Distilling without a Postscript Printer

[Jodi_J@adobeforums.com]

I have the full version of Adobe Acrobat 7.0. At work we have a postscript printer and I'm able to select the Adobe CS Printer Description in the print dialog box in Quark to make a postscript file. At home, I have an inkjet printer and the Printer Description is grayed out. The only way I've been able to create a PDF at home in Quark has been buy going to File, Export Layout as PDF. However, when doing this, I'm not able to control whether it's a hi res or lo res PDF. I'm used to taking my postscript file and running it through distiller and selecting Print, Press, etc. I need to be able to do this at home and was wondering if I was doing something wrong and if there was a way around this???

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

You can make Postscript files through the Print menu.

Hit print.

When window comes up click on the Button PDF (create Pdf), and hold for the drop down menu. Now go to description (which I believe was written by a chimpanze) named "Make Poscript from PDF". (Its doing no such thing, it simple using the print information to generate a Postscript file.) This is X.4 and above.

In x.3.9 and bellow It written properly as: Output Options. Then click on check box and switch from PDF to Poscript. Choos a place to save your PDF.

See if that will work.

[Jodi_J@adobeforums.com]

This is from Quark?

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

Doesn't make a difference. This applies to any application. The Printer Window (and printer calls are at system level.

Just go to print as if you were going to print what you are working on.

[Mark_Larsen@adobeforums.com]

Jodi, you can control both the resolution and compression levels of the PDF through the JAWS pdf interpreter that Quark uses on export its the button "Options" in the dialog box.
You can also set a default for this in Quark preferences under PDF. That said I don't like to use it when I have Acrobat. Do not use export with the option to create postscript file for later distilling in the prefs it has some horrible bugs. Just use print dialog box and print to the neutral Adobe PDF.

[Jodi_J@adobeforums.com]

Mark-

I am familiar with the Options button when Exporting Layout as PDF. I have used that before. However, that typically produced extrememly large PDF files. If it's done the way I normally do it, by creating a postscript file and then using the Press Quality settings in Distiller to distill it, then it's still high res, but much much smaller.

What I'm used to doing at work is this:
Go to Print
Under the Setup tab, select Acrobat Distiller CS as my Printer Description
Click on the Printer button and change the selected printer to Adobe PDF 7.0
Click on the PDF button and select Save PDF as Postscript
Once the postscript file is created, I then distill it using the Press Quality setting in Distiller

I have been doing it this way forever and I've had no issues. This is what I do at work.

However, my initial question was whether or not I could do this without having a postscript printer. I have an inkjet at home and the only way I can figure out how to do a PDF at this point is by doing the Export Layout as PDF command. I was hoping I could create a PDF a different way.

[sws@adobeforums.com]

Jodi,

I haven't used Quark in years, but if you have Acrobat Pro and the Adobe PDF Printer, then you have a PostScript printer. If you have no "Print to File" selection in the Quark Print dialog, then you should be able to use pjones suggestion. Have you given his sugggestion a try yet?

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

That's what I tried to explain. I have never had a Postcript Printer in my Life. But I can make a Postscript file from my HP DeskJet 990cse. By doing the same as Jodi described. Only its through the Print menu that comes up from my Deskjet, not the PDF 7.0 Printer. I explained it twice and thought I had it almost word for word as Jodi described it. The only thing is I interjected a comment about Apple's describing Save PDF as Postscript file. when it wasn't doing any such thing. It was taking the printer information and creating a Postscript file from it directlyYour actually choosing a Printer Option to print as a Postscript file.

The more accurate way of describing what was happening is how the commands are for the print menu in X.3.9 and lower.

[Jodi_J@adobeforums.com]

Thanks for the feedback. I will try these options and see what happens. Happy Holidays!

[Jon Bessant]

The following guide might help:
[url]http://www.certitec.com/quark7.html[/url]

Now in the PRINT menu - hit PRINTER (bottom left) and then
10.3 - hit COPIES AND PAGES and then OUTPUT OPTIONS and select POSTSCRIPT
10.4 - hit SAVE PDF AS POSTSCRIPT

You can now drop the .ps file into Distiller with a bonafide Distiller
setting

Jon