PC VS Mac Platforms

russpears

Well-known member
Why is the Mac better at handeling graphics than the PC and why would some ad specs not want files submitted from a PC. With opentype fonts this seems to be a non-issue as far as that goes. What can be the differences that matter?

Edited by: Russell Spears on Apr 22, 2008 11:10 PM
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

Really shouldn't matter much anymore..some people are still just stuck in the way that have been doing things for years. A good portion of our jobs are PC indesign, really not much of a difference from a mac ID file from our standpoint.
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

Both seem to work just fine for us. Is there something
specific they say is wrong with PC files, or do they just
want to avoid Publisher?
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

Windows truetype composite fonts are a major pain. If everyone on Windows used opentype fonts it would be better. But they don't. They download every crap free font off of the internet and use it in their ransom note publications. Not to mention getting crap file from anything Microsoft. If you are going to use Windows stick to the Adobe or Quark apps and only use opentype fonts. If Windows users stuck to that rule there most likely would not be a problem.
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

It is more the applications creating the files. On Windows ( a Mac is a PC ) many users create files in Word, Publisher, or CorelDraw. All of those are notorious for causing problems in prepress. So some just refuse to deal with Windows jobs due to the problems with those applications. They aren't professional graphics applications

Fonts can be an issue as well. Many applications install garbage fonts, and then users choose them, not knowing the problems that might ensue. It doesn't matter if they are opentype or truetype, a lot of the bundled fonts I've seen on Windows have poor hinting and aren't drawn well. You won't see that printing out something on a home printer, but once it is imaged for printing plates - blech.

There are some other, general issues I have with Windows, but not specific to handling graphics. If a job is created on Windows using professional graphics applications, and the person has knowledge of how to use those applications, Windows is as viable as OS X.

Chasd.
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

If end user knows what he/she is doing, there is absolutely no reason why PC files are not acceptable. I think the Ad Spec is probably ancient and no one knowledgeable enough is bothering to update it.
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

I have to agree with Happy here... Of course there's the flip side too. If any prepress operator knows what they are doing it shouldn't matter.
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

Charles,
I will have to take exception to the CorelDraw statement. I use it every day, and have been for a very long time without ever having any more problems than I have had with the Adobe CS family. CorelDraw in my opionion has a bad rap from Mac users because they (Corel) really never gave them a application that worked that well for the Mac. It would be nice if people would take a look at this [http://coreldraw.com/photos/] and then say CorelDraw is not professional. It's not so much the program(s) as it is the person operating it. My biggest fear is when I get PageMaker files, I personally Despise PageMaker, I would rather have a Publisher file (OMG I need more coffee).

In all every software application has it's good and bad points, that's why there are so many of them out there, just like cars. What a boring world it would be if we didn't have the freedom to choose what we like!

Edited by: Craig Hofer on Apr 24, 2008 7:46 AM
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

Thanks everyone, I tried to give every answer credit (I do not know how important this is?) but a number of members offered key parts to this issue that was very helpful but I unable to give credit. I will try to read the rules of how this is done....

I can tell you that for years I had this issue in the back of my head and never thought to question it. There are so many key peices of info that are confusing about AD specs that seem so outdated and made without good understanding. Thi sreally surprises me since these are large Publishing Companies and no doubt they have the best Production Artists there?

Is everyone sure there is nothing more to this?
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

Lots of pro outfits think that people that use PCs do not know what they are doing. They think they have used the low end way of designing. I think things are pretty close to equal as far as design finished product on the 2 platforms now. But it depends on which operating system you are more comfortable/productive with. Macs are pretty much virus free. Drag & drop works so much better on Macs. So many of my old customers use Windows and complain of it locking up all the time or the computer runs much slower than when it was new. For some reason Windows slows to a crawl after installing many apps on it, hard drives get fragmented or a virus infects it. All these things seem to screw Windows up and it just doesn't happen on Macs. So, it depends on what you want to put yourself through. Smooth or rough sailing.
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

But this still would be tansparent to the prepress persons handeling the files, right. Can the printer tell if a file was made on a Windows or Mac platform now given both were made in InDesign CS3?
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

it's possible. not thru any particular defect, byuut by looking the
right way in the right place<G>


