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Printing To Acrobat Distiller


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If you are on OS X why don't you just use the PrintCenter to make your PostScript files?

Just choose "Print", and in the print dialog, go to output options, and check the "save as file" checkbox. Choose "PostScript" in the "Format" pulldown and save the file.

In my experience, this does not crash VectorWorks.

Regards,

Peter

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Peter,

To the best of my knowledge, you can't create post script files in the manner you describe unless the printer you choose is a postcript printer. If it is not, the postscript option will be grayed.

Which it so happens is the problem I am grappling with today. For reasons I find mysterious, the HP 800PS driver I was using simply disappeared from my computer. I used it with distiller as Suzanne recalls and the results were terrific.

What perplexes further, is that now when I download the printer driver from the HP site, the Postscript function is not available even if I download the driver for a postscript printer.

Donald

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Kevin,

I appreciate you posting that. I now can create high quality pdf's again. Neat trick! I deviated a bit, however, in that I could not find the AD ppd. (I'm using Distiller 5.05, not the latest version, maybe the ppd doesn't exist for that version). But it looks like the ppd for any PS printer will work. I used the ppd for the HP 800PS, which I found with the printer descriptions.

thanks again,

Donald

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I have taken these steps/advice and discovered the following:

1.It seems that any file that was created in a previous version of VW when opened in 10.1.2 just cannot be saved as a postscript file. It just keeps crashing.

2.If I create a new file in 10.1.2 and lower the dpi to under 600 it works just fine. If I leave the dpi at 1200, which I guess is the default, it doesn't work.

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On another, more depressing note, I made the mistake of pasting from a corrupted AutoCad file into a VW 9.5.1 file. I was able to create a postscript file however, when I went to convert it to .pdf an error came up saying that the file is corrupted. Any suggestions?

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You shouldn't copy between AutoCad and VectorWorks. That may have actually been what caused the file corruption.

If you are on OS 10 however, printing may have also corrupted the file.

You can email the file to tech@nemetschek.net and put ATTN: Katie in the subject line.

Please include the exact version of VW, the Operating System being used and the selected printer.

I'll have one of the engineers try to salvage the file.

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The problem with printing at 1200 DPI is most likely memory related. The computer doesn't have enough memory to process a PDF file at 1200 dpi, probably because the VW file is large or has alot of hatches, complex polygons, or patterns.

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I've found that in my experience a "corrupt file" is usually a corrupt object. It is possible to sit by the fire and find it. Start by finding which half of the drawing it lies in by deleting one half. Then try printing or whatever is not working. You should have either deleted the object or kept it. Then go for half of the side you know it lives in and so on until you find it. When you find the object, delete it and away you go. Naturally, undo as you do so as not to lose the good things.

Best,

Donald

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Just so you guys know... if you do have embedded images in your file and you use Panther's save to pdf feature you can compress those images by using the "Reduce File Size" Quartz filter under ColorSync in the print dialog. You can also bind sheets quite easily using the free "Combine PDFs" Program (look on versiontracker.com). If you need more control, like selective font embedding, Distiller is the way to go.

Although we have Distiller we have not used it for producing pdfs for a very long time.

This, of course, has nothing to do with Suzanne's issue.

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And to continue on that point - VW 11 supports image compression durring import, or copy and pasted into your drawing, or converted old to version 11 files. It also compresses image based textures to aid in file size reduction and speedier saves and potentially prints.

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