Tech Tips

Making PDFs Work for You

By Tania Edghill
May 2004

Nowadays, more and more printers are asking magazine, journal and newspaper production managers to submit advertisements in a PDF format. While many ads are now being received and submitted this way, some people are still puzzled by PDFs. Read below to find out more about PDFs and how you can create files that are trouble-free and “printer-friendly.”

What Are PDF files?

PDF is an acronym for Portable Document File. A PDF is a document created in programs such as QuarkXpress, InDesign, PageMaker, and MS Word that is converted to a special coded file. While MS Word files are frequently used to create PDFs, Paul Bellis, Electronic Prepress Technical Support Leader at Fry Communications, Inc., in Mechanicsburg, PA, does not recommend that they are used as a design tool or that they are used to create PDFs. “The main problem that we see is that it has trouble embedding fonts,” he explains.

The Benefits of PDFs

Prior to the PDF revolution, an advertiser would create his or her ad using a desktop publishing program such as PageMaker or QuarkXpress. When sending the ad to the magazine production manager, the designer had to include all fonts and graphics used in the document in a separate folder. With a PDF everything is embedded, so only one file needs to be sent to the printer.

There are other benefits to PDFs. “A PDF file is a compressed file. So, if you’re transmitting files electronically, you can have faster transmission times,” says Bellis. Since fonts and images are embedded in the document, the production manager and printer do not have to worry about missing fonts and graphics. “Another benefit is that fonts and images are embedded right into the file, so you don’t have reflow. What you see in the PDF is what is printed.”

Also, PDFs are easier to store than large application files, since their file sizes are low. Additionally, PDFs can be opened in a Macintosh or Windows-based PC platform through Adobe Acrobat, regardless of what fonts and software programs were used to create the original document.

Common PDF Problems

While PDFs are generally quite easy to create and use, there are some common problems that are frequently encountered. The most common PDF problems are: 1) fonts are not embedded in the document; 2) hi-resolution images are converted to low resolution (i.e., 72 dpi); and 3) colors are converted to RGB. For print shops that run 4-color (i.e., CMYK) presses, this can be a major problem. Bellis says the reason they see 4-color process black is because the settings in Distiller automatically change all colors in a file to RGB. Then when the file is output at the printer anything that is RGB is converted to CMYK, creating a 4-color process black. To avoid this problem, check your Distiller settings and turn off the option for “Change Colors to RGB.”

How to Create Good PDFs?

Bellis recommends that PDFs should be created using postscript files and Distiller rather than through the application program to avoid any problems. To create a PDF from a document created in QuarkXpress, for example, select “Print” from the “File” menu. In the “File Destination” box, select “File” instead of “Printer.” Save your file to the hard drive, desktop, network folder or anywhere else you prefer. This will create a postscript file. Once the postscript file is saved, launch Distiller. From the “File” menu in Distiller, click on “Open.” By opening the postscript file, a PDF will be automatically created.

Before creating your PDF, Bellis suggests you check and custom edit your Distiller settings. This will ensure that your images are at least 300 dpi, all of your fonts are embedded, and colors are converted to the proper color space (i.e., CMYK versus RGB).

Checking for Embedded Fonts

Before sending an ad to a magazine production manager, check your PDF to see if all of the fonts are embedded in the document. To do this, check the document properties for “Fonts” listed under the “File” menu in Distiller. All of the fonts used in the document will be listed. If the font is embedded in the document, you will see “Embedded” or “Embedded Subset” next to the font name. If you don’t see this, something went wrong when creating the PDF. To correct the problem, go to “Job Options” in Distiller. Check the box for “Embed all fonts.” This will ensure that all fonts are embedded to the postscript file. ◙

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