Distiller Output

I am calling distiller from a batch file using the filling command line options:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\acrodist.exe" /N /Q "%cd%\%TARGET%"
When this executes distiller asks for a directory to place the output pdf but names it the same thing as the input postscript filename. Is there a way to make distiller prompt for a filename instead of just an output directory? The Distiller API mentions how to turn this functionality off but I dont understand how turn it on in the first place. From Distiller API:
"Disabling prompts for output file names
Distiller prompts for output file names based on settings that can be managed with a user interface or by programmatic control."
Thanks for the help,
Brian

Similar Messages

How to edit postscript

Hi All,
I need to edit the postscript and change the font names. if i open the ps file in to ultraedit and do some changes and it's not converting the file to PDF and showing some error.
I need to edit the ps file and do some font name changes in text mode. Please suggest me what is the best way to do this?
Regards
Selva

Selva,
After you have confirmed/replaced your text editor - that it is not changing line endings or binary data in the PostScript file, as Dov suggested, I would suggest searching for the offending command (in this case it appears to be a solitary question mark). If the offending command appears multiple times and it is not apparent why any of the occurrences would cause an error, then you could use some variation of the following PostScript print code inserted at appropriate points to help you determine the location of the error:
!PS-Adobe...
(section 1: starting...\n) print
(section 1: ended\n) print
(section 2: starting...\n) print
etc.
The text in parenthesis will "print" to your distiller output log until the error occurs. In this way you can narrow the field of searching/troubleshooting to fix an error.
This is a simplification of the automated method I use in our PostScript drivers to resolve problems quickly in large complex files.
-Marvin

Unable to convert text file to PDF

Hi,
Using Adobe Pro 9 Distiller on Windows 2008 64bit server. So far using Distiller to convert .eps files to .pdf with Standard job options file. I need to convert a .txt file to .pdf and am not able to convert using any of the OOTB job options settings that came with Distiller product installation.
Below is the Distiller output when I tried with Standard job options settings
%%[ Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: MBLDxxxx-03.rpt ]%%
%%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
%%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%
Can anyone please provide me settings or job options file settings to convert reports in text format to PDF? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the quick response. I was able to generate the PDF using the Adobe PDF writer by opening the text file. Not an issue on 64 bit platform. The .NET application using Distiller to convert eps to PDF via Distiller and moves it over to a watch folder. Another application picks it up and bursts the large PDF to individual PDFs. I need to automatically convert txt to PDF and submit it for burst. Looking for ways to leverage Distiller to automatically convert the txt to PDF. Is it possible? Thanks.

Printing Postscript to PDF

Hello there!
I don't know if this is the most appropriate Sun forum to ask this kind of question, but as I didn't find a better one, I'm gonna post it here, so please, don't blame me :)
I need to convert some Postscripts files to PDF. The solution I came up with was to print these files to "Adobe Acrobat Distiller printer", as it follows:
PrintService[] printers = PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(null, null);
PrintService printer = //some logic iterating through "printers" to find the "Distiller" printer
//Creates the output file attribute
URI uri = new URI("file:/" + dest);
Destination destFile = new Destination(uri);
PrintRequestAttributeSet attributes = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
attributes.add(destFile);
//Creates the input Postscript doc
InputStream ps = new FileInputStream(path);
Doc printerDoc = new SimpleDoc(ps, INPUT_STREAM.POSTSCRIPT, null);
//Finally prints the doc :)
DocPrintJob printerJob = printer.createPrintJob();
printerJob.print(printerDoc, attributes);
The problem is that the output file is ALSO a Postscript, and not a PDF (which is the Distiller output format).
It's tricky because if you print any document to Distiller (for example, a Word document inside Word program), the output is a PDF file.
Does anybody know why this is happening? Am I missing any configuration in the Java API?
Please, let me know if you have any issue concerning this problem.
Best wishes,
Fernando

Hello, Michael!
Thanks for your reply.
Yes, we know we could invoke "ps2pdf" using "Runtime.exec()", but we'd like to use Acrobat Distiller because we want to transform other types of files (for example, .rtf) directly to PDF, and we know Distiller is able to do this.
But, for example, if we try to transform a .gif/.jpeg file to PDF, it's output is also in Postscript format! Again, we'd like it to be finally in the PDF format.
I just want a hint regarding why this is happening :/ or if this is the expected behaviour, why it happens this way.
Thanks in advance.
Fernando

How can I programatically control the names of files output from Labview into .pdf format (ie with Adobe PDF Writer or Distiller)?

