Making a PDF

[gary_v_plant@adobeforums.com]

When any software creates a PDF, does the software itself create the PDF or does Adobe make the PDF? If Distiller is set the same for all the software, the PDF should be the same no matter what software, is that correct?

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

>When any software creates a PDF, does the software itself create the PDF or does Adobe make the PDF?

Could be either. Most products don't make a PDF. Let's look at some
that do. Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign,
CorelDRAW - these can directly write a PDF, they do not use Distiller.
But Adobe PageMaker, Adobe FrameMaker - these have PDF export, but
that uses Distiller.

> If Distiller is set the same for all the software, the PDF should be the same no matter what software, is that correct?

The term "the same" here worries me. Obviously all PDFs contain
different contents; and all PDFs, no matter what software makes them,
have to be valid PDFs. So...what is the real point behind the
question?


Aandi Inston

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

Maybe the question is .. are some PDF generators better than others?

If so then this is a valid point.

I would rather trust InDesignCS PDF Library to create a good PDF file
than the built-in JAW PDF Engine for Quark 6.1 (not blaming Global
Graphics for this implementation though) ;-)

Jon

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

>Maybe the question is .. are some PDF generators better than others?

Again, the question has to be qualified - define "better"?

- produce smaller PDFs
- produce more colour accurate PDFs
- produce PDFs that work on the oldest software
- produce PDFs that work on the buggiest RIPs
- produce PDFs with highest quality images (by some measure)
- produce PDFs for which text extraction works best
- produce most interactive PDFs
- produce PDFs with the most exciting new features...?

Aandi Inston

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

Aandi

Yes - you are right about the phrase 'better' .....

However, some PDF generators lean themselves towards different ends of
the spectrum ... but then indeed, it is even then hard to gauge which is
the best (in general or for specifics) ;-)

Jon

[gary_v_plant@adobeforums.com]

When we use a PDF from Corel Draw, and place it on a Quark template, it errors at the rip. We know the PDF was run through the distiller. We set the distiller to our specifications

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

Yes .. but what version of Quark were you importing the PDF into ... if
Quark 4 or 5 then what version of the PDF-Filter Xtension and what was
the exact error at the RIP? And while we're at it - what is the
postscript version of the RIP?

Jon