PDF files

[Christine M]

quick question:

Is there a way to convert a vectorworks file into a PDF file? Thanks in advance...

[Ken]

On the Macintosh there are some Chooser-level utilities, the best of which I think is PrintToPDF, a downloadable shareware item. Check Versiontracker.com for the latest. You simply print to it as if it's a printer. Unfortunately, multiple sheets in VW cannot be converted to a multi-page PDF (at least I don't know how to do it... anybody know?).

------------------

Kenneth

[Dieter]

Yes Christine,

The best result you can get is with Adobe Distiller. Even a large format drawing you can scale down, ?distil? it and the output is fantastic. The PDF Printer from Adobe does not work well and lines are jagged. Distiller and the PDF printer are part of Adobe Acrobat 4 (this is not the Acrobat Reader). However I belief you can purchase Distiller separately, then you also require the free Acrobat Reader. There are also freeware PDF printers around, but you will not get the result of Distiller.

You also need the Adobe printer driver which will appear in the chooser (Mac). You select the AdobePS printer in the chooser, return to VectorWorks and select ?Print? from the file menu. Work through the following dialogue box and try it out. Don?t worry about the page size restriction. I put an A1 drawing on A4, no problem.

Cheers

--Dieter

[MikeB]

We downloaded the print to pdf utility from versiontracker.com and it works great, no problems with scale, its free so give it a try.

Good luck

[GRC]

I have had bad luck with Acrobat/Distiller. All my vertical dimensions are flipped sideways, making them generally unreadable.

[ATHendry]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Archken:

On the Macintosh there are some Chooser-level utilities, the best of which I think is PrintToPDF, a downloadable shareware item

---

On the PC side there's 5D PDF Writer, which (last time that I checked) could be downloaded free from www.ctrl-p.com (if this isn't the correct address email me off-forum and I'll dig it up). You have to register it but it's the best **free** way to write to a PDF file. There are specific ways to get it to print correctly - again email me off-forum if you need it.

Good luck!

Alan T. Hendry

Architect

Clovis, CA

EMail : athendry@altavista.com

[Jerry Baker]

I have Adobe PageMaker 6.5+ and am wondering if that will suffice the same tactic as is discribed in this post. I am currently waiting for the return of my Mac and don't even have experience with PageMaker either but have been into the manuals of all my new software and am in the pondering mode. So are that possible to accomplish the same thing with PM?

Thank's!

[Danielj1]

I believe that Pagemaker6.5 comes with Distiller ( I have v6 which did). In this situation, all you need is to download the latest free laserwriter driver from Adobe, and it will give you the option of "printing" to PDF via the Distiller, which comes with Pagemaker.

Note that to make large PDF sheets you may wish to download a free laser plotter driver from HP, goes up to D size, approximately.

Dan J.

[Alan Farlie]

We use Acrobat (full version) to produce PDF files. To prevent jagged lines it is important to use page setup to set the page size at the correct drawing size (eg: 840mm x 497mm for A1) enlargement at 100% and the resolution at 288 dpi.

We regularly e-mail drawings as pdfs to clients who cannot otherwise read CAD drawings.

Multi page documents can be assembled using the full version of Acrobat and hyperlinks set up to link references to details.

We also produce presentations by importing pdfs into Adobe InDesign with superb results.

[jonathan]

best results are if you print to file through laserwriter as you can control the dpi, page size, colour matching etc

this allows you to print (plot) at what size your plotter driver will allow

going through pdf writer allows only 288 dpi and max size 1100mm x 1100mm or there abouts

best method for plotting from bureaus etc around and ditributing to clients

also allows to keep electronic file records, pdf files generally significantly smaller than original can't be altered etc

set up multiple page documents to avoid file opening/down load fee

[ajs]

While I can't speak for the quality of Print to PDF (haven't needed to use it), I can say that MikeB seems misinformed about the cost.

If MikeB is referring to Jim Walker's PrintToPDF, current version 2.1.4, the program is shareware, Not freeware, and the cost a trifling $20. This versus ~$200 for the Adobe product makes it quite attractive, if it does what you need.

Besides, Jim has a better rep for customer support than does Adobe

[Robert Nichols]

Regarding the mangling of vertical text by Acrobat...my experience is that this only happens when "printing" directly to the PDF Writer driver. When first making a postscript file, then sending that through Distiller, as is well.