I would like to save some data forms for a standard test controlled with labview in a pdf format. Due to the large number of forms and test reports, I would like to have Labview automatically assign the .pdf file name based on test number already contained in the labview code. How can I do this.
Note: This question is very similar to:
"Labview and Adobe Acrobat output" posted by John Balone on 1/26/2000. The reponses offered good suggestions but it is not clear to me how to implement them.

This information is essential if you plan to use the Acrobat Distiller printer driver and any of the examples listed here:
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/devzone.nsf/webcategories/EADE78F29101E8DB862567AC0058596B?opendocument&node=DZ52095_US
-Graeme, rayodyne.com
Attachments:
1_-_Printer_Configuration_with_Acrobat_Distiller.jpg ‏64 KB
2_-_Printer_Configuration_with_Acrobat_Distiller.jpg ‏33 KB

Exporting InDesign to PDF: resolution output / Distiller Color Management

Specs:
Power PC G5, Mac OS X 10.4.11
InDesign Middle Eastern Version CS3
Acrobat 9.0
Distiller 9.0
Thanks to anyone who can answer any of these questions for me.
I am sending files to a printer who has requested either PDF files directly from InDesign (file-export) or run through Distiller then into Acrobat
(default setting of “PDF/X-1a:2001”).
Question 1: Resolution
They also have the instructions "PDF Output resolution should be set to 600dpi." Is this referring to the Compression pane (Bicubic Downsampling to 300)? I called the printer to confirm if this is what they were referring to, but was told they don't answer questions about making PDFs and that's why they encourage people to use their in-house designers.)
Question 2: Color Management
For the Distiller/Acrobat option, they have an instructional PDF which I followed, but on the Color Management Pane, they choose the option for Color Handling: "Let InDesign Determine Colors" and the Output color is Composite Gray. But when I get to the color handling option, I only have 2 options: "let PostScript determine" or "no color management." How do I get the InDesign option?
Question 3: Grayscale Text
Another requirement is that the "Interior text should be submitted as grayscale only." In Acrobat I can preflight and change to grayscale. But will solving the problem of #2 in creating a PostScript file take care of this?
Question 4: Error in Distiller
I get this error when I open Distiller: "Error in /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings/PDFX4 2007.joboptions:
/CheckCompliance out of range" However, the Postscript file goes through just fine as far as I can tell. I found a forum post on this and the basic idea seemed to be "ignore it." Is that a correct interpretation?

