trying to save 8-pg pdf file as individual eps files

[jc52]

One of our customers provided us with an 8-pg, 4-color process pdf file, created in QuarkXPress on a PC. We're trying to convert it to eight individual eps files for color-separated output to our imagesetter. Only page 1 will save as an eps file. When trying to save pages 2-7, either individually or all at once, I get an error telling me I have a number out of range.
Anyone out there ever had this problem? We sent the file to another trade shop, and they had the same problem, so I don't think it's at our end.

 

[PixelMasher]

JC52,

If you don't mind can I take a look at your PDF file maybe I can figure out whats wrong. I work in Desktop for a printer and we are always working with PDF files.

Bodes
PrepressSolution@aol.com

 

[jimoblak]

I've never seen this problem before because I've never seen the need to do this.

Why save PDF as an EPS?

Why not place the PDF directly into a Quark, PageMaker or InDesign layout? You can manage your 4-color separation and impositions easily with these programs.

 

[jc52]

To jimoblak:
Our RIP system requires eps files. We do bring individual pdf files into Quark, but we still need an eps file for our imposition program. Also, I've never seen a multi-page pdf file brought directly into a Quark document. How do you do that? Creating a picture box and importing the pdf into it brings only the first page.

 

[jimoblak]

What version of Quark are you using? I think this can be done as far back as Q4 (you may need to download a free PDF import Xtension from Quark for v4). In my current Q5 on PC, I see a PDF page number entry field on the File>Get Picture dialog.

Because you are getting problems with PDF to EPS conversion, I would do my best to avoid any extra translation to spit out your job. Cut out the EPS translation done in your imposition program by imposing directly in Quark.

You might also ask for the original Quark document. There's no shame in telling your client that you cannot handle their PDFs (they may not have saved them properly anyway).

 

[jc52]

Can't eliminate the eps, as our RIP system will RIP only eps files (pdf eps, qxp eps, pm eps - it doesn't matter which program, but it MUST be an eps). We have QXP 4.1 and do have the pdf import filter, and do import pdfs into QXP. The problem with this particular job was that the customer apparently has some sort of problem writing the job to a CD. She did give us the QXP doc, but we couldn't copy the graphics off of the disk because it was corrupted.
She eventually gave us a new disk with new pdf files and eps files which she created, and everything went fine.
So it wasn't a QXP problem, or a pdf problem, but merely a corrupted file.
Thanks for your input.