I prefer Windows over mac, and have from the beginning (well, from
when I got a Mac+ 20+ years ago)
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

The preference for Mac created work over PC work by Pre-Press is legitimate, and is not without merit, as some above have tried to make it seem. Yes, a PC running CS3 and outputting a high-res PDF for print should create no problems for production. For that matter, any native PC CS3 file or PC Quark file (to a lesser extent), will work fine in any decent Pre-press environment. The problems arise when a customer who has a PC decides that Publisher, Word, Excel and many times even Powerpoint will work fine for a professional print job. These are NOT professional publishing applications, but they are usually on most PCs, so the operator (or the operator's boss) decides they can be used to supply Pre-press with working files. These people have not gone out of their way to obtain proper software or proper training on said software. They have a PC with some software that claims to be for printing and they take the easy way out, and let someone else clean up the mess. That someone is Pre-press. This is also the type of person that does not know the difference between RGB and CMYK, why they have to include images and fonts, what bleed is, etc. This obviously leads to more phone support for the customer and wasted time.

It seems that many people believe that since they have a computer and some pre-packaged software they are a designer. This happens far, far more often on the PC side of the equation. Usually someone who chooses a Mac over a PC for Publishing has done some research about why they want a Mac, they have training and experience in the industry. Usually a MacPro doesn't just happen to be lying around the office with CS3 and Quark loaded. This person is usually (and I stress usually) more serious and professional about the product they are creating.

As I stated earlier quality work can easily be made on a PC. I could probably do all of my work on a PC if forced to use only PCs.
Roughly a fifth of the files I work on everyday are created on PCs. PC files work smoothly and create a quality finished product if created properly. I can see from the above comments that many posters actually prefer PCs, or are platform neutral when it comes to their work; and I am sure, given the nature of this site, that they create workable, efficient and probably great finished products. The problem with PCs is that for every one of the PC favoring posters here, there are more people who are told by their company that they will now be producing the yearly catalog. They only have their office PC loaded with Word. The boss doesn't know what the correct software is, or thinks it is too expensive since they already have Office. I can see this person reaching for Word to begin work on the new 64 page 4 color catalog and I cringe.
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

Well said Mike!

It's not necessarily the platform, but the application used and the competence of the person banging on the keyboard, cause I had some Mac users create 2 or 3 spot color art and send a CMYK PDF.

But I don't understand why Excel isn't used more for desktop publishing?
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

Hi all,

I must confess straight up that I am a Mac fan, have been ever since I started in prepress 13 years ago now (has it been that long already?!?) but I agree that it really is becoming a non issue nowadays. Really, for the price you can pick up a decently specced PC and considering the software works the same on both platforms, why not go Windows?? At home I will always be on Mac but at work I have both platforms, and working for an educational institution I get A LOT of supplied files in Word, Publisher, Powerpoint and always still feel safer opening these files on the PC in my office. Of course from there they are just exported to PDF and brought back to my MacPro for imposition, correction, etc but still safer with those files to go with the same platform... I am liking Office 08 for Mac but!! Mainly because I now have an Out of Office for Entourage!! Sad hey....

Cheers, Tony
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

I'm not sure what you mean, Craig. We probably get 5 times the
amount of client supplied jobs in Excel than we do in Quark ;)
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

That's a scream doubting!

On Friday a lady asked if she could submit electronic artwork for a simple 8 page program, I asked what she did the layout in, she candidly replied Excel!!! Before she could finish I am sure I had a huge smile on my face and had inadvertently rolled my eyes at her.

I love dealing with the public, it makes for good humor!:^0
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

Yes, it's the user in all cases. Word is what most PC users use and have used from day one as their word processor. They also think of Word as their professional page layout program. Word prints ok most of the time for most people's use. The biggest problem with Word is text reflows differently from computer to computer. Even if it's PC to PC and not PC to Mac.
 
Re: PC VS Mac Platforms

There is not many ways that I know of to be able to tell if CS files are created on Mac or PC. One way you can tell if a InDesign file was created on a Mac is if you see a .dfont packaged in the fonts file inside a packaged job. Another way is if the person setting the job up writes the platform used in the instructions section of packaging.
 

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