Jennifer Hearing wrote:
Specs:
Power PC G5, Mac OS X 10.4.11
InDesign Middle Eastern Version CS3
Acrobat 9.0
Distiller 9.0
Thanks to anyone who can answer any of these questions for me.
I am sending files to a printer who has requested either PDF files directly from InDesign (file-export) or run through Distiller then into Acrobat
(default setting of “PDF/X-1a:2001”).
Question 1: Resolution
They also have the instructions "PDF Output resolution should be set to 600dpi." Is this referring to the Compression pane (Bicubic Downsampling to 300)? I called the printer to confirm if this is what they were referring to, but was told they don't answer questions about making PDFs and that's why they encourage people to use their in-house designers.)
Question 2: Color Management
For the Distiller/Acrobat option, they have an instructional PDF which I followed, but on the Color Management Pane, they choose the option for Color Handling: "Let InDesign Determine Colors" and the Output color is Composite Gray. But when I get to the color handling option, I only have 2 options: "let PostScript determine" or "no color management." How do I get the InDesign option?
Question 3: Grayscale Text
Another requirement is that the "Interior text should be submitted as grayscale only." In Acrobat I can preflight and change to grayscale. But will solving the problem of #2 in creating a PostScript file take care of this?
Question 4: Error in Distiller
I get this error when I open Distiller: "Error in /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings/PDFX4 2007.joboptions:
/CheckCompliance out of range" However, the Postscript file goes through just fine as far as I can tell. I found a forum post on this and the basic idea seemed to be "ignore it." Is that a correct interpretation?
1: This, only down samples your resolutions so they are capped. You would need to make sure your Links are 600dpi or better. (TECHNICALLY this is PPI). Now normally I wouldn't hard *** someone over the difference, but considering there is NO DPI setting I'm aware of (again its PPI) pointing out their error may just get them to explain a bit more what they mean.
2: You can not create an X1a compliant greyscale file.
3: I would guess here they simply mean don't use rich black or multiplate text. This would be due to registration. Just stick to K (black only) and you should be fine.
4: I would not even use distiller for this, stick with Export to PDF.
To be honest this part
I called the printer to confirm if this is what they were referring to, but was told they don't answer questions about making PDFs and that's why they encourage people to use their in-house designers.)
Would have me looking elseware ASAP. The answer would have taken two seconds from anyone whose head wasn't firmly planted south of their shoulders.

Problem with ghostscript ['Distiller' did not produce the output file ]

Hi,
We are trying to convert the checked in files to pdf using ghostscript.
The Steps i have followed in installing the Distiller
First I have installed gs8.64 and configure distiller
Refinery server--> Conversion settings --> Third-party Application Settings --> Distiller Engine --> options -->
Use GhostScript and provided the path to install dierctory as C:/Program Files/gs/gs8.64/
Installed Printer as per the pdf
Conversion Settings --> Primary web redention --> convert to pdf using third party applications
Server details:
CS: 10gr3
ghost script 8.64
Plz find the below logs details
Error Log...
Copying c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/2.txt to c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.ps
Waiting for exclusive access on c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.ps
Obtained exclusive access on c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.ps
Waiting on Distiller
Check for file c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.pdf failed
'Distiller' did not produce the output file 'c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.pdf'.
Exception type is 'java.lang.Throwable'. Details
An error has occurred. The stack trace below shows more information.
!$Copying c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/2.txt to c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.ps Waiting for exclusive access on c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.ps Obtained exclusive access on c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.ps Waiting on Distiller Check for file c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.pdf failed 'Distiller' did not produce the output file 'c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/2/temp.pdf'. !syExceptionType,java.lang.Throwable
java.lang.Throwable
 at intradoc.common.IdcLogWriter.doMessageAppend(Unknown Source)
 at intradoc.common.Log.addMessage(Unknown Source)
 at intradoc.common.Log.errorEx2(Unknown Source)
 at intradoc.common.Log.errorEx(Unknown Source)
 at docrefinery.agent.Logger.logError(Logger.java:138)
 at docrefinery.convert.StepHandler.executeStepByName(StepHandler.java:140)
 at docrefinery.convert.ConversionDriver.processSteps(ConversionDriver.java:231)
 at docrefinery.convert.ConversionDriver.convertDocument(ConversionDriver.java:144)
 at docrefinery.convert.ConversionDriver.processSubConversion(ConversionDriver.java:165)
 at docrefinery.convert.StepHandler.executeStepByName(StepHandler.java:109)
 at docrefinery.convert.ConversionDriver.processSteps(ConversionDriver.java:231)
 at docrefinery.convert.ConversionDriver.convertDocument(ConversionDriver.java:144)
 at docrefinery.queue.PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.handleCurrentQueueItem(PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.java:204)
 at docrefinery.queue.PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.monitorRefineryPreConverterQueue(PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.java:125)
 at docrefinery.queue.PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor$1.run(PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.java:93)
 at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:595)
Conversion completed -- Step PostscriptToPDF forced conversion failure by conversion engine because of error: ''Distiller' did not produce the output file 'c:/ucm/server2/vault/~convert/idc/8/temp.pdf'.'. Exception type is 'java.lang.Throwable'.
Please suggest me where i am going wrong...
Thanks in advance,
Prasad V.

