Switching from PC to Mac

Prepper

Well-known member
We've been a completely PC shop for 20 years, it was possible back then because everything we do is created and printed in house.

Now we're switching to Macs and I'd appreciate any insight or info anyone might have about what to watch for such as

---Fonts, we've always used Type 1 fonts mostly for our book work (I might mention we print in 40-50 languages) with some TrueType and now OpenType fonts. We are currently using Suitcase for font management.

---Color Management: We use Gretag profiling software, HPZ2100 printer for proofing and print on a 6-color Heidleberg sheetfed. We have recently moved away from custom press profiling to G7. I was just wondering about the differences from PC to Mac on how color management is handled, any major learning curve or just continue using the setups and profiles we use now in our Adobe apps and color management is handled in the background?

---Legacy files from Pagemaker, Indesign. 10-15 years worth.

---Anything else you may think of that could be a concern to us switching.

Thanks,
Terry
 
Re: Switching from PC to Mac

And you don't even need to make the full switch. Windows on a mac is no problem anymore as you know...
 
Re: Switching from PC to Mac

>Now we're switching to Macs and I'd appreciate any insight or info anyone might have about what to watch for such as

Learn what resource forks are and why you need to preserve them.

Just as you need to know some commands in the "cmd.exe" interface to administer Windows, you'll need to learn some UNIX Terminal commands.

Just as you need to know about the Registry, you'll need to learn about NetInfo.

Most application configuration is done via XML .plist files, not .ini files

Use AFP networking even though Mac OS X has a SMB client built in.

Learn about Target Disk mode so you can migrate from one computer to another easily.

Understand that applications are a "bundle" stored in a directory, not a single file.

If a Mac crashes, that is truly a bad thing, not just something to be shrugged off as as a random event.

Welcome to using PC's that are called Macs.

>---Legacy files from Pagemaker

Ouch.


Chasd
 
Re: Switching from PC to Mac

Maybe not as technical/useful as the above answers, but:

If you're laying out books in so many languages, wouldn't you be better off using OpenType fonts?

This much is obvious: colour management: the Gretag software is easily downloaded - your existing USB dongles should still work to unlock it.

Watch all the "Hi, I'm a Mac" adverts! :) Macs are a delight to use - you'll actually enjoy turning on your computer from now on. Good luck, and good on the manager who decided to switch!
 
Re: Switching from PC to Mac

Fonts:
There are many more places to store fonts on Mac OS X than Windows. See http://www.ideastraining.com/PDFs/OSX_FontManagement.pdf
Also, you may want to put your fonts into /Users/Username/Library/Fonts for them to be seen, or place them into the application's font folder (Adobe program's font folder). This way, you don't have to have Suitcase (although I still use X1, which doesn't see or use Windows Type1 fonts, so I still have to do the above workarounds at times I get those fonts on a Mac job with Mac fonts also).

Color Management:
Like has been said, use the same dongle and a Mac version of the GretagMacbeth software you use to make profiles. Other than that, it's the same as on Microsoft Windows. As you most likely previously did, assume sRGB IEC61966-2.1 for untagged RGB (such as Office-built jobs that you can make PDF/X-1a from with PDFMaker plugin for Office).

Legacy files:
VMware Fusion or Parallels to run Windows in virtualization on your Mac and not have any problems and just work like you're used to working and not have to do the above, or open the old legacy jobs in a Mac version. InDesign shouldn't be a problem. Don't know about Pagemaker.

Don
 
Re: Switching from PC to Mac

The +Font Management on Mac OSX+ thread in this forum has helped me a *lot*. (As you can see by my posts!) Read that before just believing PrepressDog's post.
 
Re: Switching from PC to Mac

PrepressDog, you've got to be kidding about opening Pagemaker files into InDesign, right? May work for those that build their own jobs that they print themselves in-house, but for a regular prepress person, the files need to be worked on in the same program they were created in (some would argue the exact same version of the creating software). Not to be a stick in the mud about it, but one thing that scares me as a prepress person is introducing error that wasn't there, and translating a document from one program to another surely opens the door to that possibility (and if one has to "reformat" anything, has type rewrap, or elements that are missing or in the wrong place, this all is bad news to any prepress person).

Don
 
Re: Switching from PC to Mac

"Open your old pagemaker files in Indy. You'll have some reformatting to do."



Exactly what we don't want to do, even though we do all our own work in-house (see Don's reply) because of having hundreds of files in 45-50 languages. We'd have to check each one after reformatting.

I've considered a macro or some method of opening the Pagemaker files and printing postscript and distilling that for archiving for reprinting later. Won't help any with future edits if needed, but that doesn't happen very often, if a book had to be extensively edited, we would probably pull it into Indesign and reformat at that point.

Thanks to all, lots to learn I think!
Terry

Edited by: Prepper on Sep 19, 2007 11:47 AM
 

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