Dumbing down PDFs

[Scott_Weichert@adobeforums.com]

So.. Acrobat 6 and 7 don't support Postscript level 1 apparently, just level 2 and 3.

However, I create PDFs for online members for them to download and print. I've currently got a 112 page PDF on line.

Many users are complaining that it simply stops printing at page 72. I've tested it with several colleagues in the building and determined that when printing to a postscript level 1 printer (HP 5M and other older HP series printers) it fails. Even printing a range of 70-90 it fails at page 72. I can find nothing special about page 72. It's similar to the previous 50 pages in the PDF. Simply text with an imported Illustrator EPS generated through Indesign CS (tried both export to PDF and print to postscript and distill, same result). On my Mac (OS10.4.1) I don't experience this problems it all. it's something to do with Windows and Postscript level 1 printers.

I have tried the Reader option to "Print as image" and for some, that works, for others it does not.

Is there any way to dumb down a PDF created on a Mac with Acrobat 7 Pro to work with postscript level 1 devices in a Windows environment?

Thanks

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

Was the original Document a Word Document,, if so?

Did the original document at page 72 have either a Page Beak or section Break?

If so you need to remove either from original document and use line returns to compensate.

MS swears its Adobes Fault and adobe swears its MS Fault. there is something about the code used by MS Office to insert section of Page breaks that gives Acrobat Fits. Since MS office has been around long before Acrobat was a glimmer in Adobe's eye. and MS hasn't changed this code well ...... you get the drift of where the thought is going.

The work around is not to use section or page breaks under any circumstances if you intend to create PDFs.

in a way your lucky many people suggest they are luck to get two pages to print if there are Page or section breaks.

I suggest a work around. Create two PDFs Part 1 up to page 72 and part 2 starting at 73 and beyond you may find that you'll have a split or stop after 73 if a section or page Break occurs.

I read and comment on the Office Mac Office word newsgroup. Something similar comes up similar to this frequently and the workarounds I have suggested come up also.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

The HP Laserjet 5M is a level 2 printer, so far as I can remember.

Are these users using the PostScript driver for the printer? This is
important: most Windows users, believe it or not, pay extra for
PostScript then do not install the drivers.

Aandi Inston

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

Aandi I'm going to ask a "Dunb question" according most here I give dumb answers, so I'll switch and ask a dumb Question.

I've never owned a Windows PC and the last time I worked on a PC full time (for the school system I retired from) There was no such thing as a Laser printer. every one was using Dot Matrix for everything DOS 3.1, windows 3.1.1, W 95. And when they finally hit the market they cost as much as a Family car to buy.

What is PCL I know its a type of Print driver used on Laser printers for PC's. IS it a Form of Postscript?

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

PCL isn't really a form of print driver, or maybe it is.

PCL is a printer language that a printer understands. In that sense,
it's like PostScript. Some printers understand both, but they are
completely different things.

Because high end HP Laserjets have both PostScript and PCL support,
that gives the Windows user the choice of two drivers to use.
(Sometimes more: there have been different versions of PCL inside the
same printer).

Unfortunately, many users only install the first driver they find.
This is understandable. Worse, many IT departments don't know squat
about this and don't install PostScript drivers. This is unforgivabe,
as they are paid to know these things.

Aandi Inston

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

Well that wouldn't be me. I tend to install everything. Example on my PowerBook 17" I installed Tiger all the Print Drivers all the languages, all the Fonts, X11 and all it components and even all the Xcode tools and components. So if I were installing I would have checked everything. Unless there was limited HD Drive Space. Then I would have opted for the Poscript over the PCL as I know more about Postscript. But That's me.

Thanks for answering my dumb question.

[Scott_Weichert@adobeforums.com]

It's an Indesign CS file originally. The printers are set up correctly on my Mac, when I print to them from Acrobat 6 or 7 I get an error page printed informing me that the printer supports Postscript level 1 and I need to reconfigure my drivers to support it. Well, uhmm.... the drivers are installed correctly. So I assumed logically that the printer was a postscript level one and since the Acrobat preferences only allow you to specify Level 2 or 3 I figured that's where the problem lies. I know the departments I've printed to are all using a network print server and it may not have the postscript drivers installed. I'm the only person in the company that is concerned with Postscript levels so generally I'm the only one insisting on good postscript drivers. Every one else prints from proprietary software or Word.

