Converting Xara X doc to PDF

[ginger44]

I am not able to visit as often as I would wish, however, I did pick up the tip that there was an update for Acrobat 6, this has now been installed ( thank you for that ) and tested and frankly I see no difference at all. So I will as soon as I have a chance continue my look at alternatives. Perhaps some of the fault is mine ;-) some of the type is only 4pt but what annoys me is the inconsistancy, some is fine and some is not. Will try Ghost first as this one of the alternatives that I have not tried yet.

many thanks again for all the suggestions of help.

[Sheff]

I have tried acrobat and ghost and for some reason, my file will not print. Some files work, some do not. I gave up and exported a tiff that I converted to CMYK in Photoshop. I KNOW that works. I keep hoping that I could have a smooth pdf workflow with Xara, but I keep running into bumps in the road with some files. If I cannot reliably create pdfs with Xara everytime, I won't bother. I will stick with Tiff.

I really think that Xara should take care of these issues. I think if Xara wants to ever be taken seriously as a program suitable for printing then they need to take customer pdf issues into their own hands. If their customers still chose to export pdfs using 3rd party software, that should be their choice.

If indeed, it is my file that is the problem(which seems to be the case) I would like to see a definitive list of objects that cannot/should not be printed with Xara.

For example, Xara creates pdfs that are fine with vector shapes and text.

Sometimes, I have font issues, no problem, export as curves. But what about PNG's? What about PNG's with alpha? What about objects that use a bitmap as a transparency?

I think there is something in my file that is making the Xara choke as it tries to create a pdf. And this file also chokes distiller and pdf995. And from reading this thread, I'm not the only one who has this problem.

So, some object I have or strange page file size chokes any pdf creation software. I really don't have the time to figure out exactly what it is by process of elimination. Which is what it would take to figure it out. I have already wasted enough time trying to do this.

It does not bode well for Xara to have these constant threads about printing problems, but until we all have the same, consistent workflow for reliable pdf creation that works, these threads will go on.

I will gladly upload the file for anyone who wants to give a shot to converting to pdf for me. Maybe the problem is my system. I do know that I see errors in both distiller and ghost from this file. The Xara eps export is 9 megs.

The last post by ginger44 leads me to believe that my file might have a font size problem. I never would have guessed to look there as the culprit.

I really wish pdf creation problems could be resolved by a list of bad Xara objects to create. For the time being, that would have to suffice until the update.

Sheff
www.sheff.com

[Jackie]

Sheff, why don't you upload that file and give us a pointer to it? Maybe someone here can see what the problem is...

Jackie

[Sheff]

http://www.sheff.com/xara/

I've uploaded a file that has been giving me trouble.

I suspect it has to do with using a shape that has been filled with a PNG that has alpha transparency. This is what seems to choke distiller.

I've tried converting this to a bitmap with transparency and it seems to help distiller, but gsview is now choking on it. At some point I was able to export this file to EPS and convert it with Distiller. Subsequent attempts with various changes have been futile.

Below is some of the errors I get from GSView while trying to open a Xara X.eps file.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>This software comes with NO WARRANTY: see the file PUBLIC for details.
Displaying DSC file X:/Projects/Professional/invoices/2004/Spotlight Invoice 01.eps without pages
Error: /undefined in b.Lj8b4NJ
Operand stack:
--nostringval-- --nostringval--
Execution stack:
%interp_exit .runexec2 --nostringval-- --nostringval-- --nostringval-- 2 %stopped_push --nostringval-- --nostringval-- false 1 %stopped_push 1 3 %oparray_pop 1 3 %oparray_pop 1 3 %oparray_pop 1 3 %oparray_pop .runexec2 --nostringval-- --nostringval-- --nostringval-- 2 %stopped_push --nostringval--
Dictionary stack:
--dict:1116/1686(ro)(G)-- --dict:0/20(G)-- --dict:73/200(L)-- --dict:277/300(L)--
Current allocation mode is local
Last OS error: No such file or directory

--- Begin offending input ---
b.Lj8b4NJ)pZn]B0*Z^?5K`^Z,<f`p<]&cKkP5ddR7Be*d:@ddR7=d-^n9d-^n6bO#;-bO#;,aQro[b3T,[am9#)bj>D/bNo52cL1b9dI%">dd@+DfC&^Lf'`UKf^SsMfBrX:b2r\d[*J_fO/N%_I[C+IM5:3$T=k5e[aG/NaFEXNp56YgDh=Z-i"?Zd\@C[+"OF[FOgJ[F=UF]A)oW]\N/[^>AVb]\E&Y]A3#Y[Ft*NY1;t@U<N!)QcJClNPFQTK=^"AI'MQ/G-Bd'E3.mrDlMOmE2hXnE2_RmD5Q%fD5>ndBqX)YCSKJ^CnfS_FJ d^kHEc3*KslKg!/A)C!0+YN!04bR!0kC^!1Cmh!1Lmg!1h0m!1q?q!27X"!1(FS!2 @a%!2@a%!27Tt!0F_< !2%L!!1Cda!/Ii+!0"PG!0P[X!._<'!.M&s!-FgK!/7l=!.[Qg!/Ru6!0=kP!.h/g!04D9!/n/3!/[u5!.V)t!.[AhbQ*-ld/]!+fDq,Eh#O.firH%"jT)F.m/XB<lN"*6li=-1lN"!3l2[p0kl@^[joD6piW,I_huJbBg&QQ#eGsoke,Xuqdf=ose,Y9-ec:W5fDpl9f)UZ3ec:B[eGt#pdK"B]cN%jQblDCBaoGn5a8fP,`W0;[`;j,#J&;7hM890nLVEgjL:mRdJ[YVVI^B)KGc^s<G,bO2D5.[tCRkGgA=!9X@#k:H?&AV6:ji<l96^F]7WADN6#?TC5AC0>5]-QC6>uoH6ur>N7WnbV8U:@]8pgUa976dc976da97?jb8UCFY7X+nU7sP(R6?N8I6$!#E6%<tV[-Z^<[dE$@)*i3B)*i3B)aSQG*["`I*CP)O*^t;R*CFrL+@^VV+@g\W+%[2O+@^SU+%CJT,=ZnX,"HnY,=m.],Y*+[,Y<:^-VJjf-q\je.SkQp/Q7?'02[B&02mQ)0NNu02d;7A2I)7B3F%UF2-Pn<0N<]*0iWXV!%q&q!%LK^!$aaE!$=44!$+"-!#[Rt!#I:i!#RCl!#RCl!
--- End offending input ---
file offset = 8790064
gsapi_run_string_continue returns -101 <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Here are errors from Distiller on the same file

