Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

[4stateprint]

Does ANYONE know of an alternative to Publisher? I have a couple of people that think they are doing me an immense favor by doing their own work and bringing in the Publisher files which we go round and round about to get them to convert to PDFs that still might not work or tend to loose text and what not. Anyway I am looking for at the very least a work around or to find the person that created the program so I can beat them over the head.
Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

[printer]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Publisher 2007 seems to work the best of all versions. I've a PSPP since
2000 and this is the closet to working they have come yet.

Dennis W. Ewing Sr
Ewing and Sons Printing
12000 Crownpoint, #130
San Antonio, TX 78233
[email protected]
[email protected]
210/650-5311
210/650-9916 Fax

 

[GaragePunk]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Sorry but no alternative here, we use Punisher 2003 with Windows XP Professional. We print to a PDF using the Scitex Dolev PS L2 ppd. Usually the PDFs still needs to be tweaked in Acrobat/PitStop. If you ever do find the creator of this dismal software, you can sell tickets good for one head bash each. You should be quite wealthy when all is said and done. Maybe its the same guy who created PowerPoint!

 

[SlaveToTheMan]

Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Back in The Day, I made good use of the "promotional sticker" that came with the PSPP version, thusly:

[http://mywebpages.comcast.net/fubarguy/publisher_inbox.jpg]

;\

 

[Caled]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Try Serif PagePlus X2 which has lots more features than creaky old Publisher and can import and export PDF's.
www.serif.com or try a free download (not a trial, but fully functional) copy of an earlier version from www.freeserifsoftware.com
Not quite Indesign but much better than Publisher. Try out the filter effects!

 

[doubting_thomas]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Does it support transparency, or PDF 1.4 yet?

 

[DoctorVesuvius]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

I've been using Scribus for some professional printing. It's a work-in-progress but preflights and builds PDF's natively.

http://www.scribus.net

Don't let the fact that it is free to download scare you.

I recommend it to customers (non-profits, etc) who cannot afford the non-free ones.

Edited by: DoctorVesuvius on Oct 11, 2007 4:33 PM (added "non-profits, etc.")

 

[Caled]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Yes the latest version of Pageplus which is called X2 can make and import all your PDFX1A files and has a whole host of features that even some high end packages don't have. The PDF import feature even allows you to edit imported PDF's It has full transparency support, and output to press with CMYK and spot colour pantone palettes. Amazing wee bit of kit for only about 60 quid. They even have their own forums for it over at Serif.

I used to think Coreldraw was good but the current version is terrible and unstable. Stick Publisher back in the office drawer where it belongs.

 

[judyj]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

I heard a rumor that Adobe might be planning to market PageMaker to the Publisher market -- or something similar. Has anyone else heard this?

Also, on the Scribus -- I would be interested to hear if others have had any success with it.

Judy

 

[sailorpc]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Here is another method of making PDF files from Publisher. I heard about it from a printer in Oklahoma who gets a lot of Publisher files and he said it works great. It is a windows printer installer called Primo PDF.

http://www.primopdf.com/

 

[MikeL]

Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

HI Dustin, we certainly don't advocate the use of Publisher, but we do have several customers that manage to provide very good PDFs from it when they follow our set of procedures (and own a full version of Acrobat). If you're al all interesed, I'd be happy to forward our procedures to you if you contact me off line. You didn't mention which version of Publisher you specifically cursed, anything pre-2003 wasn't even capable of creating a process colour PostScript file, which is why we declined accepting the older versions. Spot colours are a definate challenge, we try and discourage all but the most advanced Publisher users from attempting this, especially where spot colour images are concerned. I look forward to testing the Desktop Publishing options the other members have suggested.

 

[disbellj]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

First of all, I never let Office products convert to CMYK. I always let (make) Adobe do that job for me. So just leave color as RGB in Office.

I use PDFMaker plugin to make PDFX-1a from Microsoft Office programs. It is installed with Adobe Acrobat Professional.
It uses sRGB IEC61966-2.1 for the RGB profile (perfect for the untagged RGB to assume that's given by Microsoft), and a TR001 (SWOP) profile for CMYK (so converts sRGB IEC61966-2.1 to SWOP profile using Relative Colorimetric Intent).

When I tested PrimoPDF, it looks like it uses the same profiles because the color I get from it is really close to what I get from PDFMaker plugin.

Don

 

[Dov Isaacs]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

There is no substance to that rumor whatsoever.

- Dov

 

[judyj]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Don -- are you saying that this PrimoPDF might be an o.k. recommendation
for folks who won't purchase the full version of Acrobat? I trust your
judgement. Judy

>When I tested PrimoPDF, it looks like it uses the same profiles because
>the color I get from it is really close to what I get from PDFMaker plugin.

--


-
Sir Speedy Printing
1011 Burke Street * Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 722-4109 * FAX (336) 722-5446
mailto:[email protected]
http://www.sirspeedywinston-salem.com

 

[Jeff.Bell]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

I can't claim to be the guy who created Publisher, but I am now the Group Program Manager for the team. Thanks, Dennis, for the recognition for the improvements that went into Publisher 2007. I expect that for this crowd, the free Microsoft add-in to generate PDF directly from Publisher and other Office client applications is the biggest improvement. (Available for 2007 Microsoft Office users from [www.microsoft.com/downloads|http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...1-3e7e-4ae6-b059-a2e79ed87041&DisplayLang=en])

I can't offer to provide customer support directly for you guys, but I am definitely interested in your thoughts on things we can improve in the software in coming versions. Feel free to email me directly.