The real issue is John and Jane Doe at home. I can split the PDF but that's not user friendly. Page 72 is nothing special other than the 72nd page of the file. Not on a chapter or section break at all. In fact, it's the middle of a section and it prints fine on it's own or from my Mac to a known postscript level 2 printer and level 3 printer. We get calls that these PDFs stop at page 72. There are a billion variables I'm not aware of when considering every customer we have. I'm not about to go back to OS9 and Acrobat 4 (which worked perfectly as far as I know), that's not an option with the rest on my work. I know that every new release of Acrobat drops past support as expected. Is there a way to just create a bare bones PDF from Indesign->Export or postscript file->Distiller that will inherently contain the "Print as Image" option? Or not demand a postscript driver?

Thanks for the assist guys.

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

Don't be discouraged just yet someone might figure it out.

Have you tried opening the original file then when going to print menu; go to print options and choose save as Postscript file. Then have Distiller make the PDF.

Then send the pdf to two or three of the people you can guarantee the file will choke at p 72. Ask them to open and print and see what happens.

check back with result of test.

[Scott_Weichert@adobeforums.com]

I've done that pjonesCET.

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

Have you tried saving the file BWO SAVE AS and save as a slightly different file name. (add a 1 for example) Then create the PDF .

does that make a difference. Most application when you do just "SAVE", it just appends changes to the end of the file with pointers to desired location.

Doing save as takes this pointer information and actually inserts the info at the correct place then remove the pointer information after the the information is moved. It makes for a smaller more compact file but eliminates the ability to revert to an older version.

[MikeKazlow@adobeforums.com]

I'd bet that there may be some corruption on page 72. What happens if
you try to print from 73 on?

Mike

[Scott_Weichert@adobeforums.com]

I've tired a save as.. and printing pgs 60-75, 70-73, 73 onward. I've recreated and replace pg 72. Again, this all prints fine from a Mac or from a PC to a better printer. It's only some Windows user and an older printer combination.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

> So I assumed logically that the printer was a postscript level one and since the Acrobat preferences only allow you to specify Level 2 or 3 I figured that's where the problem lies.

This seems very logical. It may be that something else is affecting
you, which would only affect Macs printing to Windows print servers.

Windows NT print servers contain some software to allow Macs to print
to them. If they are set up in a particular way, without telling the
server that it is a PostScript printer, some very old level 1
PostScript software is used by Microsoft *on the server* to translate
to PCL. That isn't going to work, but it won't affect Windows users.

>
>The real issue is John and Jane Doe at home.

They won't see this problem, if it is as I describe it. Indeed,
virtually no home users have PostScript facilities AT ALL.

Stopping printing is a serious problem, of course, but I don't think
PostScript is your issue.

>Or not demand a postscript driver?

Acrobat never demands a PostScript driver.

Aandi Inston

[Scott_Weichert@adobeforums.com]

These are very high-end customers Aandi. I don't doubt the calls we are getting are from users with laser printers that are 5 to 10 years old.

Hmm.. this is a real stumper. :)

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

The important message here: there is nothing uniquely "smart" about
PDFs that needs "dumbing down". You have a particular problem (or your
customers do), not a general problem for which there is a general
solution. Yes, you might be able to resolve this specific problem
with a specific design change, but there's no "hit list" of things to
avoid.

Can you share a problem file on your web site or FTP site? The more
people that try it, the better idea we can get of the issue.

Aandi Inston

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

(P.S. If the problem shows up with a new file made from page 72,
that's definitely preferable, few people will want to waste 71 sheets
to get there).

Aandi Inston

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

I'm asking this to anyone that can answer.

If certain fonts were embeded. and those fonts are not on the machines that are acting up. Would that casue the problem?

[Scott_Weichert@adobeforums.com]

Good idea Aandi. I see about creating a PDF for testing.

pjonesCET, it can. That was one possibility I thought but since 71 pages print okay I ruled out out.

[MikeKazlow@adobeforums.com]

It could be that there is a graphic on the page that exceeds the
printer's memory. Old printers had little memory compared to modern
printers. They could try to print that page as an image.

Mike

[Graham_O_Connor@adobeforums.com]

You said you replaced page 72 with a new copy and it failed. Did you try it with the page 72 removed?