Prepressforums.com - Framemaker on PC to pdf with mixed results RGB ect help pls

Akuma · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2006, 07:59 AM

I am tryin to produce pdfs out of Framemaker on PC and they are all coming out RGB with very heavy half tones. Anyone got any tips on how to produce a clean pdf from Framemaker on a PC .

jimking · #2 (**permalink**) 07-02-2006, 07:25 AM

I've never worked with Framemaker but I would think the graphics are already rgb. If you are able to produce a pdf, get Pitstop. It will allow you to edit the graphics in the pdf using Photoshop and illustrator through Pitstop.

mattbeals · #3 (**permalink**) 07-02-2006, 09:22 AM

Well, PitStop won't let you use PhotoShop or Illustrator. That functionality is already built in. PitStop is the best way though, I do agree with that. Of course I'm a trainer for it and I sell it so I would inherently agree!

But as Jim said yes, PitStop will help fix the RGB problems you are or will be running into. Depending on the nature of the job some action lists, or one even, can clean that puppy up and get it ready for press. The "heavy" halftones are a bit more of a conumdrum. We can certainly make them grayscale and use a ICC profile to help "open" them up. But there's no real programatic way to adjust them. That would have to be done using the touch-up object tool in Acrobat and PhotoShop.

jimking · #4 (**permalink**) 07-02-2006, 12:05 PM

Mattbeals, in Pitstop I select the (I don't have Pitstop in front of me now) I thinks it's called the "edit item tool" select the graphic and it will open either PS or Illy depending on its creator and then adjust the graphic and save back into the pdf. I've done it a few times. Or maybe it's a Pitstop or 3rd party plugin? Or maybe I'm confusing Acrobat 7 pro features with Pitstop that we have bundled together. It works great.

mattbeals · #5 (**permalink**) 07-02-2006, 01:10 PM

Confusing tools. There is a touch-up object tool that Acrobat has built in. You set the preferences for which image editor and vector editor to use. Once those are set the tool works and will open a image in PhotoShop or other object in Illustrator.

PitStop Pro has no such facilities in the Enfocus Library or any other part of the program. PitStop Pro does have facilities though for editing and creating vector objects. They are simplistic but functional tools. Meaning you don't have all the editing of bezier curves and shapes like in Illustrator with its "fancy, shmancy doo-dads". But the tools themselves in PitStop are functional. I liken it to an earlier version of Illustrator. Not what we're used to now, but still very functional. I rather like it that way; simple and effective...

jimking · #6 (**permalink**) 07-02-2006, 02:07 PM

I got it. Hell all the tools are laid out side by side. Thanks.

Akuma · #7 (**permalink**) 07-03-2006, 02:07 PM

I am more interested in getting a clean pdf out from the beginning rather than fixing them after the are created.

mattbeals · #8 (**permalink**) 07-03-2006, 02:11 PM

Not really going to happen...

To a certain degree yes it can be done. But that depends on the settings used in the print dialogue box, the printer settings, Distiller settings, PDF Export settings etc.

You're not going to bullet proof the document straight out of FrameMaker.

TimS · #9 (**permalink**) 07-04-2006, 07:46 AM

Framemaker is usually quite good at making pdfs. What do your halftones look like in photoshop before exporting.

voodochille · #10 (**permalink**) 11-30-2006, 03:25 PM

I know this is a little late, but hopefully will help you in the future. The best thing you can do with it is make sure all of the placed images are eps files. Framemaker wants to convert everything to RGB when you create a composite PS file. By saving the images as eps files Framemaker can't convert them to RGB and they Distill nicely as CMYK or Greyscale. All you have to do then is convert the vector objects to cmyk or grey using pitstop.