PDF from InDesign

[Diskbutchr]

I don't own InDesign but I'm in the printing business and have to deal with the files upon occasion. When I ask the customer to create a PDF using the PDF job options file that I send them and then place the PDF pages into PageMaker, I get postscript errors. This doesn't happen with any other type of file that I encounter.

The PDF file prints fine from Acrobat but I generally need to repaginate in PageMaker to make the appropriate printer spreads that I need.

Any suggestions?

 

[jimoblak]

If you are only placing PDFs in PageMaker for imposition, consider an imposition program or plugin to Acrobat that does impositions.

When placing a PDF in PageMaker, you are essentially trying to re-distill the PDF with PageMaker's limited features, which is not recommended. You lose transparency effects and other advanced features found in InDesign and the latest Acrobat PDF specification. PageMaker is a legacy application and does not support the features found in files that you are receiving.

If you are really in the printing business, you should make the investment in InDesign to accept customer files. Your only other option is to fully educate your customers on how to send imposed and ink-separated PDFs. but with that knowledge, they could go to any printer - - and you would lose business.

The upgrade cost for InDesign from PageMaker is less than the cost of hours lost on a couple buggy jobs.

- - picklefish - -