Printing a PDF in Illustrator on Mac

Could someone show me what a healthy Illustrator CS5 or CS6 Print dialog looks like on a Mac?
I recently purged a bunch of outdated "Adobe PDF 7.0"-related printer files from my computer and several weeks later discovered that significant portions of my Illustrator Print dialog were now disabled. It's weird because these files don't actually work on Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard), and yet they seem essential to accessing the various Print dialog features (including layout preview) as well as the OS-related Page Setup... and Printer... options.
Thes screenshots show the Print dialog first with the Adobe PDF 7.0 files installed and then without—note the many disabled features in the second screenshot.
I now feel trapped into keeping this vintage, dysfunctional printer driver. I'm wondering whether something went missing from my CS5 or CS6 installations—an Acrobat component that would replace Adobe PDF 7.0 and allow for a full range of printing options in Illustrator.
I've also spent a ridiculous amount of time dealing with this problem and seem to be getting nowhere.

Alright, I've now taken a closer look at the recommended link.
I downloaded the Acrobat 9 PPD file and placed it in the Illustrator CS5 Presets folder. Then, in the Print dialog, I had to navigate to that PPDs folder to actually load the file; however, once chosen, it remains the default option. (From what I understand, the Acrobat 9 PPD file is analogous to the specific printer PPD option that I was choosing before—e.g., Brother DCP-145C—but allows for custom page sizes.)
Once my job is ready, I can click Save to save a PostScript file to my chosen location. From there, I can convert that PostScript file to a PDF using Preview. (This latter part was news to me, and is helpful to know.)
So this works... But I'm still not saving a PDF directly from the Print dialog, and I still have no access to the Mac OS's Printer or Page Setup options (which were enabled prior to my removing all the Adobe PDF 7.0 stuff).
So is this it? Or am I missing something? The recommended link is rather vague about support for the 'Create Adobe PDF' command from the PDF menu in the Mac OS print dialog box, saying that "InDesign and Illustrator sometimes don't support this feature, depending on the version you are using". In my case, it was clearly supported, until I removed the Adobe PDF 7.0 files.

Similar Messages

  • Printing to PDF from Illustrator CS4

    Hi,
    I have been having serious issues with Illustrator  CS4, working on my files and then at the end going to print to PDF and the message reads; "can't print the illustration" ... It is happening even if I have a blank document containing nothing. Could someone please shed some light on this, as I am working on such large files and the 'save to pdf' is not really a great option as it barely reduces the file size.
    Thanks!

    pcdgolf
    If you don't tell us about your system and your fonts and all that stuff and what you are doing then there is no way of seeing what is going wrong being as vague as is humanly possible is not helpful.
    Tell us about the OS your application fonts, telling us what is important and not important is not a good idea if you do not understand what is going on.
    For instance Mylenium's posting suggestion it is not necessary to save to print to pdf because Illustrator is native to pdf. It means you can open an Illustrator file in Acrobat no need to even save it as a pdf unless someone requests it. Or if you turn off the pdf compatibility option.
    So if you tell us what information you like and don't like or what information you want us to know and not know we can't help.
    By the way even if the you do not use fonts in a document there still may be a problem with the fonts and font cache, even if that does not make sense to you.

  • Why can't I print a PDF in Illustrator CC for the Mac-Yosemite?

      I've tried PPDs and Save as mentioned here.  Nothing works.  I get blank PDFs.   This worked fine on the PC, but as soon as I switched to Mac I get no PDFs in illustrator.  I need this functionality.  Thanks in advance for your help.

    If both file >>  save as >> .pdf work f and printer to the pdf writer are not working try reinstalling/upating acrobat.
    If you have distiller try reprinter to a .ps file, and distilling that to a .pdf.
    What is the fils size on your .pdfs are they really low as if empty?

  • Lost ability to print to .pdf in Illustrator 6

    When we had to reinstall OS 10.4.11 Tiger, we lost the ability to print to .pdf in our old Illustrator 6.
    Tried to add Adobe .pdf 7.0 to printer list. We have Acrobat 7 Standard. Seemed to allow the add but printer cue keeps jumping to "jobs stopped" on its own when try to create file.

