Extracting Pages

[Jason_Pleakis@adobeforums.com]

I'm using Acrobat Professional 7.0.5

My problem is this, I'm creating a catalog in InDesign CS2, with individual page files, but using a book, and exporting the entire catalog at once into a single file. Our printing company has requested that we send files in Acrobat 4 (Ver 1.3) format for optimum compatibility with their process.

I can export the PDF in version 1.3 just fine, but the printer also must have each page file as in individual PDF, no problem there, I use Document->Extract Pages to break the catalog into individual PDF pages, But the problem I'm Running into is that the individual pages files are being saved with version 1.6 formatting, which sometimes causes black boxes to be drawn underneath items with a drop shadow and of course, compatability issues with the process our printer uses.

Is there a setting or way to specify that when pages are extracted from a multi-page document that acrobat will preserve the version that the input file is specified as?

Thanks

[Steve_Werner@adobeforums.com]

This is probably not the answer you want to hear, but you really should look for another printer. Anyone who asks someone to jump through all these hoops is in the wrong business. Many printers would have no problems at all with your InDesign CS PDF files without going through all that.

[Jason_Pleakis@adobeforums.com]

I agree with you that It would be easier on my end to be able to upload a single file, and I've got no doubt they have the ability to break up a multi-page PDF document, I think the main reason behind having separate PDF files for each page is due to the fact that we transmit all pages electronically, and If you send a 160-page PDF in full color press quality, it may be around a gigabyte or more, and should it get corrupted in transmit, the entire file must be resent, so I've got to agree with them there.

As far as requiring us to send pages in PDF version 1.3 only, I disagree with them, they might be using older hardware/software that doesn't recognize higher up versions, so they are probably just in need of hardware/software upgrade. This is something I'll communicate to my representative at the printing company.

But I'm still curious as to if there is possibly a hidden option somewhere to keep the original file's PDF version intact, as we sometimes face problems from pages that print black boxes around items that are drop shadowed, mainly because our office printer doesn't recognize the higher versions of PDFs. Which I'm guessing it too is in need of a hardware/software upgrade.

Thanks

[Mark_Larsen@adobeforums.com]

Jason, Im not much of an ID user but I would be looking for a script to export each page as PDF with numbering and the options to flatten the transparency as will be required to go back to 1.3 I know plenty of these exist for Quark i use them all the time and i am sure they must for ID too. Steve's advice would be the best option if possible

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

Forgetting the pdf 1.3, live transparency, flattening issues for now ...

Your print provider is obviously not aware of the PDF versioning behind
the file content. If you did create a PDF 1.3 file and then extracted
from Acrobat 7 - it will indeed convert to a PDF 1.6 file. However, it's
only the shell of the PDF - not the content.

You might want to look at the PDF Optimiser under the ADVANCED menu of
Acrobat 7 Professional. This can be tuned to just downversion the PDF file.

Or - if you wish for automation, you can also incorporate the BATCH
PROCESSING command also under the ADVANCED menu of Acrobat Professional.

If your printer is PDF savvy they should be able to accept your PDFs
as-is and then downversion whilst running through THEIR preflight system
(such as Enfocus Pitstop Server or other workflow tool) - so they're
causing you work!

Cheers!

Jon