Macintosh quartz created pdf problems

michaelejahn

Well-known member
I'm having some issues with client supplied pdf's created with mac quartz - they don't print as intended.

We get either jumbled fonts or carriage returns where they don't belong. If you view the pdf on screen it looks fine, but the print out off a xerox or an oce produces unintended results.

It occurred to me that Apple prints a lot of Photobooks out of iPhoto, and iPhoto is probably producing pdf's with quartz, so I wonder if there's a trick to passing these through any specific vendor applications or specific vendors RIPS that contain speacil handlers for that...

Please do share your favorite work arounds !
 
Hi Michael, I know how some of these random "solutions" will be taken, so I only offer them in "desperation".... ha!

* Print from Apple Preview

* Load PDF fonts into system and translate the PDF into Illustrator, then fix it then save as PDF...or dupe the PDF and flatten the fonts to paths in Acrobat Pro, before going to Illustrator (yes I know that Illus is not a PDF editor that is endorsed by Adobe for this purpose blah, blah, blah)...

* Rasterize the PDF into Photoshop, this may need to be done at different resolutions for text vs. contone and then recombined in say InDesign or Illustrator etc.

As you know there are many ways to skin a cat!

I am more than happy to look at the PDF file, you know my email!


Regards,

Stephen Marsh
 
Hi Michael

There are a couple of different filters that can be applied to Quartz PDFs, so the way that your problem PDF was created may not match the way that Photobook PDFs are created.

That being said I'd try the Acrobat Pro PDF optimizer to see if you get any better results. If that doesn't work, try using Pitstop to see if you can use an action list that will fix the font embedding. The fixups part of Acrobat Preflight may also be able to help, try one of the convert to PDF X options and see what it does.

When you say that the PDF views ok on screen are you using Acrobat or Preview? If it's ok in Acrobat you might be able to print it as in image at a fairly high res from the Advanced section of the Acrobat print dialog.

Finally you could try exporting out of Acrobat as an EPS or .ps and try refrying with Disitiller. (I bet that wherever he is, Leonard just felt a chill go up his spine) :) I wouldn't recommend it as a first option, but sometimes it helps stabilize funky PDFs.

Good Luck
Shawn
 
Try opening and resaving with Preview. That may "fix" your font issue - but it'll probably wreck your color.

Another option is to place into InDesign and refry 'em. The latest InDesign CS4 update revamped the way fonts are written into PDFs out of InDesign, or you can go back to an earlier version.

I'm guessing you're viewing the PDFs in Acrobat 9. Have you viewed them in Acrobat 8? Does the view from there more closely resemble your output?

And of course the fonts are embedded? Right? Are these subsets? Try splitting the PDF into individual page files and feed those to the RIP.
 
I'm having some issues with client supplied pdf's created with mac quartz - they don't print as intended.

We get either jumbled fonts or carriage returns where they don't belong. If you view the pdf on screen it looks fine, but the print out off a xerox or an oce produces unintended results.

HOW are you printing them to the Xerox or OCE? From Acrobat? Other?

A Quartz-generated PDF is basically PDF/X-3 but without the "tag". All objects have an associated ICC profile, all fonts are subset embedded - life is good!

Of course, if you run them through Adobe's PDF Optimizer, the file size will go down and the content will be better optimized...

It occurred to me that Apple prints a lot of Photobooks out of iPhoto, and iPhoto is probably producing pdf's with quartz, so I wonder if there's a trick to passing these through any specific vendor applications or specific vendors RIPS that contain speacil handlers for that...

All Photobooks are run through some special software on Apple's side before they are printed in order to prepare then for the printing presses....

Leonard
 

PressWise

A 30-day Fix for Managed Chaos

As any print professional knows, printing can be managed chaos. Software that solves multiple problems and provides measurable and monetizable value has a direct impact on the bottom-line.

“We reduced order entry costs by about 40%.” Significant savings in a shop that turns about 500 jobs a month.


Learn how…….

   
Back
Top