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Start Time: Monday, February 09, 2004 at 2:15 PM
Destination: X:\Projects\Professional\invoices\2004\Spotlight Invoice 01a.pdf
Source: Spotlight Invoice 01.eps
%%[ Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: s+13$s+13$s+13$s+13$s+13$s+13$s+13$s+13$s+13$s+13$ s+13$s+13$s+13$s+13$s3:RnpA4adipQR9^Y8 ]%%

Stack:
-save-
-save-


%%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
%%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%
Distill Time: 2 seconds (00:00:02)
**** End of Job ****
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I guess this makes sense in that IIRC Charles said something about postscript not having a method of displaying transparency. If this is correct, then perhaps now, four years later, there might be some updated postscript version that does describe transparency and maybe the Xara update will reflect that.

Sheff
www.sheff.com

[mckinney]

Sheff -

I'm not sure if the document you posted renders the same on my machine as it does yours. Upon loading, all layers were "not viewable" and when I turned on both foreground layers and the guides layer, the layout attached below is what I saw. Xara notified me that font substitutions were made because I did not have the fonts you used.

http://home.mn.rr.com/pmckinney/temp...-clipboard.jpg

Your requirements for a PDF file may be more stringent than my own, but I use pdfFactory from FinePrint Software for regular "office use" and am happy with it. The software installs as a printer driver.

I have printed three versions of the central graphic from your document and posted them here:

http://home.mn.rr.com/pmckinney/temp...2400-jpg90.pdf
http://home.mn.rr.com/pmckinney/temp...-600-jpg90.pdf
http://home.mn.rr.com/pmckinney/temp...400-no-jpg.pdf

A trial version of pdfFactory is available on the manufacturers website if you want to experiment further yourself.

- Pete

[weldorman]

Hi Sheff,
I had a go at this with pdf995 and this is what I came up with.
Top image was printed to pdf995 as your original image straight from Xara. File size=572KB .pdf.
Bottom image: I ungrouped the monkey and smoke and gave the monkey shape a 0% flat transparency and regrouped. Printed to pdf995 straight from Xara. File size = 216 KB .pdf.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[Sheff]

Thanks guys for trying to make this work.

I guess the problem must be with my machine. I am using Win2k on an AMD homebuilt machine. What are you guys using?

I tried making the changes to the transparency as suggested. No avail.

Attached is the screenshot I get from the pdf resulting from pdf995. Also attached is an error message from a subsequent attempt.

The top layer is just a device for cropping so I can see my image without the bleed. The lower layer is the backside.

At one point, I had a smooth pdf workflow with distiller and Xara. I don't know what changed since then, but it's annoying that you guys are able to create pdf's and I can only create them sometimes.

In my opinion, this is an issue for Charles to resolve.

Thanks again.



Sheff
www.sheff.com

[This message was edited by Sheffield Abella on February 11, 2004 at 09:45.]

[weldorman]

Sheff,
I am still using Win98 SE.I wondered why your file was so large so I took it apart to find out. The monkey group is a little over 5 Megs by itself http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/eek.gif Something going on there.You might try enlarging the monkey group by 500%(to maintain the details), create a png + alpha bitmap and shrink it back to the right size to relace the original monkey.I know this doesn't answser why things are not working on your machine but maybe this will get you a good pdf file.


Mike

[mckinney]

Sheff -

I'm using Dell laptop with a 1.2 GHz Pentium III chip running Windows XP Pro. I think that one difference in your process to create PDF files and my process is that your tools all create a Postscript file first (I think that pdf995 does that as well). If I correctly understand the way pdfFactory works, it does not create a postscript file, but rather generates the PDF as a native windows printer driver.

- Pete

[Sheff]

Weldorman, I know the monkey is large and I did attempt to create a 300 dpi PNG with Alpha and tried creating a pdf and I still had problems.

Peter, I have tried printing with the distiller driver and I've tried using distiller to convert the eps. I've had more success with this latter method.

The print error that you see in my earlier post was created with pdf995. pdf995 was the only one that worked to create a pdf albeit with errors.

I have not tried pdfFactory on this machine.

I am beginning to wonder if I tried to create this file on my wife's machine, would it be successful...?

Anyway, I am close to wiping out this machine and starting over with a clean OS install (it's that time of year).

Thanks for the help.


Sheff
www.sheff.com