Burned by Quark

[Gregg]

This is more of a rant than anything. Unfortunately, I just found out the hard (and expensive) way that Quark 8's Press Quality PDF export setting uses JPG Low Quality Compression by default.

Way to go, Quark.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

GWG | Application Settings | Application Settings


Stephen Marsh

 

[Al Ferrari]

I have been burned by that as well in Qx6. It seems that Quark has kept those settings for the new versions as well.

If you did not have the problem in your prior version, it was because you or someone had edited the setting and kept the same name for it. Learn how to change it to no compression and keep resolution, and tell everyone in your group about it.

Al

 

[Gregg]

Least I'm not alone...

 

[DCurry]

Are you sure it is Low Quality, and not just Low Compression? Quark's choice of verbiage is opposite what we are used to when creating PDFs via an Adobe app.

Because of that confusion, I make my own Quark PDF presets where I turn off compression. Makes big PDFs, but at least I won't get burned.

 

[Al Ferrari]

That's exactly what I do now and what I meant by writing "change it to no compression and keep resolution."

Al

 

[Gregg]

With InDesign, I have custom presets. We rarely use Quark, which is why I was just relying on their default Press-Quality setting (should have know better!). In some cases the images were compressed to less than 1% of their original size. I should have known something was up, based on the overall size of the PDF.

 

[DCurry]

Not sure about Q8, but here's a screenshot of Q9's default Press settings. The compression is Low, which in Quark's lingo means the quality is high.

 

[Gregg]

Interesting. You are right, the "High" in Quark terms actually created a lower quality PDF than the "Low". So, my initial rant was inaccurate. So, I guess it is just JPG compression, in general, that's the issue. Generally, I use ZIP or no compression at all.

Still odd, though. Even with the compression being Low, as in low amount of compression. The printed sheets looked noticeably bad and we rejected the run (at our cost).

 

[Gregg]

Interesting. You are right, the "High" in Quark terms actually created a lower quality PDF than the "Low". So, my initial rant was inaccurate. So, I guess it is just JPG compression, in general, that's the issue. Generally, I use ZIP or no compression at all.

Still odd, though. Even with the compression being Low, as in low amount of compression. The printed sheets looked noticeably bad and we rejected the run (at our cost).

Now I'm more confused. Looking at Quark 8's compression settings I noticed that ZIP/JPG are lumped together, whereas InDesign gives you the option to choose ZIP or JPG. Does Quark determine which compression method to use based on some criteria?

 

[DCurry]

Not sure how Q determines that - yet another reason to leave uncompressed and Keep Resolution.

 

[Gregg]

I went back and experimented a bit with Quark's export options. There was a big difference between their Automatic ZIP/JPG Low versus their Manual Zip 8-bit.

The manual zip method compressed an image to 44.36% of it's original size. The Automatic ZIP/JPG compressed the same image to 11.78% of it's original size, and there was noticeable quality loss. The Zip filesize was 4x bigger than the ZIP/JPG.

 

[gig0]

Been there.

We still output from Quark to postscript and let Distiller or Prinergy generate the PDF's. LOL

 

[MacTwidget]

Been there.

We still output from Quark to postscript and let Distiller or Prinergy generate the PDF's. LOL

The only problem is that Quark's flattening abilities is AWFUL. I've been burned a few times.

 

[DCurry]

I've had good luck with letting Q export direct to PDF since Q7 - can't remember any real issues popping up as long as you keep the compression off (or find your own magic formula.) Quark can maintain live transparency now, too, but you have to set the Prefs to keep it live rather than flatten.

 

[gig0]

The only problem is that Quark's flattening abilities is AWFUL. I've been burned a few times.

In all truthfulness, you could be right. But in the same token, exporting as postscript has been less problematic for us. I like to play the percentages and will always choose the lesser of two evils. Especially if you're forced into importing one of those shitty Jaws based PDF's into InDesign. I think most of us have experienced that special time at some point.

 

[gig0]

I've had good luck with letting Q export direct to PDF since Q7 - can't remember any real issues popping up as long as you keep the compression off (or find your own magic formula.) Quark can maintain live transparency now, too, but you have to set the Prefs to keep it live rather than flatten.

If I remember correctly, Prinergy put out a bulletin for Quark 7 users to export from Quark as a PDF, but set the PDF preferences to write to postscript instead. Ever since doing this, we never experienced half the issues we had exporting directly as a PDF. You can see why anyone would be gun shy. Either way, it works for us and haven't seen any major catastrophe because of it. Thats why we stick to it.