Apple iWork Pages

[MacTwidget]

Just out of curiosity... Has anyone encountered customers supplying files from Pages?
Obviously I would like all customers to use industry "standard" apps like InDesign (even... gasp... QuarkXPress).
Like most service providers I get a few files submitted from "designers" who think that MS Word or Publisher are acceptable page layout tools. But I have yet to see a file from Pages. I even bought a copy of iWork two years ago anticipating someone may use it.
I'm please to say that I have not received a Pages file yet.
Has anyone else had to work with this yet? If so, how was your experience?

[mattbeals]

They are "okay" PDF's. Nothing spectacular. I treat them like I would a Publisher/Office file. Get the PDF out either by exporting a PDF or using Quartz to make the PDF. Then worry about the rest in Acrobat/PitStop/callas pdfToolbox. I wouldn't expect to do much, or be able to do much, in pages regarding export parameters.

[Stephen Marsh]

I did encounter Pages files sometimes. That being said most of the time a PDF would be exported out of Pages, more so than a Pages native document being supplied.

The good news is that Pages can create CMYK and Gray modes in native objects, not just RGB as with MS Word. The bad news is that customers may colour objects with any and all colour spaces, so a final PDF may be a bit hit and miss when it comes to colour.

As Matt said, I would rely on Acrobat Pro or a third party plug or editing solution to fix up the PDF (or other methods, whatever will get the job done).


Stephen Marsh