🚀 go-pugleaf

The correct way of producing a PDF file from an application such as Quark XPress is NOT to print �to FILE� and then manually distill that file, but rather, to print directly to the �Acrobat Distiller� printer instance created by Acrobat when you install Acrobat.

By the way, there is no �Adobe PS Printer Driver� for Windows 2000. There is an installer provided by Adobe for the standard Windows 2000 PostScript printer driver that allows you to associate PPDs with the driver to create new �printer driver instances.� You (or your�tech�) did not need to install any new driver for your application, the PostScript driver, and Acrobat Distiller to work together properly assuming that you properly installed Acrobat.

The message you received from the driver is likely due to improperly keying in the full path and filename of the PostScript file you are trying to create.

- Dov

Just tried your suggestion and though it resolves the issue of maneuvering to a preferred folder, and I'm thankful for your advice that resulted in this improvement, there is a new issue.

By printing to the Acrobat Distiller printer instance instead of the Adobe PS Driver, a PDF results that is not high-res enough for high-end press output.

For instance, a logo which I reverified should be 396ppi comes out at 150. A background which should be 299 comes out at 149 (I'm preflighting the PDF using two different preflight apps to come to these conclusions).

I did it twice, the second time launching Distiller before attempting to make the PDF from Quark. That second time, I made sure Distiller was set to the "Press" job option.

Both times, from the Quark dialog box, we had everything specified for high-end printing (2400ppi; 175lpi, full-res TIF, etc.).

I'm wondering what we're missing here. Probably something simple but not immediately obvious?

Your low-resolution problem has nothing to do with use of the Acrobat Distiller printer driver instance not doing the correct thing, but rather, your settings for that driver instance. With Acrobat 5.0.x, the Distiller's settings for job options are overriden by those set by the driver. You must set the driver properties for the job options that you want as well. Set those for Press and your problems should be resolved.

- Dov

Right on the money! Many thanks. As I suspected, something easy but not obvious. Using Acrobat Distiller as the printer instead of the Adobe PS Driver worked fine once we changed the Distiller printer properties to "Press."

Also, you were correct in that when we tried to first direct a .ps file to a specific folder (for subsequent distilling to PDF) we had omitted a single hyphen in the path. Fixing that made that method work perfectly, too.

So now we have TWO methods that work. An embarrassment of riches!

When we were on Win98, Quark tech help as well as a number of our outsource print vendors, service bureaus, etc. convinced us that the "best" way to create a PDF, at least from from Quark, was the two-step method (create Postscript, then launch Distiller and make the PDF). Now that we're on Win2000Pro, is this advice obsolete? Is one method more likely to produce a better PDF than another? Just trying to understand before we set a different workflow in cement :).

Thanks in advance.

You are most welcome!

The method of printing directly to the Acrobat Distiller printer driver instance is effectively the same as manually creating PostScript �to File� using the Acrobat Distiller printer driver instance redirected �to File� and then invoking the Distiller to process that PostScript. The advantage is that of integration � �set it and forget it!�

In fact, the �advice� you got from others is obsolete for a number of years. The automated process is available on all versions of Windows (and for now, MacOS 9.x and earlier) and for all versions of Acrobat going back to 3.0! For Acrobat 3.0.x, the printer driver instance was called the �Distiller Assistant.� Obviously, in Acrobat 4.0x and in Acrobat 5.0.x, the integration is much better and is indeed the recommended method of production of PDF for applications that don't have real PDF export capabilities (Quark XPress does not; InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop do!)

- Dov