Printing Error with FM

[Bodvar Bjorgvinsson]

Hi Dov,

This is new to me, as it has been stressed on many occations that the
EPS should be saved as PS language level 3. Almost all my EPSs are.
Could this be the thing that is causing me all the trouble these days
(see message thread "FM Crash chapter 4 page 5")?

Regards,

Bodvar

On Wed, Jun 4, 2008 at 3:18 PM, Dov Isaacs <isaacs at adobe.com> wrote:
> .EPS files are "Encapsulated PostScript" containing a low resolution
> TIFF header and PostScript text. In the case of EPS saved from
> Illustrator, certain "private data" is stored in comments in the
> PostScript text from which Illustrator can properly "reopen" and "edit"
> the EPS files saved from Illustrator.
>
> If you are having problems with EPS files saved from Adobe Illustrator,
> check and make sure you are saving them as PostScript language level 2
> as opposed to PostScript language level 3. That is most likely the cause
> of your problems!
>
>        - Dov
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Tim Lewis [mailto:ltc.writer at comcast.net]
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 8:14 AM
>>
>> I have been referencing .eps files into the FM file. The reason I had been
>> printing directly from the FrameMaker document was because it is easy for me
>> to proofread a hard copy (a whole another issue) as I work on a document.
>>
>> From the excellent suggestions I've received, it looks like I should be
>> making a PDF and then print from that. However, it takes twice as long to
>> get a copy that I can proofread. Obviously, the finished document can be
>> printed from the PDF and that is what I always deliver to my clients.
>>
>> Dov mentions the .AI format. I've always saved as .EPS because that is what
>> I was told to do several years ago. Most of my illustrations are line art
>> and some .BMP files that I added callouts or edited in Illustrator. Frankly,
>> I do not know the difference between .AI and .EPS. The online Help does not
>> give me enough information. So, what is the difference and what should I be
>> using in my FrameMaker documents?
>>
>> Tim Lewis
>> Lewis Technical Communications, Inc.
>> ltc.writer at comcast.net
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Dov Isaacs [mailto:isaacs at adobe.com]
>> > Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 12:52 AM
>> > To: Tim Lewis; framers at lists.frameusers.com
>> > Subject: RE: Printing Error with FM
>> >
>> > What is not clear from your description is exactly WHAT you are
>> > referencing
>> > in your FrameMaker documents. If you are referencing a .AI file, you
>> > are in
>> > effect referencing a PDF 1.3 file; FrameMaker really knows nothing
>> > about
>> > the Illustrator document format but rather is able to convert the PDF
>> > inside
>> > a .AI file saved with the PDF compatibility option to EPS when
>> > importing;
>> > that's what really happens.
>> >
>> > Thus, what probably happened was the equivalent of placing an EPS file
>> > with
>> > PostScript 3 constructs into your FramMaker document. When you printed
>> > directly
>> > from FrameMaker, the PostScript 3 is what choked your printer. Of
>> > course,
>> > if you created PDF and printed from that (by the way, a much better
>> > solution
>> > in general than EVER printing directly from FrameMaker!!!!), as you
>> > found,
>> > Acrobat (or Reader) has the smarts to downgrade to PostScript language
>> > level 2
>> > constructs as necessary for your PostScript Level 2 device.
>> >
>> > Here are your alternatives:
>> >
>> > (1)     Continue what you are doing and always print from Acrobat or
>> > Reader
>> > instead of FrameMaker (not a bad choice in the general case -- this is
>> > something I personally do with most all applications these days! I get
>> > to
>> > see on-screen what I will print and do some cursory pre-flight to avoid
>> > wasted printing).
>> >
>> > (2)     Save your Illustrator documents as EPS language level 2 and
>> > import
>> > those into FrameMaker instead. This will pessimize things such as
>> > gradients,
>> > but otherwise you should be OK.
>> >
>> > (3)     There is a maker.ini setting for controlling the conversion of
>> > PDF
>> > to EPS (I don't have a reference with me for the exact setting). Change
>> > that
>> > to indicate PostScript language level 2 instead of 3 (ironically, I
>> > thought
>> > that the default for that was 2, not 3!)
>> >
>> > (4)     Go out and buy a new printer. If you are happy with the printer
>> > you
>> > currently have, this is the most ridiculous solution!
>> >
>> > Personally, I'd go with solution (1).
>> >
>> >         - Dov
>> <snip>
>>
>
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