Font issues with placed PDFs using ID CS4/CS5/Snow Leopard

[ratintrap]

I have to ask what the head office does with your files? I thought you made the files for the printer? I can guarantee that if those files display OK for you using ACrobat on OS 10.5.8 that they will display fine in Acrobat 9 on OS 10.6.x. I will also guarantee that if it is the printer have those kinds of problems that they have an older RIP. If that is the case there isn't much you can do about it and you might need to revert to older file formats but I would revert to making PDF X1a files before reverting back to EPS's. Unless the printer has a RIP so archaic it won't do anything with a PDF I would not want to go down the EPS path.

Have I mentioned  ?

Here's what happened. The company that we used to hire out to do our printing bought the paper I work at, hence the "head office" references. We are still making PDFs of our page layouts and FTPing them like we used to when we hired the printing out. The problem isn't really directly affecting us at this time (we're using 10.5) but they want us to adopt the EPS practice for consistency's sake and also because our salespeople do sell ads into the free shopper type papers that the head office publishes. We compose those ads and FTP them to the head office.

The RIP must be able to handle PDFs since that is what we've been sending them for several years. I'll look into the PDF X1a suggestion, hopefully they are open to looking into other (better) options.

[ratintrap]

Good point. Your workflow's different to most of us, rat. Who in the foodchain is first experiencing this?   :undecided:

I'm not sure if the problem crops up when they are making the PDFs of their finished page layouts or after that point.

[Joe]

Good point. Your workflow's different to most of us, rat. Who in the foodchain is first experiencing this?   :undecided:

I'm not sure if the problem crops up when they are making the PDFs of their finished page layouts or after that point.

So does that mean you do not do the final page layout for the newspaper? You are just doing the ads, sending them to the head office, and they are doing the layout for the paper?

Here, our newspaper people create the ads in Indy, make the PDF's and later place them into the full page layout. It works here...

One suggestion that could help since it's a font issue is to NOT subset fonts but to fully embed them.

[frailer]

So, a Head Office PICNIC problem, by the sounds.  Problem In Chair, Not In Computer. Sounds like it's back to the SL/haven't-sorted-fonts scenario, then.    :undecided:

[Joe]

So, a Head Office PICNIC problem, by the sounds.  Problem In Chair, Not In Computer. Sounds like it's back to the SL/haven't-sorted-fonts scenario, then.    :undecided:

Were I rich man I'd bet money it's because they don't know what they are doing at the head office. But I'm not. So I won't. :laugh:

[ratintrap]

If that is the case there isn't much you can do about it and you might need to revert to older file formats but I would revert to making PDF X1a files before reverting back to EPS's.

Are you thinking PDF X1a would be good because the fonts must be embedded and there is no transparency allowed (plus no other extraneous gobbledygook)? The settings we're using do embed the fonts and save the file as PDF v 1.4. Would that be pretty close to PDF X1a anyway? I'm not sure they're using PDF v 1.4 at the head office (we are at DCS's recommendation).

[ratintrap]

So does that mean you do not do the final page layout for the newspaper? You are just doing the ads, sending them to the head office, and they are doing the layout for the paper?

Here, our newspaper people create the ads in Indy, make the PDF's and later place them into the full page layout. It works here...

One suggestion that could help since it's a font issue is to NOT subset fonts but to fully embed them.

The head office publishes several free shopper type papers that are paginated there. We do a paper that has much more news content that readers have to buy a subscription to get. We do the ads and finished page layouts and send PDFs of the page layouts to the head office for printing. Our salespeople sell ads into all the publications so the ads that they sell into the free shoppers (only a few for now) need to be sent to the head office in a format that they can use in their page layouts (EPS :undecided:).

Does that clear things up?

[ratintrap]

So does that mean you do not do the final page layout for the newspaper? You are just doing the ads, sending them to the head office, and they are doing the layout for the paper?

Here, our newspaper people create the ads in Indy, make the PDF's and later place them into the full page layout. It works here...

One suggestion that could help since it's a font issue is to NOT subset fonts but to fully embed them.

The head office publishes several free shopper type papers that are paginated there. We do a paper that has much more news content that readers have to buy a subscription to get. We do the ads and finished page layouts and send PDFs of the page layouts to the head office for printing. Our salespeople sell ads into all the publications so the ads that they sell into the free shoppers (only a few for now) need to be sent to the head office in a format that they can use in their page layouts (EPS :undecided:).

Does that clear things up?

[ratintrap]

Something funny happened there. :shocked:

[Joe]

So does that mean you do not do the final page layout for the newspaper? You are just doing the ads, sending them to the head office, and they are doing the layout for the paper?

Here, our newspaper people create the ads in Indy, make the PDF's and later place them into the full page layout. It works here...

One suggestion that could help since it's a font issue is to NOT subset fonts but to fully embed them.

The head office publishes several free shopper type papers that are paginated there. We do a paper that has much more news content that readers have to buy a subscription to get. We do the ads and finished page layouts and send PDFs of the page layouts to the head office for printing. Our salespeople sell ads into all the publications so the ads that they sell into the free shoppers (only a few for now) need to be sent to the head office in a format that they can use in their page layouts (EPS :undecided:).

Does that clear things up?

So, if I understand, your publication in which you do the whole thing does not have any issues. It's only when they use your ads to place in their publications that they have problems? Have they considered looking in the mirror for the source of the problem?

[Joe]

If that is the case there isn't much you can do about it and you might need to revert to older file formats but I would revert to making PDF X1a files before reverting back to EPS's.

Are you thinking PDF X1a would be good because the fonts must be embedded and there is no transparency allowed (plus no other extraneous gobbledygook)? The settings we're using do embed the fonts and save the file as PDF v 1.4. Would that be pretty close to PDF X1a anyway? I'm not sure they're using PDF v 1.4 at the head office (we are at DCS's recommendation).

PDFX1a is stricter in making a PDF. For example, it will fail if there are RGB images or fonts not embedded and it can't have transparency. It might not be allowed to have spot colors either but I don't remember offhand. But if they at the head office are using CS5 and you are using CS4 and the printer has a RIP that can handle PDF's with transparency everyone should be using PDF X4a. Font issues are just that. Font issues. If anyone is using old type one fonts that might have become corrupt or missing printer fonts or crappy true type fonts...yada yada yada...then you will continue to have font problems barring moving back to OS 9 and PageMaker. Even then, if I remember correctly, we still had font issues.

[frailer]

Even then, if I remember correctly, we still had font issues.   XXXX

   You missed the     at the end. That's OK; an easy omission.    :cheesy:

I don't suppose, rat, they'd have any idea what font that is, where they're getting Integration symbols'n'dingbats? Can you get a copy of such a PDF? We could...ahem...have a look.   :undecided:

[Joe]

Yes, thank you,. I'm still kind of flustered by the whole "buy a Ferrari, drive the Ford Focus to try to pick up chicks logic". :shocked:

[Joe]

Even then, if I remember correctly, we still had font issues.   XXXX

   You missed the     at the end. That's OK; an easy omission.    :cheesy:

I don't suppose, rat, they'd have any idea what font that is, where they're getting Integration symbols'n'dingbats? Can you get a copy of such a PDF? We could...ahem...have a look.   :undecided:

You sir, will never make in upper management.

[frailer]

You sir, will never make in upper management.

Very true. Worked that one out at a very young age.   :laugh:

Rat, who's 'running' their Minis? Y'know, taking care of updates/maintenance etc... Ok, silly question; I retract.