Word table imported as an OLE vs PDF

[Eggles]

I have recently completed a PM project in which a fairly complex Word table was required. I read the three methods suggested on this forum as to the best way of doing it, and decided to go with the conversion to a PDF, which could then be placed in PM. However, for proofing purposes, I do not have access yet to a colour postscript printer (the IT guys are still working on getting me connected to the colour laser). I only have access to a non-PS colour inkjet. I found that the PDF table looked AWFUL - on screen and in print. However, when I brought in the table as an OLE, it looked fine, both onscreen and printed.

My question is - is this to be expected?

And as a follow up, when this document is finally printed on the PS laser, should I redo the table as a PDF, or can I leave it as an OLE?

I also found that as long as I kept the table to within a certain width, none of the side edges were chopped off, as a friend who was also bringing in Word (and Excel) tables as OLEs, discovered was happening when she did it that way.

 

[viol8ion]

Eggles... when converting the file to PDF did you use a high resolution? If the printed copy was bad, you may have used screen settings rather than print setting.

The screen view of a placed PDF will look horrid, that is to be expected. Pagemaker does not handle most graphics well for screen view as it is a page layout app and what you are viewing is basically place holders for graphics.

If your document will only be printed to an office printer and is not going to pre-press, then OLE may work well for you. Best advice is play around with it and see what works best for you. And realize that the next time it may not work at all... comforting thought, eh? When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[Eggles]

Mmm - I was aware that PM by default uses low rez 'placeholders' for graphics, so was not all that surprised when the PDF looked so bad on screen. I used the 'print' setting for making the PDF, not 'screen'. The problem was, in print, it looked terrible too. Does PM treat placed PDFs like a postscript graphic?

Initially this PM document will be printed in-house on a colour laser, but if it proves useful, more copies will be done (outsourced) by offset printing. I will obviously need to get very fussy about format if and when that happens - I will do another PDF using the 'Press' settings then.

 

[viol8ion]

PM treats a PDF differently than other graphics in that it places the actual file into the PM document rather than just linking to it as you can with a TIF.

You may want to tweak Distiller a bit, turn off all graphics compression, etc, and try it again. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[Eggles]

You know, judging by all the similar questions on this forum, there are a lot of people having problems with tables. I just read another thread where you advised someone who had used PM's own table facility (Adobe Table) and was having problems making PDFs that it too puts the table there as an OLE. And that in turn causes problems when converting the PM doc into a PDF. Wouldn't you think Adobe would have sorted this all out (or has it in InDesign)? Pretty silly if you ask me, since ID is directed to the 'professional' graphic designers (who probably don't have much to do with tables), but the business people who use tables all the time, are guided towards PM, which doesn't handle tables easily. Funny marketing I think. It really should be PM7 that handles tables well.

 

[viol8ion]

Eggles,

I agree 100%. PM really sucks at tables, and Adobe Table is the epitomy of 'suck', in my humble opinion.

PM was actually designed to compete with Quark as a professional DTP app, but never quite held it's own to Quark's features. Enter InDesign; ID2 is awesome, and I think better than Quark 4. Of course that will probably start some arguments.

If you will notice, Adobe did not include Table with PM70, which lets you know they thought it sucked, too. I wouldn't wait for Adobe to fix this problem either.. rumors are that PM is on it's way out and maybe an ID lite... but that is pure speculation. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[Eggles]

Yeah - well at my work, they bought PM7 just before I started 2 months ago. Not much chance of getting ID2, which I hear blasts Quark out of the water. Did I mention that the chief GD at my work uses Illustrator for page layout? (yes, really). And the other GD uses underlining and double spaces after periods in her text? This is what I am working with!!

 

[viol8ion]

I have a friend that uses Illustrator for her graphic design and page layout.. she has PM just does not like it.. AI works for her.. I guess whatever floats your boat... at work I am using PM6.52, can't get them to upgrade me to 7.0 let alone ID. The trials and tribulations of a graphic artist! When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com