Create a "Press-Ready" .pdf/.ps with Publisher.

[Pre-Press Supv.]

Im not a big fan of Publisher I'll say at the start.
But over the years of having to fight my way thru what should be simple
things, I have become somewhat used to it.
Anyway....

I have a 300MB Publisher file sent to us by a "Designer"!
They embedded all the images, and have it set up to print as CMYK.
Not too bad, but not great either.
Herein lies the problem....
Anytime we have tried to create a .ps/.prn/.pdf for use with our Xitron RIP,
going Direct to Plate, it ALWAYS messes up the black.
A simple color like 100% black, or even 0%C, 0%M, 0%Y, 100%K, comes out as a
low quality CMYK sorta but not quite rich black, with percentages like 32%C,
75%M, 12%Y, and 81%K. If it was coming out with 100%K, I could live with
that (The pressmen cry, but Id be happy with it).
It always looks like a dark grey, or a dirty light black on press.

I have tried countless different settings, different printer descriptions,
different .pdf settings, and none of them help.

Also, when I try to create a .ps file via the SAVE AS, it goes thru the
motions but no file is created. I have searched the entire computer, tried
saving the file in different folders throughout the computer, even to another
computer via our network, but it never shows up. Whats going?

Is there a simple way that Publisher will leave black as 100% black when
creating a .pdf/.ps/.prn file like good old reliable Quark??

OK, I'll get off my soapbox now, and get back to work, and get something
done using Quark.

 

[Mike Koewler]

Why not use a program such as QBOT or PitStop to change the color?

Mike

 

[Pre-Press Supv.]

Mike

The higher-ups wont spring the $600 for Pitstop, and QBOT only converts all
type to black. It wont convert rules, lines, fills, etc to 100%K.
Except this publisher file, has type in other colors.
If the type was all black throughout the form, I would have used QBOT.

I might have to pursude them to spring for Pitstop.

Thanks for the ideas tho.

Scott

 

[Brian Kvalheim [MSFT MVP]]

Im not a big fan of Publisher I'll say at the start.
But over the years of having to fight my way thru what should be
simple things, I have become somewhat used to it.
Anyway....

I have a 300MB Publisher file sent to us by a "Designer"!
They embedded all the images, and have it set up to print as CMYK.
Not too bad, but not great either.
Herein lies the problem....
Anytime we have tried to create a .ps/.prn/.pdf for use with our
Xitron RIP, going Direct to Plate, it ALWAYS messes up the black.
A simple color like 100% black, or even 0%C, 0%M, 0%Y, 100%K, comes
out as a low quality CMYK sorta but not quite rich black, with
percentages like 32%C, 75%M, 12%Y, and 81%K. If it was coming out
with 100%K, I could live with that (The pressmen cry, but Id be happy
with it).
It always looks like a dark grey, or a dirty light black on press.

I have tried countless different settings, different printer
descriptions, different .pdf settings, and none of them help.

Also, when I try to create a .ps file via the SAVE AS, it goes thru
the motions but no file is created. I have searched the entire
computer, tried saving the file in different folders throughout the
computer, even to another computer via our network, but it never
shows up. Whats going?

Is there a simple way that Publisher will leave black as 100% black
when creating a .pdf/.ps/.prn file like good old reliable Quark??

OK, I'll get off my soapbox now, and get back to work, and get
something done using Quark.

You using Publisher 2003? And if so, are you using Service Pack 1?

--
Brian Kvalheim
Microsoft Publisher MVP
http://www.publishermvps.com

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.

 

[Mac Townsend]

If your Xitron is a Harlequin, I'd keep the whole thing in RGB and let
the rip convert it. Does a much better job than Publisher's default
separations. I'd suspect that the Adobe Xitron rips also have the same
capabilities.

You will have to hunt through the options to find the correct place to
enter the specs you want. Hqn 5+ has a check box for make rgb back 100K.

OR (sometimes the 100K trick doesnt work for who knows why)

go to an rgb PDF then change the black in PitStop. (which is a must have
tool)

 

[Mac Townsend]

Well, you be screwed.

Basic tools are necessary. PDF editing has becoem the norm.

I've been in the prepress biz for 15 years. The idiots doing files today are
incapable of understanding what you ask for, or evcen of reading the simple
manual MS provides.

So you gotta fix it.

No choice.

Without a hammer, a carpenter is out of work. Your empoyer takes home X
tiomes more than my total revenue but I can get the output he can't.

There are other good pdf tools. but PitStop is the grand daddy and swiss
army knife. (you shoudl have worked with version 1! FUN)