Publisher files_preferred type?

[Joe]

You need to just get MS Publisher. They give you a sticker to put in your window that you are a "Microsoft Publisher Output Provider"! How sweet is that???!!! (Actually the latest version is not too bad but it still puts some weird stuff in it that a lot RIPS don't particularly care for) Microsoft does have print service provider that they give printers a free copy but I don't know if it extends to Oz.

[frailer]

Whew! That was exhausting. Now finished the Beginner's Course in Press Quality Printing from MSPub. And I haven't even left the barriers.
I'd just lurv one o' those stickers...there's room on the rear window of the ute [pickup]. 

[EyeTech]

Hey Joe, we have one of those stickers, the one that reads 'Bring us your Publisher files',
underneath we've put, '...and we'll charge you double!'

[Joe]

Hey Joe, we have one of those stickers, the one that reads 'Bring us your Publisher files',
underneath we've put, '...and we'll charge you double!'

They won't let me put ours up! LOL

[frailer]

OK, we're a few months down the track; Pub2ID now selling, as distinct from beta. We've had the job 1st mentioned in this post with the gas barely flickerin' on the back-burner, but now suddenly "urgent".
Anyone got/used Pub2ID in the past coupla months? May just get it anyway, cos I think it may pay for itself on this job alone. [$US199]. Be glad of any in-the-field experience.

[EyeTech]

Well it really depends on what's in the file - 1st off get a hard copy from your client so you know how crappy it has to loof. Wordart doesn't translate well if at all. Text frames translate with inset. But those issue aside the plugin seems to do the job. Can't you get a trial version?

[frailer]

Had a beta trial in Oct....already. Reckon at $199, may just get it. Would pay for itself pretty quick if it did a halfway reasonable job. Just fishing for any recent goods or bads... :undecided:

[DCurry]

Save yourself $199 and just learn to work with Publisher - it ain't that bad once you get to know where things are. I'll take it over Word any day. As soon as you introduce a translation to another app, any problems with it now fall under your responsibility.

The most important things to know about it are to change the color setup first by going under Tools>Commercial Printing Tools>Color Printing... Chances are it will be set up as RGB, but you can change it to process, or process plus spot, or whatever you need. Sometimes, if you are changing it to 2 spot colors for instance, you may have to inspect the document against the hard copy and change the colors of some items to what they should be, but that's easy, too.

Then, when it comes time to print to a postscript file (that's what I do so I can Distill it into a nice PDF), just make sure to go into the Advanced Print Settings (it is lower left on the Print dialog) and choose Composite CMYK for your output type (even if you are using Spots).

Easy as pie and works like a charm!

[almaink]

I bought the plugin and have been using it now for about a month, It does a great job as far as conversions go. only real issue so far is if the Pub file's measurements are in Picas. It will open in Indy in Inches to the Pica numbers. First time this happened I was shocked but once I opened the file in Pub itself and re-saved using inches it opened fine. In fact this is a job I've been getting in as PDF for over 3 years now, and fighting with in Acrobat using Pit Stop. Being able to open in Indy and edit from there was a Godsend. DCurry Pub question for you, how do you change Publishers tints into real tints? The main issue I had with Pub files was the tints were all made up of thousands of pieces and where very hard to select in the PDF's generated by Publisher. They come in correctly when opened in Indy tho.

[Lucius]

just get pdf color convert from callas. makes it much easier.

[DCurry]

DCurry Pub question for you, how do you change Publishers tints into real tints?

Easy - just select the object go up to the little paint bucket icon to change the fill color. If it is a spot color, there are also tint swatches you can pick. (See image.)

You can also right-click on the object and choose Format AutoShape and chane tints in the dialog that pops up, along with lots of other things like position.

The key for me is to get everything squared away in Publisher first, that way I don't require any PitStop tricks at all.

[almaink]

I think it's those tints that cause the problems but not sure. Next time I'm on the winders box I'll have a look.
Thanks

[DCurry]

Are you sure you're not thinking of Transparency? Yes, Publisher has transparency (under the Format AutoShape options). I think what it does is if you tell it to make something 50% transparent, it makes a little checkerboard pattern where every other square is full strength, but the others are empty. I will concede that it doesn't work well, but tints (not transparency) have never been a problem at all.