How can I set 'Adobe PDF printer' as one of my printer choices?

Question

Level 1

112 points

How can I set 'Adobe PDF printer' as one of my printer choices?

I've given it half an hour. Can't seem to figure out how I can set 'Adobe PDF printer' as one of my printer options. I'm not sure if I need to download an Adobe file, and what folder I might need to place it in, and if I also need to add a specific driver.

I'm trying to create a PDF file that printers and outfits like www.lulu.com will accept. Printing an MS Word document via 'Adobe PDF printer' will allow me, I'm told, to produce a suitable PDF file.

Ideally I'm producing the original document in Pages - but I've been told by printers and lulu.com et. al. that no one out there likes PDF's produced by Pages ("not professional").

Any suggestions you might have would be most appreciated...

Ben

MacBook Pro 2.16 Intel Core Duo, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Oct 10, 2010 10:04 AM

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Answer 1

Euchre

Level 4

1,275 points

Oct 10, 2010 10:12 AM in response to Ben Low

By default, OS X can print anything to a PDF. If you look at the print dialog at bottom left, there's a PDF button which offers a menu of options. This should be available in any application. As for the suitability of the file for printing by others, you'd have to ask them. I'm not sure why they would call a PDF from Pages 'unprofessional', because a PDF is basically a rastered image of the file when printed, and normally embeds any fonts (non-Asian at least) when the file is created. I believe when you create a PDF from OS X itself, it is purely a rastered version of the page you were working on, so there should be no rendering issues with fonts or formatting.

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Answer 2

Kurt Lang

Level 9

70,261 points

Oct 10, 2010 11:31 AM in response to Ben Low

I assume you've installed Acrobat Pro? If so, it should automatically have added the Adobe PDF printer to the system.

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Answer 3

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Oct 10, 2010 11:34 AM in response to Euchre

Hi Euchre,

The problem seems to be that when Pages exports to a PDF, or 'saves as', or 'prints' to a PDF it someone changes the 300 dpi image to 72 dpi. Something about a 'quartz' filter.

So the PDF arriving at the printer is no longer 300 dpi, but 72 dpi (among other things).

I'm still trying to figure out how I can find/instal/set Adobe PDF printer as one of the choices when I go to print a document from MS Word?

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Answer 4

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Oct 10, 2010 11:51 AM in response to Kurt Lang

Hi Kurt,

Yes I did instal Acrobat Pro ... last year or so. I'm on the road so I don't have the app on disk with me. The Adobe PDF printer doesn't seem to be appearing automatically in my choices for a printer in either MS Word or Pages.

And when I try to 'add' a new printer it does see 'Adobe PDF 7.0 printer but it seems to also require a "location" and a "Print Using: Please select a driver or printer model"

I'm not sure where I'd need to go looking (what folder) to see if it's actually in the computer? Or what the file itself looks like. I do a search and just get a lot of 'document' files.

Ben

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Answer 5

Kurt Lang

Level 9

70,261 points

Oct 10, 2010 12:06 PM in response to Ben Low

So the PDF arriving at the printer is no longer 300 dpi, but 72 dpi (among other things).

Right. That's what Apple's built in PDF generator does to raster images. There's no way to change that, making it useless for print production.

And when I try to 'add' a new printer it does see 'Adobe PDF 7.0 printer but it seems to also require a "location" and a "Print Using: Please select a driver or printer model"

That means it's looking for the PPD. For version 7 of Acrobat Pro, in the /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/en.lproj/ folder, there should be a file named something like ADPDF7.PPD. That's what it's looking for as a driver/printer model. There also needs to be a file in the /Library/Printers/PPD Plugins/ folder with a name like AdobePDFPDE700.plugin.

If those are missing, you aren't going to be able to create a PDF file from the Adobe PDF printer.

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Answer 6

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Oct 10, 2010 12:26 PM in response to Kurt Lang

Thank you Kurt, I'm about to go looking...

And. I got some filters recommended by Yvan Koenig, installed them, (removed the Mac filters), and I swear it looks like the rastered Pages shadows are staying 300dpi when converted (through 'print') to PDF.

I've sent the test off to a buddy who is a 'real' graphics person to check, and to check how close this Pages made PDF might be to a Lulu.com protocol (or whether or not I could take the Pages PDF and convert it to something closer to the protocol using distiller or Acrobat Pro.

And. I'm going off to look for those files, thank you so kindly for the folder hierarchy. Perhaps MS Word to PDF will be the way to go in the end.

All the best,

Ben

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Answer 7

LilyLC

Level 4

2,834 points

Oct 10, 2010 12:32 PM in response to Ben Low

Ben Low wrote:
Yes I did instal Acrobat Pro ... The Adobe PDF printer doesn't seem to be appearing automatically in my choices for a printer in either MS Word or Pages.

And when I try to 'add' a new printer it does see 'Adobe PDF 7.0 printer but it seems to also require a "location" and a "Print Using: Please select a driver or printer model"...

Ben,
In addition to Kurt Lang's information, your computer should have those files if you chose to install the Adobe PDF printer when you installed Acrobat Pro. If your computer has those files then try the following: Launch Acrobat Pro, go to the Help menu and select "Repair Acrobat Installation." In the pop up window, check the box next to Adobe PDF Printer, and continue to follow the prompts.

Afterwards, reboot your computer. Then launch a program and see if Adobe PDF 7 is an available printer. You should not need to manually add Adobe PDF Printer with the Printer Setup Utility.

Note: the above is for Acrobat 8. I cannot remember version 7, but it might be called "Dect and Repair."

