Exporting Illustrator Files for print troubleshooting!!!

[JackFlashRaD]

Hey guys,

Is there an extra step I have to take when exporting a logo done in Adobe Illustrator to PDF??? In the logo I manipulated themajority of the letters (used pathfinder to divide sections of selected letters) and when I save the AI format to PDF, the PDF format shows the divided lines on the selected letters and other distortions as well. However when I print on my canon i550 printer it doesn't really show much of anything like what i see on PDF. However, this logo is going to be printed on an industrial top quality printer for franchise purposes, I'm not sure how its going to turn out. Am I missing a step in my exporting to PDF process that would eliminate these errors?

[MD]

Do you happen to be viewing your pdf file through apples preview? I have had similar problems but file look ok in acrobat. also could you post the pdf in question?

[D-Zine]

First, be sure you create outlines for all of your text.

You should try to print to a postscript file and then drop that into Distiller to create your PDF.

File>Print>
Print Presets: Custom
Printer: Adobe Postscipt File
PPD: (choose your printer PPD here)

Be sure to check all of your PDF settings here and under 'graphics' be sure you include your complete font set.

Once you have that all set, click 'save'. That's gonna create your PS file.
Then drop that postscript file into Distiller and see how that PDF looks for ya.

I don't trust just exporting to PDF for even the Adobe apps most of the time. You get more options when you use Distiller and I think its just a safer route but thats just me maybe. :o) With going this route, I have yet to have any problems with my PDFs.

Boobie Island or Bust!

[Broacher]

If you used the Pathfinder to divide the letters, and it's going to be used as a master file for distribution, I'd go one step farther and 'Expand' the Pathfinder commands permanently. It's safer.

And what you might be seeing on screen and not on print is the result of Acrobat's Display/Smooth Line Drawings switch being on in prefs. See if it disappears when you set this to off or zoom in real tight.

[JackFlashRaD]

Thanks for the information guys, how do you create outlines for the text? is this something i do before or after the manipulation process?

[Broacher]

To convert all type to outlines, Select All (Cmnd-A) and Type/Create Outlines (or Cmnd-Shft-O). Done.

However, I'd really recommend using the Pathfinder's 'Expand' button on any objects that are what they call 'Compound Shapes' into a 'Compound Path'. Provided that the resulting curve is not too complex, the resulting objects have a more universal range of application (such as vinyl sign cutting etc.). For logo file handoff (not to mention the design), the ol' KISS principle is still an important guiding principle for designers.

[Broacher]

You know, I've given my own advice a rethink and feel it deserves a mild disclaimer. There are many, and a growing many, set of handoff circumstances emerging where it often makes better sense to keep it simple for the user by keeping it complicated-- behind the software. That is, as PrintDriver has mentioned, situations where the person receiving your file would greatly appreciate the ability to work with the hidden, or trans-postscript functions such as transparency, gradient meshes, certain brushes, etc.

A lot depends on your assessment of the handoff environment. If, like me, you're sending stuff off to the Timbuktu Times for publication, you think twice before sending that ad off in an Acrobat 6 or native AI-CS file. OTOH, if I'm sending something for a large panel output, I'm doing the Santa thing with my preferred output guys, and making a list, checking it twice. And calling when I'm not sure. So if you have a chance to talk to the person who's actually going to sticking your innocent files into their output gear, it usually is good advice to take that chance and call/talk/email them before you wash your hands. What would THEY prefer to receive? If the person is any good, the chances are you'll pick that up quick enough-- maybe even learn something new! Or... you find out that they've just been promoted from the receiving dock to prepress, and so then you can prepare to do your pinata impression... or work out a 'best case' scenario. Good production people are almost always worth talking to, at any chance. And yes, they truly appreciate the courtesy of crisis prevention achieved by a pre-prepress handoff preamble.

Just don't pull too much of that 'anal designer' attitude on them. They've seen, and heard it all more times than you've seen Comic Sans in a PowerPoint presentation, and like everyone else in the foodchain, they've got more than your one job to think about. A little slack for them usually pays off bigtime. Because when the crunch comes (as it always does), if they know that you know-- and you know that they know--love all around, see?