I use PM6.5 to produce an annual report for our organization. In the past, I have used one CYMK color and have colored my Excel graphs in Illustrator before placing them into PageMaker. It is a lot of work, being sure to color every little line in Illustrator. I usually have to redo several after I get the blueline back from the printer. However, now as a State org, we cannot print in color anymore so graphs (everything) have to be black and white. My question: is there a way to place each graph into PM without coloring it in Illustrator. My process before has been to 1. Make graph in Excel 2. Insert Object into Powerpoint 3. Save as .WMF 4. Place into Illustrator and color 5. Save as .EPS file and place into Pagemaker. I have probably 30 graphs and large tables to enter. there just has to be an easier way. I cannot place a .pdf file either. I tried downloading the Pdfimp.flt file and deleting the pm65filt.cnf. I have Adobe 5.0. Any other ideas?
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations IamaSherpa on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Placing Excel graphs in pagemaker
- Thread starter joanmp
- Start date
You have discovered one of the biggest problems with PM and Excel charts, and that is finding a way to get them into the doc without causing problems down the road.
I prefer to create a PDF from the Excel chart, and then place that into the PM file.
When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.
I prefer to create a PDF from the Excel chart, and then place that into the PM file.
When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.
Since you are having problems placing PDFs, you've got a couple of choices. You haven't said which version of Distiller you are using to make the PDFs but if they are going in to V6.5 of PM, then you need to save them down to - John, where are you? - but I think it is version 1.3 for the import filter to work. Anyway, that's one suggestion.
My next suggestion is if you still can't get the PDFs into PM. I would make the PDF from Excel, then OPEN it in Illustrator - not sure why you are going via PPT - this is really only useful for pie charts to get smoother curves, but if they are bar charts then you don't need this step. After opening the PDF, then save as an EPS for placing into PM. You can do any colour fiddling you need before saving as EPS, but if you are printing only in B&W, then it doesn't really matter (unless being offset printed).
My next suggestion is if you still can't get the PDFs into PM. I would make the PDF from Excel, then OPEN it in Illustrator - not sure why you are going via PPT - this is really only useful for pie charts to get smoother curves, but if they are bar charts then you don't need this step. After opening the PDF, then save as an EPS for placing into PM. You can do any colour fiddling you need before saving as EPS, but if you are printing only in B&W, then it doesn't really matter (unless being offset printed).
Here's how we do it: Create the chart in Excel, save it, highlight it (the chart), Ctrl+C, Alt+Tab to PM, Edit>Paste Special>Paste Link>As Microsoft Excel Worksheet, place and size the chart and save the PM doc (and I do this in a network environment where PM & Excel are located in my workstation and the PM doc and Excel charts are located on a file server). If you're printing to B&W, then the only issue I see with color is making sure there's sufficient differentiation between levels of grey. I would think that could easily be handled by setting up your Excel color palette as levels of grey instead of color (in Excel: Tools>Options, select the Chart Fills patches>Color>Modify and select from the greyscale patches)
Now, Eggles and BigJohn totally disagree with my method and they say it won't work, and it may not work for them, but I've been doing this every work day for the past two years and I'm the newest member of my graphics team where the senior member of 13 yrs taught me. I work for a subsidiary of a multi-national and we send our documents all over the world. Of course, we usually convert them to PDF's, but that's a another story.
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you. Seek and ye shall find!![[peace]](/data/assets/smilies/peace.gif "[peace] [peace]")
I love Mondays cause they're the Second day of the week!
Now, Eggles and BigJohn totally disagree with my method and they say it won't work, and it may not work for them, but I've been doing this every work day for the past two years and I'm the newest member of my graphics team where the senior member of 13 yrs taught me. I work for a subsidiary of a multi-national and we send our documents all over the world. Of course, we usually convert them to PDF's, but that's a another story.
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you. Seek and ye shall find!
I love Mondays cause they're the Second day of the week!
horqua's method is iffy at best. This is one of the biggest cause of problems on the official Adobe website, concerning PM and Excel docs.
horqua, have you ever had need to send your documents to press? I would doubt it, since that is really where the fun begins, and the pre-press people begin pulling out their hair and cursing your name.