    Hi Gary, might try this...
    Mac OS X: About the Reset Printing System feature ...
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1341?viewlocale=en_US

  • I can't print to PDF from Illustrator CS3

    I have been using CS3 for a while now, but the last two jobs I have attempted to print to PDF with have failed. I get the message, "Can't Print the Illustration" and then the following error message:
    %%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%
    %%[Page: 1]%%
    %%[ Error: invalidrestore; OffendingCommand: restore ]%%
    Stack:
    -save-
    %%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
    %%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%
    Can anyone PLEASE HELP!!!

    There's either an offending object or a corrupt font.
    You can try these:
    1. first make a copy of the file.
    2. Select All/Convert text to outlines and make PDF. Does that work?
    3. If not, start a new file. Copy and paste each item individually to the new file and try to make a pdf each time. You will soon work out the offending item.

  • Print to PDF in Illustrator running Leopard OS

    i cannot print to a PDF file (as opposed to saving to PDF) from Illustrator now that i have upgraded my operating system to Leopard. any suggestions?

    using Illustrator CS3 and running Leopard 10.5.6. the only option available in the print dialogue for a printer is "Adobe Postscript File". all drivers appear to be present, but even selecting a printer will only allow me to save to a postscript file. when i was running Tiger OS, i was able to print direct to PDF; that option has disappeared.

  • Can't print to PDF from Illustrator

    Yesterday i suddenly could not save as a PDF from Illust. After reading the
    forum about this I deleted the settings information. Saving to PDF now w
    orks but printing to PDF now fails Message: Can't print Illusrtation.
    Can't print from Acrobat. Can't print a simple box in an new document. Any ideas?

    wt,
    You may try to delete the preferences again, or you may try to Move the folder

  • Print to PDF from illustrator CS3

    CS3: In the Print dialog box, with Adobe PDF 8.0, I select the Printer Setup dialog box. Under the Layout pulldown menu I have PDF Options (settings) and Printer Features. Then select the print button to Save to File and name with the option to browse where you want the file.
    The Problem:
    Since I installed CS4, the PDF Options is no longer available in CS3 and Save to File does not come up, can not rename and no option to direct file. The pdf file does show up on the desktop. This is happening on 2 machines. Both running Mac OS 10.4.11. One is Mac Pro Quad-Core Intel and the other a Power Mac G5 dual. I have CS2 loaded as well on each of these.
    A third PowerMac G5 Dual which is using Adobe PDF 7.0 has the pdf options, renames and can direct, but the files get stopped in the Printer List (CS3). Starting Job again does not work. This happened also after installing CS4.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    Hello Zuc,
    The problem is the lousy version CS4 that conflicts with the Lousy version CS3. I believe you have to uninstall Lousy version CS3 to make Lousy version CS4 work (or vise-versa).
    But you are not alone, PC users have the same experience (they are using the same lousy software):
    http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.59b7e6db/0
    So you have to choose which version is less harmful. Is sad that Adobe is not longer reliable with new technology. Please let me know when CS4 gets an update. Thank you!

  • Problem saving files to PDF in Illustrator CS4 [Mac]

    Hi all,
    I'm having a problem with saving files as PDF's in illustrator CS4 - something I've happily done for years until about a week ago.
    It seems to be something to do with the "Save As" command. When I select Save As and then select PDF, the PDF saves as a copy of the current file rather than it saving as a file itself. It also doesn't rename itself properly. Saving a file in the .ai format seems unaffected.
    The multiple page function also seems to be affected - I can create multiple pages no problem, but upon saving the PDF reads as a single page PDF in both Acrobat and Preview. Reopening the same file in Illustrator reveals that the extra pages are there, but not showing in the PDF.
    Any thoughts? I've trashed preferences and repaired permissions, but no joy....
    Any help greatly appreciated

    Have you entered specific artboards in "use artboards"?

  • Adobe PDF Printer not working in Illustrator since 9.3.2 update.

