saving as pdf reduces drop shadow to 200 ppi?

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

I need to process a fractional ad we received from a client, to place into a layout. For some reason whenever I save it as eps it's converting their drop shadows to 199 ppi. (Their original is at least 260 ppi, because it doesn't show up in our flight check.) I can't find any setting that would do this. I've tried it both with "Apply Output Preview Settings" checked and with it unchecked. The settings are all set to high resolution, and a minimum of 300 ppi for all flattening.

What's going on? Where is the setting hidden that's causing this to downsample to 200 ppi?

(I know the officially sanctioned Adobe process would be to just import the pdf, but we have problems about 50% of the time that way, which never show up when we use eps files. In this case, the imported pdf causes us to crash when we try to process our final pages into pdf for the printer, so we can't use it as is.)

[Jon Bessant]

Is this an Acrobat question?

How is the PDF being created - InDesign, PDF Library, Distiller and then
EPS from Acrobat or ??

Jon

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

I have no idea how the pdf was created. As mentioned, the file was received from an advertiser.

Yes, it's an Acrobat question. I suppose I didn't specify, I just assumed that by posting in the Acrobat forum that would be obvious! The file was received as a pdf. I need to import it into a layout, and since the pdf won't work, I'm saving as encapsulated postscript (which we do for about 2-3 dozen ads every issue, and never have problems, typically).

There are workarounds to get a useful file, but I'm wondering what's going on in Acrobat.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

The drop shadow was probably transparency. If you insist on saving to
EPS the transparency must be flattened. Check the quality setting for
transparency flattening.

Aandi Inston

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

And... there is no guaranteed minimum resolution for transparency
flattening if the programmer felt it didn't need higher.

Aandi Inston

[Jon Bessant]

The modern way of working is to keep content live (as a PDF and NOT as
an EPS) and then placing this into InDesign. At least you can then
either send the live transparency to the print provider or flatten the
spreads just ONCE as opposed to each and every file.

Aandi's remarks are correct - check the SETTINGS part of the EPS save if
you need to convert to EPS ... the transparency flattener can be found
there ...

Jon

PS - your header states 'saving as PDF' hence my question about your
question

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

Oops. I meant "saving as eps..."

Yes, the settings for save as encapsulated postscript only give the option of "high resolution" for flattening. That's the setting I used, and I also have tried it both ways of trying to match or ignore the "Apply output Preview Settings" function, which ought also to effect the final eps. It doesn't seem to make any difference. I can't figure out why their original file flightchecks fine, but the resulting eps, which isn't supposed to be changing enything, doesn't.

As far as I know I haven't fiddled with any settings lately, so I'm not sure why this one ad is doing this. We process hundreds of ads this way and this is a first. I'm worried I may have accidentally changed a setting I'm not aware of, but the ones you mention are still fine. Could something be hidden somewhere else?

(I know Adobe considers the modern way of working is to use the pdf, but I honestly find it hard to imagine that anyone who works that way hasn't noticed that about 20-30% of files used this way cause problems, at least when you have no control whatever over who makes the pdf files or how they produce them. The problems arise when attempting to import their pdf into another layout, or when making a press-ready eps from that layout. If I could make all the pdf files myself I'm sure I could fine tune the process, but when we get these from dozens of sources at various levels of competence, it's far faster and easier just to convert their work to eps first.)

[Jon Bessant]

I assume you're using Quark then ;-)

Are you preflighting these PDFs to ascertain the initial resolution
settings prior to placing into the EPS blender?

Jon

[Laura_M.@adobeforums.com]

Just to clarify something...if you are referring to the setting I think you are, the "Apply Output Preview Settings" option in the print dialog is for printing of proofs using simulation profiles (as well as simulating black ink and paper color). Because it's meant to simulate appearance, it's not meant for final output (and doesn't determine output settings for transparency, ie resolution, raster/vector setting, etc)