Pagemaker hanging up

[EdddieT]

Having spent many hours creating some documents I now find that when I try to work on the docs (change pages, zoom ect tha pagemaker is very slow and that when I try to save the docs (or use save as) that the files start to save but after a while (when alt/s/del pressed it come up as "pagemaker not responding" and when I quit task and try to open the file again I can't - it comes up with the same message.

The file is quite large (600MB) and contains alot of scanned images (using copy/paste)

Any useful suggestions could restore my sanity

Eddie C

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Eddie,

Which version of PM and, I assume, Windows?
What format are you scanned images?

> > (using copy/paste)

File -> Place is the recommended route for importing anything into PM as the PM import filters overcome shortcomings in the Windows clipboard.

While PM will handle a 600Mb file, you can speed things up by reducing the filesize:

1. Make sure you link your images when you place them into PM. Do not embed them in any way. Click "No" if you're asked to include the image in the PM file.

(Note: Pdf files do not have the option of being linked and are always embedded. The larger dpi that is picked in the preview section of the pdf import dialog box, the larger the Pagemaker files will be. This is also true of native Illustrator files version 9 and later, which are based on pdf.)

2. Under File -> Preferences -> General, select "Save Smaller" under Save options.

3. Resave your publication using "Save as…" giving it a new name/location.

Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.

 

[EdddieT]

Thanks for the reply John,

PM V6.5. Scanned images are JPEG. I have tried linking the graphics and not including a copy in the publication and this seems to have made the docs more stable as well as considerably reducing the file sizes. I've also used the save as command and it seems to be working ok now. The graphics look a bit blurry in the doc but print out ok.

thanks for help
Eddie C

 

[Eggles]

>>The graphics look a bit blurry in the doc but print out ok.<<

This is because the default graphics display in PM is a low-rez version only (can be changed under Preferences). However, a high-rez view will slow the computer down when zooming, scroling or changing pages.

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Eddie,

Good to hear everything's performing better.

I'd recommend you use *.TIFF images, not *.JPG, especially if you are going to create PDFs.




Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Lyn,

> > a high-rez view will slow the computer down when zooming, scroling or changing pages.

Not necessarily, there's no problem on the latest PCs with loadsa megga bytes (512Mb+) and a good vid card (64Mb+). I have hi-rez on permanently.

Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.

 

[Eggles]

>> on the latest PCs <<

You should know me better than that!

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Lyn,

> You should know me better than that!

Yup, but then I frequently use PM7 on Win98SE with something like 192Mb (128+64) of RMA and the world's worst unknown graphic card. I've learned how to handle to the delay between clicking the mouse and soemthing happening on the screen - it's like talking to someone on a mobile phone in Aus from here!

It is nice on powerful PC though…

Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.

 

[Eggles]

My home computer - the only place I get to use PM these days - runs on Win 98 FE, with 384 MB of Ram and a TNT2 Ultra with 32MB RAM graphics card. Is this graphics card acceptable?

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Lyn,

1024×768 pixels by 24 bit = 18,874,368 so the Vid card RAM is fine - it just a matter of how fast the screen can be refreshed.

Try PM in permanent high-rez - see how it goes.

Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.

 

[Eggles]

>>1024×768 pixels by 24 bit = 18,874,368 so the Vid card RAM is fine - it just a matter of how fast the screen can be refreshed<<

I had no idea there was this sort of connection. Thanks for this info (tucks it away in her overcrowded brain....)

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Lyn,

I hope I got the calculations correct, but you can see that today a 16Mb vid card is pretty useless. I have a 4Mb on &quot;my&quot; Pc at Work, so I run it at 800×600 in 256 colour.

At home I'm at 1152×864 in True Colour 32-bit at 100Hz on a 64Mb NVidia GeForce (which frequently gets slagged off but I find stable and reliable, even if it was cheap.)

Today, with lots (128Mb+) of the latest fancy high-speed VRAM(?) and sophisticated roll-in roll-out management, the next screen can be in the vid card memory while the previous screen is being displayed.

What next?

Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.