Hi Srinath,
Thanks for your reply. It worked fine with 8.63 version.
Is there any other way to get it worked with out installing ghostscript.exe as the client doesnt want to instal any exe file on the server as it has broader impact on other instances also, can we acheive the conversion by copying the extracted zip files of ghostscript-8.63.tar.gz .....
We tried with extracted zip files by following the below settings
Refinery server--> Conversion settings --> Third-party Application Settings --> Distiller Engine --> options -->
deselected Use GhostScript and provided the Path to generic PostScript to PDF engine D:\ghostscript\ghostscript\lib\ps2pdf14.bat
Parameters to pass to generic PostScript to PDF engine.
<$postscriptFile$> <$pdfFile$>
Path to generic PDF optimization engine.
D:\ghostscript\ghostscript\lib\pdfopt.bat
Parameters to pass to generic PDF optimization engine.
<$pdfFile$> <$optimizedPdfFile$>
Installed Printer as per the pdf
Conversion Settings --> Primary web redention --> convert to pdf using third party applications
We are getting the below error:
Waiting for exclusive access on c:/temp/idcoutput.ps
Obtained exclusive access on c:/temp/idcoutput.ps
Waiting on Distiller
Error Distilling
Exception type is 'java.lang.Throwable'. [ Details ]
An error has occurred. The stack trace below shows more information.
!$Waiting for exclusive access on c:/temp/idcoutput.ps Obtained exclusive access on c:/temp/idcoutput.ps Waiting on Distiller Error Distilling !syExceptionType,java.lang.Throwable
java.lang.Throwable
 at intradoc.common.IdcLogWriter.doMessageAppend(Unknown Source)
 at intradoc.common.Log.addMessage(Unknown Source)
 at intradoc.common.Log.errorEx2(Unknown Source)
 at intradoc.common.Log.errorEx(Unknown Source)
 at docrefinery.agent.Logger.logError(Logger.java:138)
 at docrefinery.convert.StepHandler.executeStepByName(StepHandler.java:140)
 at docrefinery.convert.ConversionDriver.processSteps(ConversionDriver.java:231)
 at docrefinery.convert.ConversionDriver.convertDocument(ConversionDriver.java:144)
 at docrefinery.queue.PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.handleCurrentQueueItem(PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.java:204)
 at docrefinery.queue.PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.monitorRefineryPreConverterQueue(PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.java:125)
 at docrefinery.queue.PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor$1.run(PreConvertedRefineryQueueMonitor.java:93)
 at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:595)
Conversion completed -- Step PostscriptToPDF forced conversion failure by conversion engine because of error: 'Error Distilling'. Exception type is 'java.lang.Throwable'.
Plz let us know if it is possible to convert the docs to pdf with out installing the ghostscript.exe file on server.
Thanks in advance,
Prasad V.

Adobe distiller 8 red hat and output file permissions

Hello,
Hope somebody has come across this one before. Using distiller 8 on redhat 5.5. Call the distill program with the following switches, and the resulting output pdf has permissions 600.
Way too tight.
distill -allowfileops yes -verbose -pd +telegraph.joboptions -f :/opt/Acrobat8/Distiller/telegraph_fonts: wook.ps
I've been through the painful readme file and tried all the options that may influence file perms, but I always get 600, when I really need 666.
My previous version (6) (on solaris sparc) dumped the pdf in mode 666 which is great.
Played with umask in various places, but nothing will influence the final 600 perms.
I can fake it by adding a chmod in the script that calls distill - but that feels like cheating....

