Quote from: tuff_gong on April 29, 2010, 03:12:15 PMhttp://www.markzware.com/pub2id/

We have Pub2ID here, and it's not bad. The name of the game is to use it primarily to get your fonts sorted. Then worry about placing/adjusting images in ID yourself. Pretty much a 2 step operatiion. But at least you're gettting fonts...and a folder with images. Then you's outa Injun territory, and you feel a bit safer.    :azn:
If you were going to get a lot of Pub files, Pub2ID is not expensive. Could pay for itself quickly, gnub.

Oh, while I'm here...you uninstalled Suitcase XI yet?     :laugh:

For God's sake do NOT let Publisher convert it to CMYK. If you have to send me the RGB PDF to convert to CMYK then fine. But don't use the Commercial Printing Tools to convert to CMYK. I'll post a link in a few that shows the separation tables for perceptual, relative and saturation for the SWOP profile Office uses versus SWOP v2. It's a pretty scary looking separation.

Make a PostScript file and Distill with joboptions that do NOT convert to CMYK (use "high quality print"). Export a PDF using the Microsoft PDF/XPS plug-in for "Commercial quality" (that doesn't have anything to the Commercial Printing Tools and converting to CMYK). Use the Acrobat PDF Maker plug-in for Office using the "high quality print" settings.

Send it to me if you have to... Hell, even use Acrobat Pro 9 to make the conversion if you have to.

I just want to reiterate. IF (note: that's a big "if") the Publisher file was started (hence read created) in CMYK before the first element was layed on the page, then and only then would it be okay to export the .ps directly to .pdf. Since NO ONE in the free world knows how to do this, always export the .pdf RGB and convert in RIP or PitStop.

If the Publisher file has been created and set to CMYK in Commercial Printing Tools then the damage is already done. You can't export from PostScript to PDF. Using Commercial Printing Tools to reconvert the Publisher file to RGB so that you can later "fix" in Acrobat or PitStop is a waste of time. You've already spec'ed the color in CMYK (a bad version of CMYK). You will then be "converting" those bad CMYK values back into RGB. Leave it RGB so there aren't any extra conversions in Publisher. Take the original RGB in Publisher and convert in Acrobat/PitStop/Callas. Take the original CMYK in Publisher and fix the original CMYK in Acrobat/PitStop/Callas. But don't convert *BACK* to RGB. The damage is already done.

Quote from: mattbeals on April 30, 2010, 08:37:01 AMIf the Publisher file has been created and set to CMYK in Commercial Printing Tools then the damage is already done. You can't export from PostScript to PDF. Using Commercial Printing Tools to reconvert the Publisher file to RGB so that you can later "fix" in Acrobat or PitStop is a waste of time. You've already spec'ed the color in CMYK (a bad version of CMYK). You will then be "converting" those bad CMYK values back into RGB. Leave it RGB so there aren't any extra conversions in Publisher. Take the original RGB in Publisher and convert in Acrobat/PitStop/Callas. Take the original CMYK in Publisher and fix the original CMYK in Acrobat/PitStop/Callas. But don't convert *BACK* to RGB. The damage is already done.

Ok, lesson learned. I spoke with the client last night and told her to convert the colors to CMYK. I'm in for a treat today.

I just launched Publisher for the first time since 2004. I feel dirty.

The RGB that Publisher uses is not conventional RGB. It's it's own separate deal, even different from other MS Office products. When a file was created using Publisher that began in CMYK before the first element is placed/typed, I think we've had good experiences with it. If it ever begins in RGB mode, NEVER convert it in Publisher. Not even 2-color, spot color, or Pantone work. It will just do crazy, weird stuff (as you've read in countless previous posts). I've seen "2-color" setup in Commercial Printing Tools convert blue to red and that kind of thing. I've also seen it knock out white squares around placed CMYK vector Illustrator art and I've seen it knock out white boxes around placed raster art set with clipping paths. It's a horrible, horrible product.

Back in the day, I spent mucho time on the hone with MS tech support, stumping the reps about issues with Publisher.

Our policy now is to pdf whatever we get from Publisher, and let Rampage convert it. We fix all bleed issues in Pitstop, and whatever the customer gets is what they get. If they complain, we literally tell them it's a Publisher file and it's not professional and that's the best we can do.

The last file I got was a week ago. The customer did not collect the file, so all I got was a .pub file with no images and no fonts. They also supplied a .pdf with no bleeds. I pulled the bleeds in PitStop, but it still wouldn't RIP. I had to rasterize the pdf in PhotoShop and save as a .pdf. It had black type that didn't overprint or trap as a result, and came off the press with a white halo. Oh well - that's what they get for using Publisher.

If I ever have to rasterize in photoshop, I always delete the type first, open that copy in PS and rasterize, then I copy the type from the first pdf and paste into the rasterized file. That way the type stays vector and still traps correctly.

When I opened this Pub file, all the type was totally tracked out. I saw character spacing was set to "Very Loose". Appropriate considering what the brochure is for (I can't say here)  :embarrassed:

I had to go through and adjust tracking and font size for every text box. WHY???

Because Publisher SUCKS?

Quote from: gnubler on April 30, 2010, 09:53:04 AM....I had to go through and adjust tracking and font size for every text box. WHY???

Because you are a professional, and that software doesn't like your kind.....

Quote from: determined on April 30, 2010, 09:51:31 AMIf I ever have to rasterize in photoshop, I always delete the type first, open that copy in PS and rasterize, then I copy the type from the first pdf and paste into the rasterized file. That way the type stays vector and still traps correctly.

Yeah, well, I didn't care. I don't encourage Publisher, and I don't want to do any extra work to help them out. If it looks like crap, maybe they won't do it again.

Let me know how that works out for you.   :grin:

Quite well, actually. Customer admitted it was $h!+, and thanked us for the "extra efforts" required to turn their job. Vowed never to use Publisher again.

he shoots and scores!

I have a well spoken and attentive owner, who is also our sales rep. He's smart.

a) he doesn't let me speak to customers unless it is absolutely necessary; they won't want to hear what I have to say

b) he doesn't always get the info right, but he does listen when i present an issue with a customer's files

c) he does his best to educate the customer, and if they are unwilling to accept responsibility for their crap, he lets them know about additional charges that will be incurred until they decide to care enough about their crap to make it not crap

d) he can tell a customer that they suck in a funny enough way that it comes off as charming; he also does this when he tells them that their art sucks - i've literally heard him question a regular customer on the level of their own stupidity