Importing PDF text document

[Ken]

I have a PDF text document that imports miserably. The image shows up, but the font resolution is quite pixelated. I don't need to edit the image. I just want to use VW's features to draw some vector graphics on top of the document before printing. It does not print anywhere close to the resolution that the PDF prints (like from Preview). Any help?

[Kaare Baekgaard]

If you have Adobe Acrobat (or Illustrator), you can save the PDF as an EPS - or a high resolution JPG. From Preview, also to some formats, though not the EPS. It's not perfect, but it's there.

[Kevin]

Kaare; Thanks for the info. I tried this and got improved image quality but with mixed results.

Using save as EPS produced not text, just an image placeholder.

Using save as JPEG produced a reversed image of white text on a black background.

Using save as PNG produced acceptable results. The text was better than directly importing the PDF into VW.

I used Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Pro on OS10.3.7, VW11.

Perhaps VW needs to have a preference setting for the amount of compression when importing image files.

[Travis]

If you're just trying to add a few additional graphics why not create them in VW (using the imported, albeit low quality, image as guide), then delete the imported image and export the graphic? Add it to the .pdf file in Acrobat. Print from Acrobat instead of VW.

[Ken]

Exporting from Preview, at the highest JPEG or PNG levels, still doesn't come close. The text quality is still horrible.

Funny thing is, I'm looking at a VW10 file that has an imported PDF text document (the content of which is now obsolete and needs to be replaced) ? and it looks perfect! I have NO MEMORY of how I did it. The object reads in the IO as a bitmap, but with a tremendous resolution of 2550x3300, PNG, 560KB. The best that Preview exports is not even half that. And the original PDF file itself is tiny because it's just text!

The opposite direction as you mention, importing graphics into Acrobat, then printing from it, sounds okay, but I would need to have Acrobat! I don't think I need it it (do I really need it?).

Standard Acrobat costs US$300. Is that the least version I need? I also found this free offer that looks like a gimmick. I don't know.

[mike m oz]

Preview is pretty basic in its capabilities and this is probably why your export is lousy.

I have a vague recall of a process whereby you can convert a PDF file to DXF using one of Adobe's programs - I've just checked with my Graphic Artist mate and he advises me that Adobe Illustrator imports and exports both DWG and DXF files.

So this may be your best bet. Open the PDF file in Illustrator and export it as either DWG and DXF. You can then import either of these into VectorWorks