Who checked that box, anyway? Boy, do I feel stupid. Thanks for the lightning response. Resolved....Bill

Acrobat 11 Pro - problem with right-click "Convert to Adobe PDF" output folder

I'm migrating from one machine running Windows XP Pro with Acrobat 8 Pro to Windows 7 Pro with Acrobat 11 Pro.
On the XP machine, when I right-click on a document and select "convert to Adobe PDF" the process works just fine - it always outputs the file to the target destination I have set in the Adobe PDF printer definition.
On the Windows 7 Pro/Acrobat 11 Pro machine, the exact same settings are ignored: the PDF will always end up in the same folder as the source file.
Both the source folder and the destination folder are on one of my office's networked drives.
Under the Printing Preferences, I have the output folder address set the same on both machines, so it *should* go to the right location on the new machine.
Oddly enough, on the Acrobat 11 Pro machine, if I select Adobe PDF as the default printer and do a test print, it *does* print to the correct folder!
This has got me stumped!
Thoughts?
(update from later in the day)
If Adobe PDF is selected as the default printer, I *can* select a bunch of documents, right-click, select "print", and Word will open up, and they'll print to the correct target folder.
So, it's "just" the right-click "Convert to Adobe PDF" that doesn't work correctly.

The reinstall is typically the last ditch effort to do. The first step is Help>Repair and Help>Updates. As far as Office 2013, the PDF Maker of AA X is not compatible and you can only print. In your list of errors it showed a problem with AcroTray.exe. As a first step, go to the print and select print-to-file. The file will be a PS file (maybe with a PRN extension). Once the printer if finished, open the file in Distiller to complete the process. If that is successful, then the problem is with AcroTray. Check your running tasks to be sure AcroTray is indeed running. If not, that is likely the problem. If it is, then restart it (it is located in the Acrobat folder). AcroTray provides the interface between the PS creation and Distiller to automate the process of creating the PDF.

PRO-E to Postscript to PDF garbles some data in Distiller 8.1.2

We are creating Postscript files from Pro-E then using Distiller to create PDF files for distribution. This worked beautifully in Version 3.0 up to 6.0 distiller releases. We recently upgraded to Acrobat Pro 8 and are using the Distiller to create the PDF from the PS file. Same PS file is garbled in 8.1.2 What am I doing wrong in Distiller 8.1.2? What job settings should we use, or modify to get the PDF to mirror the Postscript file? We check the PS file with Ghostscript viewer and it's fine. It's odd that it works in the older version, but we would expect it to be worth the upgrade so to speak. We do know that Pro-E does output to PDF in it's latest version but we are not there yet.$$ Any suggestions?

I tend to think that if a new user account works as expected then there is a permissions issue, though I guess it could be a permissions issue with a font. If you boot with the Startup CD you can probably fix the permissions in the original account. Although, I've seen a new user work and repairing all permissions fail before.
You can attempt to remove the fonts you believe may be damaged. if you don't know which fonts this might be, try removing all but the basic system fonts, then adding them back in chunks. There may be an easier way to do this nowadays. I haven't had to deal with this problem in many years.
I work with multiple partitions, keeping a partition named "Base" that has a minimal OS on it specifically for problems like this. I log into this and run Disk Utility whenever things start to go haywire. I keep my installed fonts to a minimum.

Should I open sent PDF's through PS (flatten then save as .eps) & then save as a PDF thru distiller

Hi, I'm coming from a print background with newspapers where it was necessary to do the above with sent PDF's for print so that the fonts wouldn't bomb at print. I'm now working with a high gloss magazine and am wondering if it is necessary to do the same now. I have been doing it as routine with sent PDF's for print, once I ge the email I open in PS, make sure they are CMYK then flatten the image and save as .eps to open in Distiller and save as a PDF again. Again this was to make sure no fonts would bomb at print as per I was tought. (Used Quark when working with newspaper and thankfully am using InDesign for magazine). Is there any negative to doing this still? Even if the sent PDF's are fine (all True type font)? Could doing this, flatten and resave cause the iamges or fonts on the PDF's to lose quality at print? I'm pretty sure it wouldn't but I could be wrong with this higher quality print.
Appreciate any advice here, as I'm slightly worried it may cause some loss of quality at print (fuzzy border around text - light but there). Thanks.
Programs used are PS CS5, InDesign 5, Adobe Distiller 9. Final proofs are PDF's from InDesign to printer.