HTH

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Answer 8

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Oct 10, 2010 2:36 PM in response to LilyLC

Thank you most kindly Lilly,

I could have spent days hunting for that concise instruction. I've done the fix, it works, I'm a super happy camper.

Now if I can just find a way to export out a Pages document to some form of PDF that the printers and the lulu.com et. al. will accept ... I'll be an even happier camper.

Very much appreciated, all the best,

Ben

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Answer 9

Kurt Lang

Level 9

70,261 points

Oct 10, 2010 2:45 PM in response to Ben Low

Once you call up the print dialogue and choose the Adobe PDF printer, click on the pull down menu under the orientation icons and choose the PDF Options. As far as I know, Pages still only works in RGB, so you don't want to choose PDF/A-1b (CMYK). Most likely you'll want to use one of the much newer versions, such as PDF/X-3, or PDFX4. Best to contact your provider and ask which one they prefer you use.

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Answer 10

LilyLC

Level 4

2,834 points

Oct 10, 2010 3:31 PM in response to Ben Low

You're very welcome, Ben. Glad it worked! 😉

Ben Low wrote:
Now if I can just find a way to export out a Pages document to some form of PDF that the printers and the lulu.com et. al. will accept ... I'll be an even happier camper.

Now with the Adobe PDF Printer, you will "print" not export your Pages document. Once again following on the heels of Kurt Lang, consider using Lulu's Adobe PDF joboptions. After you install it per their instructions, in the Pages print window, select PDF Options, and next to Adobe PDF Settings, choose Lulu.

Also, see Lulu's directive on color.

Good luck. ~L

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Answer 11

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Oct 10, 2010 6:43 PM in response to LilyLC

Hi Lilly,

I downloaded the Lulu Adobe PDF joboptions file ... but it didn't come with any instructions on how to install or use it. I just have the file. I opened it with a double click and got Adobe Distiller - and I can 'see' what the settings are, but I'd love to understand how to install it so it becomes a selection when I export from Pages.

I'm going to carefully follow your instructions / and peruse Lulu again - to see if I can figure out how to use the joboptions file correctly.

Ben

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Answer 12

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Oct 10, 2010 7:05 PM in response to Ben Low

Me 'n' Adobe ...

In 'print' mode: when I open the options for the Adobe PDF 7.0 the one choice I have is AdobePDFPDE700 which has a line drawn through it ... and a pop up box that appears to tell me:

The bundle "AdobePDFDE700" could not be loaded because it does not contain a version for the current architecture. (Contact the bundle's creator listed here for the latest version. AdobePDF 7.0.0 Copyright 2003, 2004 Adobe Systems Inc. etc. etc. etc)

Every time I get involved with Adobe (with the exception of Photoshop) I find myself detouring and detouring ... continually moving AWAY from what I want to accomplish.

I will head off to Adobe ... but I have no idea what I'm really looking for. I'm cool about things like 'drivers' ... but 'bundles'? Not part of my perhaps limited lexicon.

The leaves are turning wonderful colors in Quebec today...

all the best,

Ben

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Answer 13

LilyLC

Level 4

2,834 points

Oct 10, 2010 11:34 PM in response to Ben Low

Ben Low wrote:
I downloaded the Lulu Adobe PDF joboptions file ... but it didn't come with any instructions on how to install or use it. I just have the file. I opened it with a double click and got Adobe Distiller - and I can 'see' what the settings are, but I'd love to understand how to install it so it becomes a selection when I export from Pages.

Forget the Lulu instruction about double click to install. Quit Acobat Distiller and Acrobat Pro. Move the Lulu joboptions file to the Adobe PDF Settings folder. The path to it is:
HD/Library/Application Support/Adobe PDF/Settings/
or
HD/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings/

You're in the right folder when you see other joboptions files already in the Settings folder.

Next, launch Pages and open your document.

From the File menu, select Page Setup. In that window, select Adobe PDF 7 for "Format for," choose your paper size, orientation and scale % and click OK.

From the File menu, select Print
In the Print window, be sure the Printer is Adobe PDF 7
Click on Layout for a pop down list and select PDF Options
To the right of "Adobe PDF Settings" click for a pop up list and select Lulu
Click Print

HTH 🙂

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Answer 14

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Oct 11, 2010 6:01 AM in response to LilyLC

Superb!

Thank you LilyLC. First breakfast. Then I'm going to follow your instructions 1,2,3. Maybe this will all turn out just perfect without me having to fret and steam and burn up brain cells for the next three weeks.

Will report back shortly...

Ben

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Answer 15

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Oct 11, 2010 7:55 AM in response to LilyLC

Hi LilyLC,

It's the very last instruction which is giving me a bit of grief. On the 'layout popdown' menu there is no "Adobe PDF Settings" to click.

The one 'Adobe PDF' choice I have is "AdobePDFPDE700" which has a line drawn through it ... and a pop up box that appears to tell me:

The bundle "AdobePDFDE700" could not be loaded because it does not contain a version for the current architecture. (Contact the bundle's creator listed here for the latest version. AdobePDF 7.0.0 Copyright 2003, 2004 Adobe Systems Inc. etc. etc. etc)

I never use this version of Acrobat Pro on my laptop (I use the one on the tower, now 3,000 miles away). So I notice I have about a dozen 'updates' to do to bring AAPro up to date. I will try that - but it looks like a day long process. If you can think of anything else it might be, that is derailing this seemingly simple process, I'm all ears.

And thank you mucho for your help so far ... invaluable.

Ben

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