Office 2007 PDF Export

[neckbone]

I've been experimenting with Office 2007's PDF export and have found some things that are worth sharing.

Publisher gives you all of the options you need as far as font embedding, resolution, etc. However, depending on the file, you might use one of two methods:

1) Change the document color mode (to CMYK, spot, etc), then publish to PDF.

2) If you get the warning about transparent fills when changing the color mode, leave it in RGB. Publish to PDF and you'll get an RGB PDF with live transparency.

Word, Excel and Powerpoint are where the problems lie. There is no option for a press-quality PDF and there are no resolution controls. If you want all of the fonts embedded, you MUST check the PDF/A option.

Another problem with resolution is that, by default, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint all downsample and compress pictures when you save. You can turn this behavior off by following this procedure:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/he...2001033.aspx#5

Experimenting, I placed a 300 dpi picture into Word. When I used the PDF export, the picture wound up at 200 dpi in the PDF. When I printed to Distiller, the picture was 220 dpi in the PDF.

After turning off the compression "feature," I re-placed the picture. I still wound up with a 200 dpi picture when I exported, but printing to Distiller finally got me to 300 dpi.

What sucks is that the customers will have the compression/downsampling turned on by default. I just wonder how Microsoft came to the conclusion that 220 dpi was good enough.

[mattbeals]

Yup, that's basically the exact same experience I have had.

[maxpower]

ms are idiots.

Does the new version of word allow you to use spot colours in your job? I got a pdf file the other day that someone from word had made and it had spot colours in it, unless it had been put through pitstop first I was amazed.

[TimS]

Excellent info neckbone, thanks.

maxpower: you can get spot colours in word 2003 and earlier by placing an .eps and exporting pdf. Not sure about 2007, but its about time they built pms in to the regular colour choices.

[Joe]

Originally Posted by TimS

Excellent info neckbone, thanks.

maxpower: you can get spot colours in word 2003 and earlier by placing an .eps and exporting pdf. Not sure about 2007, but its about time they built pms in to the regular colour choices.

I don't know about that. It would be like letting a baby play with a loaded gun. I can see me getting a PDF with 8,000 spor colors, hexachrome included, and the dummies designing it would expect the web press to match their monitor colors printing on gray 30# recycled newsprint. :evil:

[guiyoforward]

hi there,

is there a way to stop this compression as default behavior in Powerpoint 2003? It's always there in save as, tools, picture compression, but it seems to default to those bloody 220 dpi! I was pasting high quality pictures that I intended to use for a book later on...

cheers

[Joe]

Using Publisher 2007...Export to PDF gives me a PDF, no problem. I open it in Acrobat 7.0.9, no problem. Grab the inspector tool for Pitstop 6.53 and it crashes Acrobat everytime as soon as I move the Inspector pointer anywhere over the PDF. Any ideas?

Edit: Okay, I did some more testing. It only crashes Acrobat 7. If I use Acrobat 6 along with PitStop 6.53 it doesn't crash? Tried deleting Acrobat 7 preferences but it still crashes it everytime I move the Pitstop Inspector pointer over the PDF.

[FaithMartin]

We have a new member over at the About GD forum who has informed us that with PowerPoint 2007 designers will never be needed again. :?

It's nice to know that some of us that are interested in outputting really good technical files aren't history quite yet.

Faith