PDF file to printer not acceptable

**samrc** · 11 September 2006, 07:35 PM

I created the product label in XARA Xtreme about a week and a half ago, sent it to the printer in pdf format, went on vacation and while I was gone, the printer contacted my boss.

Printer quoted him 6-8 hours of computer layout time PLUS the cost of the plates, etc. Said that since the file was sent to him as a PDF instead of AI he had to start from scratch. BAH HUMBUG!

Printer is full of bull. I opened the PDF file in Illustrator and it came in perfectly! I told my boss and he called the bluff. Printer backed off a bit, reducing labor to only 2 hours work.

Any advice (other than change printers) for dealing with these type folks? I MUCH prefer XARA's interface to Illustrator's and would like to avoid this situation in the future and avoid working in Illustrator if possible too.

**AntonyF** · 11 September 2006, 10:39 PM

It'd be interesting to know how they justified that work, what they said needed to be done. But if you have Illustrator, you could always import the PDF into it then re-export as AI. You shouldn't have to do that of course, but because PDF is such a widely accepted standard. It'd be interesting to know what issues they have with it.

**gwpriester** · 11 September 2006, 10:53 PM

Some printers are not only incompentent, they are jerks and worse, crooks.

I wonder how much they would have charged you if you sent them an AI file?

They are probably using an antique version of Illustrator because all newer versions of Illustrator use PDF as the native file format.

Arrrrrrg!

Gary

**samrc** · 12 September 2006, 02:24 AM

I have AI at home, Xara at home and work. Was going on vacation and didn't think twice about sending a PDF document. If I were in town I could have imported the PDF and exported as ai from illustrator but I was not near the software so that was not an option.

We received the PROOF printing from the printer today. EXACTLY IDENTICAL to my earlier work, including a slight wobble in one line that I had forgotten to smooth (looks fine and everyone else thought I intended it)... So it just proved that the printer WAS able to read in the PDF doc and used it complete.

Right now I am more irritated with my boss than the printer. When I showed him the wobble on the original work and on the proof he tried to tell me that it looked the same but maybe they made the same type wobble in the graphic on purpose. He will not accept that the printer he has used for years and years is trying to overcharge him on the layout portion of the costs.

Can lead a horse to water but can not make him drink.

This is the first time WE submitted artwork instead of commissioning them to create something. I expect the printer didn't like the fact that we did our own design work...

**AntonyF** · 12 September 2006, 08:14 AM

Can you shop around samrc? I've moved printing company for Xara more than once, and found better value and better service. It's a buyer's market.

**alepacca** · 12 September 2006, 01:25 PM

In Xara export your image in Tiff format - 300 dpi - CMYK color depth.

Import your image in Scribus (http://www.scribus.net/) Open source desktop publisher and make your perfect PDF/X3 file.

This is a preflight verifier of Adobe Acrobat 7 pro of a PDF made in scribus...

**alepacca** · 12 September 2006, 01:34 PM

Ah, you can have always with you your scribus software...

http://www.winpenpack.com/main/index...tatili/Ufficio

Here you can find a portable version that you can copy in you USB pen drive

**remi** · 12 September 2006, 07:35 PM

Hi alepacca,

I wouldn't recommend to download Scribus or other free software from a different server, as the original server - you'll never know, what you get. The original source for Scribus is http://www.scribus.net/.

Regards,
Remi

**gwpriester** · 12 September 2006, 09:22 PM

In Xara export your image in Tiff format - 300 dpi - CMYK color depth.

Alepacca

I do not understand?

If you export a CMYK TIFF image, why create a PDF/X file? You can just send the CMYK TIFF file to a printing company or magazine.

A PDF/X file can have both vector and bitmap images. So, if you have type and some vector objects, these remain vectors. For text this is important because the text will be more defined (sharper) if it is in outlines (vector).

Workbook 47 - Creating a PDF/X File explains how to create a bitmap image to "flatten" the transparency, but at the same time, keep vector objects as vector objects.

Gary

**alepacca** · 13 September 2006, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by gwpriester

If you export a CMYK TIFF image, why create a PDF/X file?

If you see the image, there is a tiff file and some text... I made picture in Xara and text is made in scribus.

@ remi - Thank you, but I think the portable software is OK!