How do you check PDF resolution?

[prescottdesign@adobeforums.com]

Sorry, I'm new, but how do you check? I have CS2. Someone suggested using the object touch up tool, but what do I use it for? Thanks.

[Steve_Werner@adobeforums.com]

PDF files don't have a resolution. However, they may have images embedded which DO have a resolution. Use the Preflight tool in Acrobat 7 Professional (Tools > Print Production > Preflight), and choose a preflight profile which checks resolution, or edit a profile to match your requirements.

[prescottdesign@adobeforums.com]

Ok, so if someone sends me a PDF I want to use to design in another application, I don't have to worry if it's high-res enough for a printing press?

[Steve_Werner@adobeforums.com]

If you want to place a PDF in your design with just just type and vector graphics, you don't need to worry about resolution. If it contained an image, you could use Preflight to check it. Or, for a single image in a PDF, you might choose the image with the TouchUp Object tool, open it into Photoshop to check resolution.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

You definitely should worry, and use Preflight - that's what it's
for.

Aandi Inston

[de_Siem@adobeforums.com]

Someone should write a FAQ on this question.

[prescottdesign@adobeforums.com]

You guys are so helpful, thanks. So if I have this correctly, text and vector can go in any design and will keep their crispness, regardless of how low-res the PDF that was sent to me is? It's only the photos I need to check, which I can do with Preflight or by using the Touch-up Object tool to drag it into Photoshop (or do you just use it to copy it?)?

And here's a for instance. The place I work with insists that for the workflow, no PDFs go directly into InDesign. I must first put them in Photoshop, save as psd, eps or tiff, then place them into InDesign. If I've done my due diligence on checking the photos before I do this, then I should have no problems opening the PDF in Photoshop at 266 dpi (assuming the photos met the 250 check on Preflight), right? I hope that made sense, and thank you to all of you for your help.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

> then I should have no problems opening the PDF in Photoshop at 266 dpi (assuming the photos met the 250 check on Preflight), right?

Well, the photos won't suffer, but the text will be terrible. You need
to run at 600 dpi as a bare minimum for text. Frankly, this policy
makes no sense.

Aandi Inston

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

... and what about colour space / font embedding / line weights /
overprints / OPI etc., etc.... ???

Preflight is built into Acrobat 6 and 7 Professional ...

Jon

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

de_Siem ...

jeez - April seems a long way away now .......

Jon

[prescottdesign@adobeforums.com]

When I send it back to PDF, I'm exporting at 266 dpi, so how would I can I run at 600 dpi? Sorry, I'm new at this.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

When you open in Photoshop, you get to choose the resolution. If the
page contains ANY text, choose at least 600 dpi there, and save the
(enormous) TIFF or EPS file.

Aandi Inston

[de_Siem@adobeforums.com]

Jon, what was in April? I remember I started smoking again can't remember the reason why! Must have been something hectic. ;)

[Brian_Hinther@adobeforums.com]

And by the way, how can your employer be smart enough to use InDesign, yet dumb enough to rasterize PDFs as a matter of course?

Don't your color pages wind up with 4-color black text? And doesn't your printer complain about trying to keep that text in register?

Two of the great things about PDFs are that they allow text to print at the imagesetter's resolution, and black text stays 100% K.

If PDFs have been a problem, educate your suppliers on what you need and learn to preflight!

[Russell_Goodman@adobeforums.com]

"And here's a for instance. The place I work with insists that for the workflow, no PDFs go directly into InDesign. I must first put them in Photoshop, save as psd, eps or tiff, then place them into InDesign."

That is the most ludicrous workflow I ever heard of. What if the PDF has only vector art and type. Why should you rasterize it and lose it's quality AND increase the size of the file you are placing.

[prescottdesign@adobeforums.com]

It's not an employer that has these rules. I don't want to reveal names, but they are a corporation whose franchises send them art for printing. I freelance for a franchise owner. They have a lot of scripts and settings they want have us use, and these seem to prevent the registration black problem. It it does come up, they have a workflow for that too.

They also have a rule about exporting from InDesign then importing that PDF (made with their settings) into InDesign. Can anyone think of a problem that could result from that? Many of the pieces have small, simple maps. I find it easier to build them this way.

And Aandi, or whoever knows, can I set it at 600 dpi and still keep the text looking good if I'm simply exporting it to PDF at 266? And would you only use TIFF or EPS or would PSD be okay too?
You guys are great.

[MikeKazlow@adobeforums.com]

Your text should be kept as text, not outlined nor converted to raster
images, since you are using a pdf-workflow. All graphics where possible
should be vector graphics and not raster image. So again resolution
here should not be an issue. For raster images, TIFF or PSD should be
ok, but resolution used should depend upon the final use of the files.
DPI for posters, newspapers and glossy magazines will not be the same.
You can check the dpi of the raster images used by using Acrobat
Preflight.

Mike