The “workflow” you cite is absolutely not recommended for any purpose whatsoever. The only thing that can be said for it is that it produces consistently low quality results with extra steps and overhead. Forget about transparency and color management! The newspapers in question must have been either (1) working with antiquated, buggy RIP software from the previous millennia or (2) had personnel with mindsets and education from the previous millennia!
Adobe strongly recommends use of direct PDF export from InDesign using the PDF/X-4 preset – never create PDF by distillation of PostScript!
Although we strongly encourage use of OpenType fonts for their typographical features and cross-platform compatibility, in terms of output quality and reliability, use of Type 1 versus TrueType versus OpenType is irrelevant.
- Dov

Line art problem outputting to pdf

I have a problem with exporting pages of a magazine going to print as pdf, relating to line art placed on the page as a bitmap tiff (typically at 1200 ppi). At present I have a workaround for an annoying problem that really needs clearing up ...
I'm using CS4 InDesign and Acrobat (files prepared in Photoshop). So, high-res bitmap tiff containing line art sized (that is, just placed - no resizing in Indesign) and placed in Indesign, looks fine on the page. Output to pdf using 'export' and the resulting file, when viewed on screen, has a thin line down the right-hand edge of any and all bitmap files.
To ensure no misunderstanding, the 'bitmap' reference is what Photoshop calls it - a bilevel file with black lines in it, which enables me easily to overlay other files such as a photo (because the file is black/transparent) and assign a colour or tint to the bitmap, or even a drop shadow etc. I've used this workflow for years, from Photoshop through Indesign, but the latter always gives me this line on the right edge, in the pdf. It did this in CS3 Indesign/Acrobat as well (but never in Pagemaker).
My workaround is to lay a white-filled box over the edge of the file, thus masking it. But of course, that also limits me to where I can place the file - not easily on a graded tint background, not on a photo and so on. So I'd like to solve this.
Any ideas? OS is Win XP Pro (all updates applied to this and the CS programs - I don't believe they make a difference to this problem, as it has existed through several iterations of both OS and CS).
Anyone else seen this effect? Or is it just me? And has anyone a potential solution?
Chris

I think by reason of not knowing what else I can do, I'm heading to the same conclusion - put up with it! I'll certainly try sending a line to print and see if it appears, but for on-screen stuff, I think I have to stick with the safe workaround I use and accept the layout limitations. (Or resort to Pagemaker for the pages that I just cannot do otherwise.)
Seems to me, if people have reported this for years, Adobe might have tried sorting it out. On screen or not, it still must be due to *something* in the file and/or Acrobat/Distiller to allow it to appear. If I create a white greyscale tiff with the same resolution etc, and place it on a page, there's no line down the edge on output - just a white page with a white (invisible) box. If I do this with an 'empty' bitmap file, a line appears ... Both files created in Adobe programs, so it's not me as a user ...
Just me whinging! I'm really coming from the angle that if this is indeed a display problem, it can only be a display problem if there is something in the file for the display to react to (badly phrased that!).
Thanks everyone for your support and ideas - I think that's me finished for now; I have files to upload and then sleep.

