Errors Printing in Pagemaker 7.0 with Metafiles - is Quark Better?

[dlanderson]

We have consistent errors in publications that have placed metafiles (Excel graphs and Map Info images). Running pub in Distiller replicates same results as printing does. It appears the recommended way to handle these formats is to convert to TIFF or EPS format and place the resulting file. However, composing the same publication in Quark does not cause the problem. There is a movement to abandon PM7.0 and move to Quark as we are losing a lot of productivity. What are we missing and is this move a recommended one?

 

[viol8ion]

dlanderson,

PM has difficulty handling MS graphs, etc. As you pointed out, converting to PDF is best. Following are a few methods you can try:

First of all, do not simply copy/paste to bring tables from other applications into PageMaker, nor should you use Insert Object.

PDF Method
Print a .PRN file of the table from Word or Excel. Use Distiller to distill the .PRN to PDF. Place the PDF in your PageMaker document. The table essentially becomes a graphic; if you make changes to the table, you will need to create a new .prn then redistill to PDF and replace in PM. This works great for single color documents and outputs perfectly to high-end postscript devices. If your table contains color, I cannot vouch for what will happen with CMYK separations. You may want to consider the next option.

The Illustrator EPS Method
Select and Copy the table from Word or Excel and Paste into Illustrator (or Paste Special into CorelDRAW, which is reported to work better for this procedure). Save as a CMYK EPS, and Place this EPS in PageMaker. This is probably the most straightforward and high-end-output-friendly, since the EPS will separate CMYK. Another approach I've seen frequently mentioned is to "print" a .prn file of the table, change the extension from .prn to .ps, then open this file with Illustrator, which you can then save as EPS.

Another Method
Select and Copy the table in Word or Excel, then, in PageMaker, use the Paste Special command, selecting the Metafile option. Word tables must be free from Word styles (other than 'normal'). Then, once inserted in PM, the autoleading of in-line tables should be reduced from the default value of 120% to 100% to reduce white space above and below the table. In PageMaker's Document Setup you'll want to be sure that your target printer is a high-resolution device, ie Linotronic 500 at 2400 dpi. This method is certainly faster and easier than the other options above. While it works for some people, it may not be as reliable upon high-end output as the more "purist" options above. Special thanks to Roger Trigg for this method.

Consider InDesign
If this is something you are doing on a regular basis, you may want to consider moving to InDesign, which will import Word tables directly. (in addition to lots of other very nice features...) InDesign is like having Quark, PM and Illustrator all in one package.