problems with PDF files

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

At the advice recommended to me in the last question I posted, I upgraded to Adobe Acrobat 7.0 to hopefully "fix" a problem I was having when my recipients received the PDF's I distilled.

I work at home for a company that requires me to create PDF's for the purpose of proofs for the clients and then a finished composite PDF of the entire coupon book when we're ready to go to print.

I create my ads in Adobe Illustrator. Save an ai file for editing, and eps where I create outlines on the font and then I place the eps into Quark 5.0, save page as eps (to create my PDF from) and distill it in Acrobat Distiller.

I do have certain "settings" I have to use according to the corporate headquarters I go through. Problem is, when I distill the eps file created from Quark, on my end the PDF's look fine, but on the client's end the "I's" and the "L's" turn into a colon or something other than what the I or L should look like. Its VERY frustrating because on my screen the PDF looks fine. Any thoughts?

[MarkATS@adobeforums.com]

Is it their ouput that looks wrong ir just the display on screen?

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

If it looks wrong on their screen, the output is then wrong. If it looks fine on their screen, the output is fine.

Its not a consistent problem either. It picks and chooses, and its not always the same font involved.

[sws@adobeforums.com]

Are all of the fonts in the PDF embedded? You can check by going to File > Document Properties and clicking on the fonts tab.

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

Yes they are embedded.

However, since I'm creating outlines in Illustrator, thus making it artwork now instead of a font, embedding shouldn't even be an issue. Its no longer in font format.

I run a MacIntosh computer, the people viewing it all are on PC's. However, one gal that does this ad design with me, also uses a MacIntosh. Neither one of us has the problem. The PDF's view fine on our end.

[sws@adobeforums.com]

If all of the fonts are truly outlines then Acrobat Reader on a PC isn't going to change them to different glyphs. It isn't like the underlying glyph code is getting messed up. Its just art now. For instance, a vector line that looks like a box or a line (the upper case letter "I") isn't going to appear to be two circles (colon).

You can try saving from AI as a PDF. That should work fine. You might try your same trick of making the fonts outlines. I personally don't care for this approach because it can make the fonts appear blocky. (At least it used to years ago). Try saving to PDF from AI with and without the fonts converted to outlines and get one of the folks who have had problems viewing it to take a look at both new PDFs.

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

That's my thoughts... I have seen the files though as the client has done a screen capture and sent it to me. It takes the letters in question and turns it into two blocks (like a colon) one on top of the other. Or it appears bolder, sharper, etc. on their screen. I don't understand how it could change it.

[Mark_Larsen@adobeforums.com]

Michelle, I have seen this before and thought it was a fixed issue. Here is a link to this topic posted some time back at Quark's forum. Roberts comments are the ones you want to take a look at.
<http://www.quark.com/service/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10560&start=0>

If the case is that you are using dashed stroke path items have you tried using the transparency flattener on just these before saving to EPS for Quark. It was not suggested in the other thread but may be a work around to remove this effect before processing as PDF.

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

Ok, so if I'm reading this all right, I need to bring the coupon borders (dashed lines) to front? I'm not sure how to use the transparency flattener. I don't believe I've ever used it before.

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

Ok, I think I figured out how to flatten transparency. However, after I did this, I forced open the PDF I distilled after going through my normal process, and the I's still are stroked when you click on the individual letters instead of outlined with a fill color. (Hope that makes sense.)

[Mark_Larsen@adobeforums.com]

Michelle, if your design allows then robert's suggestion is to bring the dashes to the front. So that they are the last item in the stream. What I thought but had not tested was to remove all instances of this effect from the file by using the transparency flattener from the object menubar with vectors 100% convert all text to outlines & convert all strokes to outlines. The last of these will remove your dashes and make the dashed lines a series of rectangles. Another option may be to isolate the dashed items to a seperate file, this could also be tried if your dashes are in the middle of the design. Try 3 save as's the stufff below, the dashes & the stuff above. Place all 3 items in Quark. Other than this then Im all out of suggestions complain to Adobe TS and see if they have a work around. Or as last resort don't use this illustrator effect and use Quark's dashes to box border.

[Mark_Larsen@adobeforums.com]

Michelle, missed out anther alternative to dashes in illustrator you could also look into using a new "patten brush" to create the same effect as dashes and this actually works better as you get uniform corners. Again not had time to test any of these suggestions.

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

I meant to post last night that I think the problem is solved for now. At least I hope so. The other girl that helps me do design still only has Illustrator 10 and I use CS. So, we opted to try the trasparency flattener route. So far the one person who had the most problems when he received our files, is getting correct files now.

Thanks so much for all the help and suggestions!

[Mark_Larsen@adobeforums.com]

Glad to be of help, although this is an issue Adobe needs to fix IMO and you should let them know.

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

What's the best method in your opinion of contacting them?

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

They will just tell you the PDF Library was corrected under CS2 and
Acrobat 7 ....

Jon

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

Well, that's funny though as I am using CS2 and Acrobat 7 and still had the problems until using the flatten transparency option.

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

Just re-read your initial posting ....

I also thought this issue was overcome with CS2 and the Acrobat 7 library?

One last thing - are you in a position to test with InDesign and keeping
the .ai file native (.pdf format) whilst placing into InDesign?

Jon

[Michelle_L._Young@adobeforums.com]

No, I never updated my InDesign because most people I worked with did not use it. So I didn't really see much point. I use Illustrator, Photoshop and Quark. Then Acrobat to create my PDF's.

[Mark_Larsen@adobeforums.com]

Jon, michelle was advised by forum users to update to CS2 as for the Library fix. To be honest I thought it fixed this issue too. But it appears that the other issue with L's & I's where they become thicker may have been addressed but this one seems to have slipped the net that is why I thick the problem needs to be reported so it will make the list for the next release.