Adobe Acrobat Distiller 9 Problems

Hi,
New to the forum - hopefully someone can help me out. I have also tried the Adobe Forums, Quark Forums etc. etc. with no result - all are blaming Apple - so here I am. (Mod's please move this thread if it isn't in the right place).
Specs first - Quark 8.12, Suitcase Fusion 13.2.1, Acrobat Distiller 9.2.0, Mac OSX 10.5.8.
When I create pdfs from Quark (Indesign etc.) - I print them through the print dialogue box (using the acrobat PPD) - save them - and it prints like if it were going to a printer (output device) but creates a pdf. This is the way I have always done it and the way I want to continue to do it.
What I am experiencing is that even though I have specified create "Low Resolution" or "Standard Resolution" pdfs it outputs/saves them as "High Resolution" Pdfs.
The other day it was the opposite I specified "High" and it save a "Low Resolution" pdf.
The high resolution pdfs seem to be extremely large also. Previously in Acrobat Distiller 7 a high resolution pdf file of one particular document I have was 50Mb in size, the same document distilled in Acrobat Distiller 9 gives my a 250Mb pdf file!!
I am also experiencing unwanted rotation of pages with the pdf creation ie a landscape page is distilled (rotate) to a portrait page.
I have tried deleting settings, creating new documents and pasting the information in, pdfing on other computers all with the same results.
What I have found is that if I just use the default acrobat settings - standard, small, high quality etc. the files pdf fine and have expected file sizes etc.
But as soon as I make a custom setting in distiller or use a 3rd party acrobat setting that's when the problem/s occur - large file sizes, rotated pages etc.
What is also weird is if I turn "auto rotate pages" to "off" in acrobat distiller it will rotate the pages (a landscape but distills it to portrait) but if I choose one of the other settings like "individually" it pdfs OK in the right orientation.
Anybody have any ideas of why Distiller (or whatever) freaks out when I change the settings?? (creates massive pdf files, rotates pages etc) I need to be able to make custom distiller settings for various newspapers, magazines etc.
So just to recapp:
Default Acrobat Distiller settings work but custom or 3rd party settings do not work in Acrobat Distiller. Nor do they "Stick/Stay" in the drop down menu when you select them like the default settings do - the menu defaults back to "default".
I have upgraded to 9.2.0 - reset the printers - Uninstalled the software and reinstalled it all with the same result.
Doesn't matter if I make a PS file etc and drop it onto distiller - still get the same outcome.
Please Help!!
Thanks

Got Distiller to work. Seems the problem was with software activation/licensing. I got different software - and a free update to Acrobat 9 Extended - from my merchant and installed it. Distiller now does not crash anymore when starting it up and appears (thus far) stable.
However, I still get an error message at start up:
Adobe PostScript software version: 3018.101
Adobe PDF Settings file read error in PDFX4 2008.joboptions:
/CheckCompliance out of range
A quick web search shows that this is also not a new problem. Some say that Distiller is not able to create PDF/X4 files and that the error is thus a bug in Distiller itself. Is that true? (I can't find a joboptions file of that name in my system ...)
Do I need to do anything about it or can I just leave it?

PM 7/Distiller 5.0 suddenly not working!

I've been happily using the combination of PageMaker 7.0 with Distiller 5.0 and Acrobat 5.0 for several years now, and a LOT lately. I'm generating books in PageMaker, printing them to a .ps file via "Distiller on Drive C:" (selected as the printer), then running Distiller 5.0 to create a .PDF file, and then using Acrobat to build the final book with with front and back covers and bookmarks. This works and delivers a product to the printer that never causes a problem.
Today (!), after going through the normal "Security Updates" last night, the "Distiller on Drive C:" option was missing from the printer selection box in Pagemaker and instead was a "Print to PDF file" option. Using that gave me an absolute CRAP .pdf file with graphics that looked like they were done on an old Atari computer.
I uninstalled and reinstalled Actobat 5.0 with Distiller, and there was my missing "Distiller on Drive C:", but it DOES NOT WORK. When I select it and hit print, it says starting printing, but nothing happens and I have to bomb out of PageMaker using Task Manager.
What happened? How do I get back my working system? Spending hundreds of dollars on replacement software is NOT feasible for me at this point (and boy, do I resent having to spend money I can't afford to fix something that wasn't broken until someone else decided they would do something that was "for my own good"). Plus, there is no guarantee that the .pdf file will be to the specifications required by my printer and I end up wasting more money sending "update" files trying to fine-tune the output of the new program to deliver what I need (every update is a $$.$$ charge to my publisher account to pay for their people to process it).
Thoughts, suggestions, anyone?