So, that method 'may' work, but you are taking your chances. Don't try it if you have a deadline looming. If it does work successfully, more power to you, but don't be surprised if it suddenly stops working.
The EPS method is the best, PDF second best. You could create a PDF, then open that with photoshop and save as a PS EPS file. You lose transparency , I believe, but it would be a couple less steps.
When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.
horqua, have you ever had need to send your documents to press? I would doubt it, since that is really where the fun begins, and the pre-press people begin pulling out their hair and cursing your name.
So, that method 'may' work, but you are taking your chances. Don't try it if you have a deadline looming. If it does work successfully, more power to you, but don't be surprised if it suddenly stops working.
The EPS method is the best, PDF second best. You could create a PDF, then open that with photoshop and save as a PS EPS file. You lose transparency , I believe, but it would be a couple less steps.
When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.
BionicJohn
Technical User
Hi, Horqua,
> Eggles and BigJohn totally disagree with my method and they say it won't work, and it may not work for them
The problem is OLE and Postscript (i.e. creating a PDF) are wobbly at best and incompatible at worst,
The latest networks are far more stable and relible than ever, so I'm less cautious about it these days — the weakest part now is probably PM.
If everything[b/] is local and non-postscript, then it'll probably be OK. But once you need CMYK separations or start creating PDFs from PM, then it WILL bite back. AdobeForums is full of users tearing their hair out because WordArt, metafiles, RGB and non-local links.
I'm not yet fully up to speed with InDesign, but is supposed import easily from Excel and Word with no loss of stability.
Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.
> Eggles and BigJohn totally disagree with my method and they say it won't work, and it may not work for them
The problem is OLE and Postscript (i.e. creating a PDF) are wobbly at best and incompatible at worst,
The latest networks are far more stable and relible than ever, so I'm less cautious about it these days — the weakest part now is probably PM.
If everything[b/] is local and non-postscript, then it'll probably be OK. But once you need CMYK separations or start creating PDFs from PM, then it WILL bite back. AdobeForums is full of users tearing their hair out because WordArt, metafiles, RGB and non-local links.
I'm not yet fully up to speed with InDesign, but is supposed import easily from Excel and Word with no loss of stability.
Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.
BionicJohn
Technical User
Hi, Lyn,
> I think it is version 1.3 for the import filter to work.
That should work.
Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.
> I think it is version 1.3 for the import filter to work.
That should work.
Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.
"I'm not yet fully up to speed with InDesign, but is supposed import easily from Excel and Word with no loss of stability."
I love the ease with which ID imports word files and tables. There is no problem that I have encountered yet, and I have recently published 3 32-page brochures and one 180-page catalog using ID and all text was placed (Ctrl D) Word doc files.
When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.
I love the ease with which ID imports word files and tables. There is no problem that I have encountered yet, and I have recently published 3 32-page brochures and one 180-page catalog using ID and all text was placed (Ctrl D) Word doc files.
When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.
- Thread starter
- #9
Thank you -- I will try some of these options.
I have another Excel question. If you want to start a graph at zero (Y scale) and have the next number skip to say 1,000 and then have the Y scale increment 1,000 on each hatch mark after that to say 10,000, does anyone know how to acccomplish this in Excel? I'm not sure what the terminology is--double hatch marks?
I have another Excel question. If you want to start a graph at zero (Y scale) and have the next number skip to say 1,000 and then have the Y scale increment 1,000 on each hatch mark after that to say 10,000, does anyone know how to acccomplish this in Excel? I'm not sure what the terminology is--double hatch marks?
BionicJohn
Technical User
Hi, joanmp,
You'll probably get more and better responses in the Microsoft Office Forum - forum68
Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.
You'll probably get more and better responses in the Microsoft Office Forum - forum68
Iechyd da! John
Glannau Mersi, Lloegr.
"How bout charts? Are you placing any Excel charts?"
I just did a quick test, created an Excel file, and then CTRL + D, and chart placed flawlessly!
When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.
I just did a quick test, created an Excel file, and then CTRL + D, and chart placed flawlessly!
When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question
- Locked
- Question