Prepressforums.com

geozinger · #1 (**permalink**) 03-16-2007, 10:36 AM

Greetings,

A co-worker has been having an issue with 6.5.

She is on a PPC Mac 1.25GHz, 2GB RAM, OS 10.3.9, Quark 6.5.

What she is doing is importing advertisements saved as PDF files into a layout for a theater program. The theater program is always the same number of pages, and frequently the same ads, but in different positions, occasionally. The ads are stored offline, but placed on the hard drive of the Mac used and then update to create the latest version of the program.

When updating links, the PDF's will occasionally not update and Quark will display a message: "The PDF file "xxxxx.pfd" cannot be imported because security permissions are set, or it is password protected."

However, none of these PDF's have passwords or security on them (as we have used them before). The workaround has been to go into Preferences and delete the PDFfilter.prf files. Then it will update the same PDF's that just were moments ago password protected.

She can continue on doing this for about maybe 20-30 files, then the same message appears. Delete the PDF filter pref again, and back to work. We use a PDF pre-press workflow, and the resulting PDF's from this Quark file seem to process with no issues.

How do we fix this?

Thanks in advance,

born2print · #2 (**permalink**) 03-16-2007, 10:51 AM

Are you "stuck" with Quark as your assembly vehicle?
InDesign has proven to have a better flow with imported PDFs...
Adobe with Adobe you know.

we3dumys · #3 (**permalink**) 03-16-2007, 11:00 AM

I ran into this problem myself once, and spent about 3 hours on the phone with Quark tech support before they told me this is a known bug in Quark Xpress. Apparently some types of PDF files can corrupt the whole PDF import/export part of 6.5. The guy on the phone told me he didn't know exactly what caused it, but to fix it, you just had to delete the 'jaws' folder in the Quark application folder.

In my case I narrowed it down to 3 Photoshop PDF files that were causing the problem- although I have heard that InDesign PDF's can cause this too. Just to warn you; You probably can't print the placed PDF files either- you will just get the low-res proxy you use to create the layouts.

I would try re-Distilling all of the PDF files you get to avoid this problem. Also make sure that all of you PDF files that are gettting placed in to 6.5 have no transparency and are PDF v1.3 compliant. Quark 6.5 just doesn't play nice with PDF files.

Have you looked at upgrading to Quark 7? It handles PDFs better than 6.5, supposedly.

geozinger · #4 (**permalink**) 03-16-2007, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by born2print

Are you "stuck" with Quark as your assembly vehicle?
InDesign has proven to have a better flow with imported PDFs...
Adobe with Adobe you know.

It's well known that Quark doesn't play
well with PDF's, although Q7 seems better
than previous versions.

But Indy+PDF's has hosed me on
occasion, too.

In my shop, I let the operators use
whatever they're comfortable with.
In this case, she prefers Quark, plus
this is an old file, originally created
back in the Quark 3 days.

For now, this will stay with Quark. Unless
we can convince the client to pay for
a total re-design...

almaink · #5 (**permalink**) 03-16-2007, 11:14 AM

If you must use Quack, convert those PDF's to eps files and your troubles will go away.

geozinger · #6 (**permalink**) 03-16-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by we3dumys

I ran into this problem myself once, and spent about 3 hours on the phone with Quark tech support before they told me this is a known bug in Quark Xpress. Apparently some types of PDF files can corrupt the whole PDF import/export part of 6.5. The guy on the phone told me he didn't know exactly what caused it, but to fix it, you just had to delete the 'jaws' folder in the Quark application folder.

In my case I narrowed it down to 3 Photoshop PDF files that were causing the problem- although I have heard that InDesign PDF's can cause this too. Just to warn you; You probably can't print the placed PDF files either- you will just get the low-res proxy you use to create the layouts.

I would try re-Distilling all of the PDF files you get to avoid this problem. Also make sure that all of you PDF files that are gettting placed in to 6.5 have no transparency and are PDF v1.3 compliant. Quark 6.5 just doesn't play nice with PDF files.

Have you looked at upgrading to Quark 7? It handles PDFs better than 6.5, supposedly.

we3dumys, thanks for the info!

When she first brought the problem to me,
I figured this was some sort of bug.

After I posted this, she told me that she
gave up on the first method of working
around the problem and made .EPS file
from the updated Quark files (instead of
PDF files). I wasn't aware that she changed
tactics. (She works evenings, I'm here
during the day) Also, I neglected to note
that we DID delete the jaws folder during
all of our troubleshooting, and the only thing
that seemed effective was to delete the PDF
filter prefs file.

Nonetheless, your information is GREATLY
appreciated and I will pass it along to my
co-worker. Lots of good advice in there.
This is part of the reason why I like this
message board so much.

BTW, I have 3 Quicksilver Macs that I want
to replace with 23 inch iMacs. At that time, I
want to upgrade everyone else to Quark 7.
In my working with 7, I noticed that it handles
imported PDF's much better than the older
versions. Not perfect, but really, none of them are...

geozinger · #7 (**permalink**) 03-16-2007, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by almaink

If you must use Quack, convert those PDF's to eps files and your troubles will go away.

I hear you...

We will prolly update later this year
to Quark 7 all around...

I'm just trying to figure out how to
weasel out a bunch of new iMacs
(in addition to software) from ownership...

THAT's what I really need advice on...

beermonster · #8 (**permalink**) 03-22-2007, 07:59 AM

as a service provider you need to have the latest most up to date in order to process files from designers. One out of date software equals one out of date pre-press department - and thats not good.

thats pretty much my stock answer when asked why i need new kit and software and stuff......i dont necessarily think its true - but its my answer....

i'll have to go quack 7 now - first desighner wanted to send quak7 file - i asked for quack 6.........so i guess it's upgrade hell for me.......

oh joy

born2print · #9 (**permalink**) 03-22-2007, 08:56 AM

I just want to say, for the record, that going to Quark 7 has not been painfull, I personally like it better than 6.5 (or 6)

geozinger · #10 (**permalink**) 03-22-2007, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by born2print

I just want to say, for the record, that going to Quark 7 has not been painfull, I personally like it better than 6.5 (or 6)

Quark 7 has been a pretty good transition for me, too.

6.5 still is giving us issues, but it'll be great when we update everything...