    Greetings all,
    Since updating Acrobat Pro to 9.3.2 I've not been able to print to PDF from Illustrator using the Adobe PDF Printer (Adobe PDF 9.0 in my printer list).
    I've tried several restarts and have also removed the printer and run the Repair Acrobat Installation from the Help menu of Acrobat to reinstall the printer, but problem remains.
    I've also tried printing from other programs (namely Thunderbird, Firefox and Photoshop) and the printer has worked fine so I suspect this my be isolated to Illustrator.
    No error messages are given and the Illustrator print jobs are listed as Completed in the printer job list but no files are created.
    I've got a work-around, printing to Postscript file then converting to PDF in Distiller and it seems to be working fine, but not my ideal solution.
    I've checked for updates in Illustrator but none are available.
    System details:
    OS X 10.5.8 (MacBook Pro 15", around 2.5yrs old)
    Adobe Creative Suite CS 3, Acrobat Pro 9.3.2, Illustrator 13.0.2
    Any ideas?
    Many thanks,
    Dave

    I've never liked the Save As PDF option in Illustrator. Though the quality is excellent, in my experience it creates bloated PDFs that are often too big to email.
    Take for example the file that prompted my original post. If I print to PDF (or in this case use my workaround, creating a PS file, then converting to PDF in Distiller) using my Hi Rez preset, the final PDF is 648K. If I Save As PDF using the same preset, the final file is 5.5Mb! A ridiculous size for a CMYK flyer measuring just 134x70mm.
    The reason for the size increase is obvious when the big pdf is opened in Illustrator: all the bits and pieces outside the artboard and on hidden layers are all preserved. In reality, it's just the same as the original Illustrator file seeing as Illustrator's native AI format is pretty much a pdf in all but name only.
    Do you know of a way to use the Save As PDF command that eliminates the unwanted material and gets the file size down? That would really make my day!
    What I wish for is an Export To PDF command as found in InDesign. That seems to give the best of both worlds.

  • Cannot print a pdf off my mac 10.6.x. I can print all other files Epson printer  'Cancelling'

    Cannot print any pdf from my mac to Epson printer
    I can print all other files except pdf
    Using the most updated Adobe Reader XI
    Using the latest driver for the printer from Epson
    Using a USB cable
    Whats up?

    I have the same problem, I cannot print ANY PDF file from my Mac running 10.8.5 Mountain Lion and using Adobe ReaderXI 11.0.4 I have verified that all files print properly when printed from within Preview or within Libre office. There is no option in the Mac Adobe reader to reset the installation like there is on Windows. I have also tried deleting reader completely and re-installing and the same behavior.

  • Can't Print to PDF

    I don't understand why I can't print to pdf from any Adobe project, InDesign, Acrobat Pro, Reader, etc.

    I'm sorry, I didn't clarify in my original post that I was on a Mac. Thank you for your suggestion CF McBlob, but from InDesign, Acrobat Pro and Reader, I tried to print to pdf (which all 3 of them display the option to do so), but a message appears saying that printing to pdf isn't supported in print dialog. I don't have any issues with exporting and saving as a pdf.
    I needed to print to booklet as a pdf with the pages in correct page imposition. The file needed to be emailed to other stakeholders within the company to print as they needed.
    Adobe used support printing to pdf on Macs:
    http://wwwimages.adobe.com/www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/feature-details/acrobatpro/p dfs/creating-pdf-files-using-the-print-command-mac.pdf
    Upon talking with support, I learned that Adobe no longer supports the print of pdf driver for the Mac. They discontinued the driver a couple of years back. This is because Apple's Preview popularity. However, I still needed the booklet option for print to pdf which Preview doesn't have.
    Create Booklet solves this problem. You can open your pdf in Preview and select Create Booklet from the PDF dropdown list.
    Create Booklet:
    https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/21068/create-booklet
    -or-
    http://download.cnet.com/Create-Booklet/3000-2088_4-86349.html
    Hope this helps those struggling with the same issue as I did.

