Freehand mx to Pdf (distill) to EPS level 2 fails

[Pat McGroin]

WE have found that with freehand 10 and MX ( unable to test on earlier versions
) on a OSX (10.2.8 and 10.3.x ) when we generate a pdf file via distiller (
6.01 and have had verbaly confirmed the same in 5 ) the pdf file when convered
back to EPS ( level 2 will fail to sperate correctly or failing at the rip's (
variuos rip manafactures but commanly harlaquin based ) nb Lvl 1 EPS files work
as expected.

this can be easly replicated by placeing the lvl 2 eps into layout app such as
indesign and printing seps to pdf.

result

%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%

(Warning: Job contains content that cannot be separated with on-host methods.
This content appears on the black plate, and knocks out all other plates.)
%%[ Error: rangecheck; OffendingCommand: imageDistiller; ErrorInfo: Decode
--nostringval-- ]%%

Stack:
-dict-
-mark-


%%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
%%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%

has anyone come across this before and or has a solution. We are soon having
to turn away users with freehand if this persists

regards

[Judy Arndt]

Does the file contain live text? If so, does the PDF print with correct
fonts? There have been a number of issues with FHMX and fonts being
incorrectly identified upon output. This could be the source of the error.
See this technote:
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/support/freehand/ts/documents/fhmx_emerging__issue[/url]
s.htm

What kind of file are you Distilling?
1. If an EPS, what kind of EPS and what setup?
2. If you are printing to a Postscript file, what printer and PPD is chosen
when you print the file?

Why the convoluted workflow? Why not just export the final EPS directly from
FH? Have you tried that, and does it work?

Judy Arndt

Pat McGroin wrote:

> WE have found that with freehand 10 and MX ( unable to test on earlier
> versions ) on a OSX (10.2.8 and 10.3.x ) when we generate a pdf file via
> distiller ( 6.01 and have had verbaly confirmed the same in 5 ) the pdf file
> when convered back to EPS ( level 2 will fail to sperate correctly or failing
> at the rip's ( variuos rip manafactures but commanly harlaquin based ) nb Lvl
> 1 EPS files work as expected.
>
> this can be easly replicated by placeing the lvl 2 eps into layout app such as
> indesign and printing seps to pdf.

[Pat McGroin]

the eps is made by the export function.
Result is the same if the type is converted to paths.
the reson for the pdf workflow is for transmission purposes as creation and
output is done at seperate sites.

[Rich Hudgins]

There are several flavors of EPS in the Export dialog (DCS-2, Mac,
MS-DOS, Quark, Photoshop 3, Photoshop 4/5). Which one are you using?

Pat McGroin wrote:

> the eps is made by the export function.
> Result is the same if the type is converted to paths.
> the reson for the pdf workflow is for transmission purposes as creation and
> output is done at seperate sites.
>
>
>