On making PDFs…
For users of Adobe Creative Suite.
Required software: Adobe Distiller (It’s in your Acrobat folder) and (Pick one) PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign.
Step 1 - Prepare the File.
Remove all transparencies.
When I say transparency, that means all those cool Blending Modes, Opacity, etc… This will often force you to take many of these into Photoshop. Linking a flattened image into your InDesign/Illustrator file will result in the smallest PDF size and the fastest output. However, if you do not use a flattened image, ensure that there is a layer in the background of a solid opaque color. Ideally, a Background layer.
Make sure raster images are within 25% of the size they are being used at. I slack off at this all the time at work, but this will give the best results.
Clean up the pasteboard, removing images and text you are not using. Image frame edges and cropping to keep images inside the Bleed area or Artboard.
CMYK. If you are designing for Web, likely you are not making a PDF, so convert your images to CMYK. Or Grayscale.
Step 2 - Make the Postscript File.
PhotoShop
You cannot print a postscript out of PhotoShop, so instead, make sure that it is the size you want the PDF to be and save as EPS.
InDesign
Double check transparencies. If you find you *must* use transparencies, make sure that all text is on top of the transparency. You also are taking a risk that it will not print as you want it to. And you will have those little white ghost lines effecting the images.
Now, go to print the document. Under the Printer dropdown menu, select PostScript(R) File. Under PPD, find AdobePDF (# will equal the version you are running)
The settings should be:
General: As you wish
Setup:
Paper Size: Custom. (your document should be the right size)
Page Position: Centered
Marks and Bleed: As you need
Output: leave at default, or as you need.
Graphics:
Send Data: All
Color Management: leave at default, or as you need.
Advanced: If you are using transparencies, make sure to change the Preset to High Resolution.
Hit save.
Illustrator
Very similar to InDesign.
Print the document. Under the Printer dropdown menu, select PostScriptR File. Under PPD, find AdobePDF (# will equal the version you are running)
The settings should be:
General:
Media size: Custom (note, unlike InDesign, if you turn on printer’s marks, or change how you crop the artwork, you will need to select this afterwards to ensure you get the correct size) Or, you can input the size yourself.
Setup: As you wish
Marks & Bleeds: as you wish
Output: Default or as you need.
Graphics: Default or as you need.
Color Management: Default or as you need.
Advanced: under Preset, change to High Resolution if you are still employing transparencies.
Save the file.
Step 3 Adobe Distiller
If you are running CS3 or CS4, you will notice that this little program can put your files on an amazing diet without sacrificing appearances. Plus, if you made your PostScript file correctly, you can make a high res and low res pdf from the same file.
Open the program.
You can make your own settings, but the defaults I usually use are Standard and Press Quality. Very rarely do I need to use Smallest File Size now that CS3 and higher are out.
Standard is for anything going around the web and proofs, etc. It can be printed adequately, and looks great. Press Quality is for the printers.
Either drag the file into the blank box in the middle of the program, or use the File>Open dropdown menu to locate it.
......
And that’s how you make a PDF.
Required software: Adobe Distiller (It’s in your Acrobat folder) and (Pick one) PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign.
Step 1 - Prepare the File.
Remove all transparencies.
When I say transparency, that means all those cool Blending Modes, Opacity, etc… This will often force you to take many of these into Photoshop. Linking a flattened image into your InDesign/Illustrator file will result in the smallest PDF size and the fastest output. However, if you do not use a flattened image, ensure that there is a layer in the background of a solid opaque color. Ideally, a Background layer.
Make sure raster images are within 25% of the size they are being used at. I slack off at this all the time at work, but this will give the best results.
Clean up the pasteboard, removing images and text you are not using. Image frame edges and cropping to keep images inside the Bleed area or Artboard.
CMYK. If you are designing for Web, likely you are not making a PDF, so convert your images to CMYK. Or Grayscale.
Step 2 - Make the Postscript File.
PhotoShop
You cannot print a postscript out of PhotoShop, so instead, make sure that it is the size you want the PDF to be and save as EPS.
InDesign
Double check transparencies. If you find you *must* use transparencies, make sure that all text is on top of the transparency. You also are taking a risk that it will not print as you want it to. And you will have those little white ghost lines effecting the images.
Now, go to print the document. Under the Printer dropdown menu, select PostScript(R) File. Under PPD, find AdobePDF (# will equal the version you are running)
The settings should be:
General: As you wish
Setup:
Paper Size: Custom. (your document should be the right size)
Page Position: Centered
Marks and Bleed: As you need
Output: leave at default, or as you need.
Graphics:
Send Data: All
Color Management: leave at default, or as you need.
Advanced: If you are using transparencies, make sure to change the Preset to High Resolution.
Hit save.
Illustrator
Very similar to InDesign.
Print the document. Under the Printer dropdown menu, select PostScriptR File. Under PPD, find AdobePDF (# will equal the version you are running)
The settings should be:
General:
Media size: Custom (note, unlike InDesign, if you turn on printer’s marks, or change how you crop the artwork, you will need to select this afterwards to ensure you get the correct size) Or, you can input the size yourself.
Setup: As you wish
Marks & Bleeds: as you wish
Output: Default or as you need.
Graphics: Default or as you need.
Color Management: Default or as you need.
Advanced: under Preset, change to High Resolution if you are still employing transparencies.
Save the file.
Step 3 Adobe Distiller
If you are running CS3 or CS4, you will notice that this little program can put your files on an amazing diet without sacrificing appearances. Plus, if you made your PostScript file correctly, you can make a high res and low res pdf from the same file.
Open the program.
You can make your own settings, but the defaults I usually use are Standard and Press Quality. Very rarely do I need to use Smallest File Size now that CS3 and higher are out.
Standard is for anything going around the web and proofs, etc. It can be printed adequately, and looks great. Press Quality is for the printers.
Either drag the file into the blank box in the middle of the program, or use the File>Open dropdown menu to locate it.
......
And that’s how you make a PDF.