 

[doubting_thomas]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

After visiting the PagePlus Forums it sounds like they're getting there. The idea of having
my layout program parse my pdf's upon placing them is a bit spooky unless the file has been
Outlined and flattened. Even then...

Surely it's better than Publisher as you've stated.

 

[judyj]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

You know, I think the real problem with Publisher is that people who don't
know what they are doing are using it. They don't know anything about
printing, pagination, signatures, gripper, rgb vs. cmyk etc. etc. etc. --
so even if they had the best software, they still wouldn't be very good at
it. And, since they don't know anything, they also don't know how much they
DON'T know which makes it even worse.

I'll admit, I wouldn't work in Publisher to create a layout ever, but when
clients are pretty sharp and/or ask questions before they use it, the files
we get are usually o.k. (since 2003 like everyone says). The "pack and go"
feature works pretty well and, using the tab to target for Commercial
Printing (can't remember exactly the terms and I'm not starting it up to
find out) where you can adjust for colors and such, works pretty good.

I think the biggest problem is that, because they have Publisher on their
machines, folks think they are "designers" when they aren't and, if you try
to explain to them why their "red" doesn't come out as a spot color till
you tweak it, they sometimes get mad -- like you are trying to pull
something on them or are saying they are stupid.

Oh well. At least I get to use the "good stuff" on in-house projects...

Judy
--


-
Sir Speedy Printing
1011 Burke Street * Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 722-4109 * FAX (336) 722-5446
mailto:[email protected]
http://www.sirspeedywinston-salem.com

 

[disbellj]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Judy,

Just tested PrimoPDF again.

I choose File > Print. Choose PrimoPDF printer. in windows that pops up, I choose Press, then click OK. Then window pops up for place to put PDF and name to give it.

After opening the PDF, I preflight in Acrobat. All images below 300 keep their resolution. All images above 300 go to 300. All color is untagged RGB (DeviceRGB), meaning the RGB numbers will change appearance depending on the RGB profile used to display it (the default RGB profile in the program used). So since sRGB IEC61966-2.1 is used for Adobe's PDF/X-1a setting (or any other joboptions they have), the RGB I get from Microsoft via PDFMaker or PrimoPDF is untagged RGB that assumes the joboptions default RGB profile, sRGB IEC61966-2.1. If using PDFMaker, the conversion is done by Adobe behind the scenes so that the PDF is CMYK (default SWOP profile) when opened. If using PrimoPDF, I have to place PDF (which is untagged RGB) into InDesign (I use the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile there also by using the North American General Purpose 2 color settings, except turning CMYK color management policy to Off) and convert upon output to CMYK (default SWOP profile), or open PDF in Acrobat and convert to CMYK. Either way you go, you get the same result.

Don

 

[weprint]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

We have several customers using Publisher 2003. I understand that 2007 is even better.

The workflow savior is Enfocus Instant PDF and Pitstop Pro. A queue was created to identify and fix most of the common errors. In most cases the files print without modification through Prinergy. We even print spot colors.

The most difficult part is learning how to use Publisher's Color Printing system. We had to create a PowerPoint presentation to help our customers understand what will happen during output.

However, Instant PDF was a real breakthrough in getting press-ready files from Publisher.

 

[judyj]

Re: Alternatives to Punisher I mean Publisher

Thanks Don -- a lot of our output is to a DocuColor 6060 and doesn't
require a lot of color mgmt -- pleasing color is good enough (esp to
Microsoft end users) and the Creo RIP we have has a pretty good conversion
from RGB to CMYK so this sounds like something I can let my customer
service reps use and/or recommend to customers for lower end projects.
Thanks for the testing and info!


>
>After opening the PDF, I preflight in Acrobat. All images below 300 keep
>their resolution. All images above 300 go to 300. All color is untagged
>RGB (DeviceRGB), meaning the RGB numbers will change appearance depending
>on the RGB profile used to display it (the default RGB profile in the
>program used). So since sRGB IEC61966-2.1 is used for Adobe's PDF/X-1a
>setting (or any other joboptions they have), the RGB I get from Microsoft
>via PDFMaker or PrimoPDF is untagged RGB that assumes the joboptions
>default RGB profile, sRGB IEC61966-2.1. If using PDFMaker, the conversion
>is done by Adobe behind the scenes so that the PDF is CMYK (default SWOP
>profile) when opened. If using PrimoPDF, I have to place PDF (which is
>untagged RGB) into InDesign (I use the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile there
>also by using the North American General Purpose 2 color settings, except
>turning CMYK color management policy to Off) and convert upon output to
>CMYK (default SWOP profile), or open PDF in Acrobat and convert to CMYK.
>Either way you go, you get the same result.

--


-
Sir Speedy Printing
1011 Burke Street * Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 722-4109 * FAX (336) 722-5446
mailto:[email protected]
http://www.sirspeedywinston-salem.com