Converting Mac Files to Windows

[dragonwell]

My company is converting to Windows from Mac. I have several hundred Quark files which will need to be converted to Windows format. In this case we would like to have this done as quickly and seamlessly as possible, rather than gradually as we've done with other operations.

The primary issues are Fonts and Image Paths. What we normally do is open each file and replace fonts manually using a conversion table (many have the same name, some don't), and then update the pictures to their new path. (getting whole new file server, too.)

This works but takes a while and with hundreds of files to convert inevitalby some get missed.

I am looking for any suggestions on how to automate this process, or at least a methodology to make it go fast. Are there any tools out there that specialize in this task?

Thanks!

Greetings,
Dragonwell

 

[Typesetter]

First of all, as long as all your picture file names have not changed -- simply put your quark document right in your images folder with your images and open it from there. It should automatically come up with all of your images OK when you check your picture usage. It's possible you may get MODIFIED, but that's okay. Then save your document and move it back out of the images folder where you want it. Again, now your images might say MODIFIED in your picture usage box. Simply highlight all of the pictures that say MODIFIED, then hold down the control key and you will see that your "update" button now says "update all" -- hit it and sit back and wait for it to finish. In the older version there was no way get the update all like now, we had to highlight all the pictures and jam a matchpack between the return and shift keys so we didn't have to okay them one at a time!

 

[MarcusStringer]

Yeah, we layed a coffee cup onto the enter key.

Dragonwell.

Fonts are going to be your downfall...there is no question about it.
The only way this won't be a nightmare is if you haved used fonts from a library which has both mac and PC versions (Adobe or Linotype etc). Otherwise you are going to have to try to replace fonts with others, which may have different kernings causing reflow etc...
Oh...I'm starting to feel sick...



Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[Typesetter]

On the fonts issue, if you don't have a suitable matching mac font, try Fontographer. I don't think they make it any more, but the last version I got (a freebie from Adobe) is still working fine. I've been able to convert freely from pc to mac and back, true type, type 1, etc. Only sometimes does it spit out a font conversion.

 

[dragonwell]

Thanks for the replies

 

[ChokingMyTrap]

On a side note:

On a G3 & G4 a floppy disk perfectly wedges in the enter key, and a standard size paperclip wedges in a numpad enter on a G5 when updating heeps of images.

For a PC, so many keyboards, sizes….. Think different.. be creative