Film from MS Pub - help please

[Jim Wood]

Having trouble trying to find someone in Calif. who can make film positives
for silkscreening from Publisher PNG files. This is an ongoing problem, it
seems. I also tried making a PostScript printer file using the MS 'generic'
PS printer driver, but can't open it with Adobe Illustrator, for instance.
Is this a possible workaround if I can get it right? What is the solution.
Desperate!

 

[Mary Sauer]

This might help
http://mspublisher.saltmine.com/printerSearch.aspx

Adobe has postscript drivers for downloading.
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html#Printer

These articles address commercial printing.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/CH062524641033.aspx

 

[Jim Wood]

Thanks, Mary,

I took a look at the three articles, but I'm still confused. I am
really 'at sea' with regard to this.
Adobe will allow me to download a printer driver for Windows, but the
driver needs a PDD file peculiar to the output printer. My problem is that I
have no idea what the printer will be, that will depend on whom I can find to
make my film output. I was hoping for some sort of 'generic' driver that
could print to a PostScript or other file to be read by almost any image
setter out there.
It would appear that I can create a PostScript output, but when I try
to pull it into Adobe Illustrator, for instance, I get the error message that
Illustrator cannot 'parse' the PostScript file. Thus nothing appears on the
screen. I don't know Illustrator well enough to know what this means. (I
bought a used copy of Illustrator to try to replace Publisher, but it's just
too different and can't do some of the things I need as easily as Publisher
can.)
The other option is to print to a PDF from Publisher. I'm not using an
Adobe PDF creator, but another (much less expensive!) program from the UK
that seems to work really well. I can create the PDF, then use Adobe Reader
to open it. The conversion appears flawless, even blown up to 1000%. But
finding a service bureau that can work from a PDF seems as difficult as
finding one that can work from Publisher's PNG.
Any words of wisdom you might lend would be much appreciated. I hate
to think of having to purchase and learn another program, but if Publisher
continues to be the underdog of this genre, I may have to. Your comments are
very welcome.

Thanks again,

Jim Wood

 

[Mary Sauer]

I am positive someone will come along and help you more than I can.
Most commercial printers will accept PDF files.
The commercial printing articles on the Office site are very good. You don't
need to know what printer a commercial printshop is using if you use the generic
postscript drivers.
Some good advice here.
http://www.prepressure.com/index.htm

 

[Jim Wood]

Thanks again, Mary,

Actually, your first link from the other day set my mind at ease. It was
that list of printers who accept Publisher files, and one of the first on the
list, not more than 5 blocks from here, said "no problem." We discussed the
issue for a bit and he seems very knowledgable. If he was in the 'A's on the
list, there must be scores of printers who can make film from PNG files. My
problem before was looking for 'service bureaus,' which, themselves, are
getting as scarce as the proverbial hen's teeth. But most printers have
image setting equipment now (hence the disappearance of service bureaus!), so
the field is wider than I had imagined.

You are a great resource, many thanks for taking the time to help us all.

Jim

 

[Mary Sauer]

Glad to help, Jim, thanks for posting back your success. It is very much
appreciated. Good luck.