jumping in a bit late here, but here goes:

"Rob Schneider" <rmschne@removetheones_b1e1e1b.net.net> wrote:

> To test my setup again, I took a fairly complex Visio diagram (at least
> more me ... took about 8 hours of work to create). Visio 2003.
> Selected all of the one-page diagram. Copy/Paste into Word 2003 (not
> linnked). Created PDF with Adobe 6.0 "Adobe PDF" printer driver.
> Result: crap.

I believe that it is because Copy/Paste is at 96dpi, hence the crud when
going to pdf via Word.

> Like you, I don't know why or what the root cause is. Hypothesis: bugs
> in Adobe's PDF writing program.

No - I think it is Word's agricultural clipboard

> However: Printing direct from Visio to PDF with same printer driver is
> ok (perfect, as far as I can tell).

Because I think the PS virtual printer (either Distiller's, PDF Writer's or
other) handles it at (???) 300dpi (???) Certainly better than clipboard's
96dpi

Pemo

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,-._|\
/ Oz \ Melbourne
\_,--.x/ Australia
v

Rob Schneider

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Jul 2, 2004, 1:51:40 PM7/2/04

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Not sure I understand how the dpi affects all this since it's not a
bitmap, but then I don't know really how the object is embedded.

However, all that aside what what explains that printing from Word a
Word Doc with an embedded Visio diagram using Postscript file to
Ghostcript works perfectly, whereas with Adobe's Distiller and/or Adobe
Printer doesn't?

thotts

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Jul 12, 2004, 5:46:49 PM7/12/04

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Greetings,

I have a Word 2003 doc with Visio diagrams embedded that I'm trying to
convert to PDF using Acrobat 6. I was having the same problem you
described. I found the answer on Adobe's website:

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/32ea6.htm

In short, the print quality option of the application you are using to
convert to PDF has to be 600 dpi or less. The default in Word seems to
be 1200.

This worked for me. ^_^

I created a PS file, then used the Distiller. Diagrams look ok. I also
used the "Convert to Adobe PDF" toolbar button and achieved similar
good results.

Good Luck!

-thotts-

J. Arthur Random wrote:
> *I'm trying to convert a Word document to PDF that has several fairly

> Art * :) :) :)

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thotts
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mbroekma

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Jul 12, 2004, 6:04:38 PM7/12/04

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Hi Thotts,

I am very thankful you have solved the puzzle and supplied the link to
the adobe web site! I have been searching on the Adobe web site quite
some time, however I could not locate the specific article you found!

Thotts, you rule!

Thank you very much, I can now export all my documents to the PDF
format!

Michiel

--
mbroekma

mbroekma

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Jul 12, 2004, 6:43:16 PM7/12/04

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Hi Thotts and others,

Maybe I was celebrating too soon. I have changed everything and most of
the problems are gone. However I still see fonts that are not displayed
properly.

For example I somewhere used the word "Server 1" in the Visio diagram.
Strangely enough the "1" has fallen away in the PS (and PDF).

How is this possible? Some figures display the Visio text well, while
others do not. All figures are copy-pasted into Word (right from the
Visio workspace).

Please help me,

Rob Schneider

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Jul 13, 2004, 2:55:12 AM7/13/04

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Cool. Thanks for reporting that!

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

mbroekma

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Jul 13, 2004, 6:29:20 AM7/13/04

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Hi everyone,

In one of the messages above I wrote that there are still some problems
woth the Visio diagrams: soms fonts are not shown correctly. However
Thotts's advice certainly helped me...

What should I do?

Kind regards,

Michiel

--
mbroekma

Rob Schneider

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Jul 14, 2004, 2:09:05 AM7/14/04

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Trying going straight from Visio to PDF, then then import that PDF page
into the PDF holding the rest of the Word. The problem is when the
Visio is embedded in Word, right? Works ok direct Visio to PDF?

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

mbroekma

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Jul 14, 2004, 12:49:26 PM7/14/04

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Hello Rob Schneider,

Direct conversion from Visio to PDF works perfectly. The problem only
arises when Visio is embedded in Word. Thott's advice certainly helped
(PS settings <= 600 dpi), but some fonts are still not displayed well.

Thanks in advance,

Rob Schneider

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Jul 17, 2004, 3:36:41 AM7/17/04

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Yes, I know. I was just thinking you could fix the problem with "some
fonts are still not displayed well" in you trek to make a PDF file by,
for this Visio picture, by avoiding using Word for that single page.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

theomeier

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Oct 18, 2004, 10:15:55 AM10/18/04

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I have been troubled by this phaenomena independent from various Word
and Visio releases for some time.

Remedy that often works:

- copy picture in visio to clipboard
- past via drop menue command "edit| past special" as "device
independent bitmap" in word.
- use any pdf converter to produce pdf file

Trials which did not work:

- grouping/ungrouping elements in visio
- saving visio file as grafic files (jpeg,bmp,tiff)
- only using ghostscript to produce pdf

J. Arthur Random wrote:
> *I'm trying to convert a Word document to PDF that has several fairly

> Art *

--
theomeier