This issue may be dead, but having just encountered the thread I thought I would add some (hopefully) beneficial information. I too have used the PM7 - Distiller 5 combination for many years as a two step process.
Here are my thoughts:
The two step process may be rooted in the appearance that the version 5 distiller seemed to be written with a batch approach rather than a single file approach; I say this because the distiller uses a "watched" folder setting and will automatically take anything appearing in that folder and distill it. It works well with .ps files as well as .rtf which is very useful if your source is MS Word. I suspect that since the coding approach was with this batch mentality that it didn't seem necessary to install a "printer" item since the point was that files to be distilled would be placed in this watched folder.
My approach was this. I set up an instance of an HP LaserJet 4 PS printer and set that printer's port to be a file. I believe I got a better quality .pdf because of the print codes added by the HP Laserjet driver, which subsequently were incorporated into the final .pdf that the distiller produced. Does that make sense? My point, I think that the two step process did indeed improve my final output.
This part is just about my particular implementation if you are interested, otherwise the only other thing I have to offer is a suggested fix at the end.
How I used it:
I had VBA code in access that output my report (hundreds of them - customer statements) to this virtual LaserJet. As each .rtf was generated in the "in" folder that the distiller was watching, it would get tranformed into a .pdf and distiller would automatically move it to an "out" folder (Distiller actually forced the creation of an "in" and "out" folder inside of what ever folder I defined as being the folder to watch); my code simply looked for the presence of the .pdf to know it was done at which point it moved the .rtf to an archive. It took about 5 seconds per report and worked beautifully.
My suggestion for a fix...
I hope this doesn't seem like I am trivializing the issue, I absolutely get the poster's pain... but having had to do this, I suggest the most simple of all approaches; why not just take a different machine, any old machine (if you don't have one, buy one used - you could probably get something to fill the need for under $50 out of the classifieds), then install your PM7-distiller 5 combo fresh and use it to create your final product? Yes, you would have to move files from your "real" workstation to your "distiller" station everytime you were ready to make your .pdf, but you would probably be up and running in just an hour or two.

Acrobat 9 Distiller Problems

Hi,
New to the forum - hopefully someone can help me out.
Specs first - Quark 8.12, Suitcase Fusion 13.2.1, Acrobat Distiller 9.1.0, Mac OSX 10.5.8.
When I create pdfs from Quark etc. - I print them through the print dialogue box (using the acrobat PPD) - save them - and it prints like if it were going to a printer (output device) but creates a pdf. This is the way I have always done it and the way I want to continue to do it.
What I am experiencing is that even though I have specified create "Low Resolution" or "Standard Resolution" pdfs it outputs/saves them as "High Resolution" Pdfs.
The other day it was the opposite I specified "High" and it save a "Low Resolution" pdf.
The high resolution pdfs seem to be extremely large also. Previously in Acrobat Distiller 7 a high resolution pdf file of one particular document I have was 50Mb in size, the same document distilled in Acrobat Distiller 9 gives my a 250Mb pdf file!!
I am also experiencing unwanted rotation of pages with the pdf creation ie a landscape page is distilled (rotate) to a portrait page.
I have tried deleting settings, creating new documents and pasting the information in, pdfing on other computers all with the same results.
What I have found is that if I just use the default acrobat settings - standard, small, high quality etc. the files pdf fine and have expected file sizes etc.
But as soon as I make a custom setting in distiller or use a 3rd party acrobat setting that's when the problem/s occur - large file sizes, rotated pages etc.
What is also weird is if I turn "auto rotate pages" to "off" in acrobat distiller it will rotate the pages (a landscape but distills it to portrait) but if I choose one of the other settings like "individually" it pdfs OK in the right orientation.
Anybody have any ideas of why Distiller (or whatever) freaks out when I change the settings?? (creates massive pdf files, rotates pages etc) I need to be able to make custom distiller settings for various newspapers, magazines etc.
Thanks

open problem Document:
1 Apply the the 3rd part Joboption or affect.
2 Go to Advanced menu.
3 Choose Optimizer.
4 Choose Item 2
Next while in Optimizer menu:
Choose Fonts
look for any Duplicate Fonts example: Helvetica Bold Italic
unembed all but one copy (I've seen Pdf's where ther was as many as 1-15 copies of the exact same font)
Next choose Transparency:
Flatten Transpariences
Finally save the document (under a new name) and Print one copy of 2 or three pages just to get a feel if document appears correct. If so Use it or send on as needed.
(Please note information is given by an Experienced User of Acrobat. I am not an employee of Adobe.)

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