PDF headaches

[Dov Isaacs]

Jenny,

I DON'T disbelieve that you are seeing what you report. The question is
what is causing something that isn't supposed to happen.

If you were able to e-mail an example document with this problem (the background
problem, not the cross-reference problem) off-list (including the PNG
background and EPS over it pages), I'd love to see what's going on.

By the way, were you using the CMYK versus RGB settings?

	- Dov



> -----Original Message-----
> From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of
> Jenny Greenleaf
> Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 2:59 PM
> To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> Subject: Re: PDF headaches
> 
> Thanks, Dov,
> 
> Let me clarify:
> 
> I have an EPS file that has content without a background. It's an
> irregularly shaped object (a monitor). When I place the EPS image on a
> background (png), it appears as desired when I do Save As PDF.
> 
> If I PDF the same file by printing to the PDF printer, the irregularly
> shaped object is appears in a white rectangle, spoiling the effect.
> 
> I was quite happy with Save As PDF, even though people say they have
> trouble with it. If I could figure out why it suddenly started turning
> my cross-references into gibberish, I would stick with it.
> 
> I realize there should be no difference between the two methods.
> However, I have run these PDFs over and over again on the same files.
> I have used the same set of job options both with the Print to PDF and
> the Save As PDF. I was systematic and recorded the results in a
> notebook. I am not making this up!
> 
> I understand that you don't find the word "transparent" to be precise.
> I don't know what other word to use.
> 
> Jenny
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Jul 7, 2009, at 2:09 PM, Dov Isaacs wrote:
> 
> > Jenny,
> >
> > PostScript does NOT in any way support transparency. It is not part of
> > the PostScript imaging model. EPS is PostScript. There is no
> > "transparency"
> > in EPS because there is no transparency in PostScript.
> >
> > Perhaps you are referring to content without a background? That is not
> > transparency. Or perhaps you are referring to an image with a clipping
> > path such that some arbitrary shape of an image is on top of a clear
> > background? Again, that is not transparency.
> >
> > I am not trying to quibble here, but make sure that we are all using
> > the
> > same terminology. Conventional graphic arts terminology for
> > "transparent"
> > is to describe all non-opaque objects (which quite frankly, should
> > really
> > have been described as "translucent" - but I'm a dumb engineer, not an
> > English major and those who came up with the term "transparent" to
> > describe
> > non-opaque objects were probably not English majors either!).
> >
> > In terms of clipping paths or clear backgrounds behind either text
> > or vector
> > objects, there should be no difference whatsoever between creating
> > PDF via
> > "save as" or via printing to the "Adobe PDF" PostScript printer
> > driver instance
> > since in both cases, the EPS content is sent through into the output
> > PostScript
> > stream unmodified.
> >
> > 	- Dov
> >
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Jenny Greenleaf [mailto:jgreenleaf at mac.com]
> >> Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 2:00 PM
> >> To: Dov Isaacs
> >> Subject: Re: PDF headaches
> >>
> >> FrameMaker 9.0 will handle a graphic in EPS that has a transparent
> >> background. Really!
> >>
> >> Jenny
> >>
> >>
> >> On Jul 7, 2009, at 1:57 PM, Dov Isaacs wrote:
> >>
> >>> What do YOU mean by transparency? If you are talking about support
> >>> for non-opaque
> >>> objects, then with FrameMaker you are plain out of luck.
> >>> FrameMaker's imaging model,
> >>> unlike that of InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, does not
> >>> support anything other
> >>> than opaque objects. Or do you mean something totally different?!?
> >>>
> >>> 	- Dov
> >>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com
> >>>> ] On Behalf Of
> >>>> Jenny Greenleaf
> >>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 1:54 PM
> >>>> To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> >>>> Subject: PDF headaches
> >>>>
> >>>> FrameMaker 9.0 (all patches installed)
> >>>> Running in a Windows XP VM on a recent MacBook Pro (4 GB)
> >>>> Adobe Acrobat Pro Extended 9
> >>>> No additional external Frame tools or plugins
> >>>>
> >>>> I am having trouble PDF'ing my book and hope you can help. I am not
> >>>> an
> >>>> expert in either of these tools.
> >>>>
> >>>> When I print to the Adobe PDF printer, I do not get the
> >>>> transparency I
> >>>> need for the cover graphic.
> >>>> When I use Save As PDF, I get the transparency, but the first
> >>>> cross-
> >>>> reference in the mini-TOC at the beginning of each chapter is
> >>>> gibberish (random characters).
> >>>>
> >>>> I have tried both of these with Standard options and High-Quality
> >>>> print options, as well as a set of options that embeds the
> >>>> corporate
> >>>> font.
> >>>>
> >>>> If I have to, I can PDF the cover separately, but I would rather
> >>>> not.
> >>>>
> >>>> Any clues? Thanks in advance.
> >>>>
> >>>> Jenny
> >>>> Greenleaf Agency, LLC
> >>>> Portland, OR
> >
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