Creating a PDF file

[DWHarper]

Is there a way to create a ".pdf" file for a vector works 9 drawing. My goal is to email "pdf" files to clients for them to print out on their PC/plotters while keeping my line weights and fonts in tact.

Thanks,

Dave H.

[Robert Anderson]

On Mac, you can use Adobe Distiller (about $200?) or Print2PDF (inexpensive shareware, but less capable). On PC, you can use Adobe Distiller or other sharewares.

[DWHarper]

I will look into the Adobe software, thanks for the tip.

One thing that I have discovered; Adobe Distiller is a PC not a MAC program. I am not sure which Adobe package would be appropriate.

I believe Adobe Acrobat?

I will let the "message board" know what I find out.

To me, this will be the easiest way to plot my drawings at Kinko's and it will allow the Architect that I am working with to easily plot out at her office.

Anyone else on this board operate in this manner?

Dave H.

[Matthew Giampapa]

Adobe Distiller is a component of the Full Acrobat package on both platforms. It is really a postscript post processor which will generate the pdf. Typicaly, Acrobat will come with two ways of creating pdfs, The distiller which is recomended, and PdfWriter, which is a Quickdraw based print driver which will also create a pdf.

Print2Pdf, is a shareware product you can find at www.jwwalker.com at the bottom of the page are a number of links to other alternative pdf creation tools.

Matthew Giampapa

Technical Support

quote:

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Originally posted by DWHarper:

I will look into the Adobe software, thanks for the tip.

One thing that I have discovered; Adobe Distiller is a PC not a MAC program. I am not sure which Adobe package would be appropriate.

I believe Adobe Acrobat?

I will let the "message board" know what I find out.

To me, this will be the easiest way to plot my drawings at Kinko's and it will allow the Architect that I am working with to easily plot out at her office.

Anyone else on this board operate in this manner?

Dave H.

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[jfmarch]

PrintToPdf is the best for VW, we have found. Although it will change unusual fonts to a standard font (Times, for example), it can maintain the rotated text in your drawing (especially useful with dimensions). Adobe can not handle rotated text at all. If you have funny fonts in your drawings (like Syntax for us), it will change to the default text you select in PrintTo PDF preferences. Otherwise, it is excellent for VW.

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Jim McAuliffe, RA

[rcarch]

i have thoroughly worked through both distiller and print2pdf. print2pdf works very well for most things. you can use non-standard fonts w/ print2pdf, but it creates bitmapped images, which will create huge (500k plus) files. if you use the standard substitute fonts, then file sizes are more normal (50-150k). we typ. use futura book, but substitute times condensed. you can select all this in print2pdf.

distiller works well, also, but seems to be slower, but will give you a higher resolution. we use it when outputting renderings and the like.

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rich carrroll

carrollarchitects