  • Printing to PDF from AI makes Random Thicken Lines

    This is my first time ever posting because after seaching this forum over and over...I can't find my answer.
    Problem: I am working on an AI file created in CS3 that contains linework from AutoCad 2008. I did not import this linework because I didn't feel like redoing all the lineweights, instead I just printed a pdf from AutoCad and opened it into Illustrator. All of that worked very well.
    The problem arises when I want to save as a pdf or print to pdf from Illustrator once my drawing is done. Some of the linework that originated in AutoCad is randomly thickened in the middle. So a segment of the line that has a stroke of .48pt when printed shows up like the middle of the line segment has bulged out to 6pt stroke. Very random lines all over the drawing.
    I have looked for inconsistancy in both the Cad file and AI file to determine what could be making these lines "bubble" in the middle.
    I will post the Ai file and pdf if it helps...I am desperate for a solution as this problem is super bizarre and really slowing me down. Has anyone had this problem and has a solution?
    thanks in advance

    General Acrobat Problem Steps
    If you are having problems creating a PDF, there are two steps you should do FIRST
    Go to the appropriate vendor web site and apply all updates to the program you are using (several recent messages have concerned problems with MS Office conversion, with the response that different versions of Office have different BUGS that must be fixed by a download from Microsoft - and MS Office products are not the only ones which may, from time to time, need to be updated to work properly)
    Apply all updates IN NUMBER ORDER
    Acrobat Update http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=1&platform=Windows
    Also, for Office 2007, see if this Microsoft product will work for you
    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4D951911-3E7E-4AE6-B059-A2E79ED87 041&displaylang=en

  • I can't always print to PDF but can figure out why...

    For some reason I can't print to PDF in all applications, but I can in some. For instance, I can with Word but not with say Illustrator or Safari or even Preview.
    I've tried deleting and adding the printer, both as Generic Postcript and Adobe PDF 3016.102 (the only option when I choose Adobe). I've also searched for a while thinking it was a driver issue or something.. Maybe that I have Acrobat Pro on my Intel back but I installed Adobe Reader, the Intel version, and that didn't seem to work.
    Does someone know why this is happening and what I can do to fix it? It's not a total pain because mostly I use it when print PDFs with Word, but the fact that others don't seem to work bugs me.
    I thought it might be because Word is still PPC, but so is Illustrator so that didn't make sense to me.

    Hello Doug,
    The ability to print pdf's is not dependent on the installed driver. The OS X printing system converts all print jobs to a pdf spool file with a job ticket. It is also not necessary to have Acrobat Pro or Reader installed to generate a pdf or view it. The Print window provides the option to print to pdf even for non PS devices such as inkjets.
    Can you explain what happens when you do try to print to pdf from Illustrator or Safari. Do you get an error or does the job seem to process without a document being generated? If you are not sure about the error you can open the Console application and have a look at the entry /var/log/cups/error_log.
    Also, have you tried to print to pdf via the Print window or have you always tried to print via Adobe's driver?
    Paul

  • Is it possible to retain 100% k when printing to PDF

    I print to pdf with photoshop, illustrator and indesign. i do this to reduce file sizes, mostly to send a proof to a client. however, i also use the pdfs in indesign when preparing large documents that first go to a printer then to go online. depending on the technology the printer is using, i can get away with 'print to pdf' pdfs and their press does not print the black in four color process, but other printers with older technology requests all blacks to be 100% k. It's not a big deal, as i can 'export' to 'smallest file size' with similar outcomes of size for posting online, i was just curious....

    Thank you Mike, I do not work at a printer so am unfamilar with their programs and technology.
    per your notes above: i do export to pdf, i do output Color Conversion set to 'Convert to Destination (Preserve Numbers),
    i do: Destination 'US Web Coated (SWOP) v2 and Don't Include Profiles. Using these settings the pdf will have 100k blacks as 100K in the pdf and the images should have the same values as read in Photoshop.
    i do: have .joboptions provided by some printers
    and i always check my pdfs in Acrobat<output preview.
    however, since posting and per your post, i have figure out....
    if i had created an .ai (advertisement to place in indesign) document using some 100% k elements....
    if i print to pdf in Illustrator: in the 'print' dialog box file<print<setup (with printer: Adobe pdf selected), (window pops up with: 'Continue' or 'Return to Print Dialog') select Continue<Preferences: under default setting choose: PDF/A-1b CMYK, then hit 'OK', then hit 'Print', then you will be back at the original print dialog box, from there go to the 'advanced tab' and choose<overprints<preserve (to eliminate knock-out, which i need to send to a printer.) However, after all that, the ad is still a couple or several megabytes, unlike the regular 'print to pdf' document that will be a couple hundred k or less. It sometimes can be better than orginal .ai placed docs, if they run 10, 20 or more megabytes....

Maybe you are looking for