large format postscript files

Question

Level 1

8 points

large format postscript files

I have created a large format document 54cm x 69cm and need to make a postscript file for sending to a designer and stone engraver.

I use the print command to make the postscript file. I choose print, then select 'save as postscript' from the pdf drop down menu. However whilst the resultant file shows the text at the correct size, the resultant file itself only makes an 8.5 x 11in portion of the much larger document.

What should I do to get a file of the whole page instead of part of it?

I looked for a way to change the paper size to something larger in the printer settings thinking that may be the problem but they are greyed out. Is it possible to create a sort of virtual large format printer that will allow me to chose a larger paper size in order to create the large postscript file?

Can anyone suggest a solution?

13" Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Jan 27, 2011 6:07 AM

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Answer 1

fruhulda

Level 6

15,167 points

Jan 27, 2011 7:10 AM in response to johntarby

johntarby wrote:
I use the print command to make the postscript file. I choose print, then select 'save as postscript' from the pdf drop down menu. However whilst the resultant file shows the text at the correct size, the resultant file itself only makes an 8.5 x 11in portion of the much larger document.
Can anyone suggest a solution?

Where and how do you know that the size is only 8,5 by 11? Is it when you open it in Preview after you have saves it?

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Answer 2

johntarby Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 27, 2011 8:21 AM in response to fruhulda

Yes I saw it in Preview but I read somewhere that Preview may introduce problems like this so used Photoshop to inspect the file. That is where I noted the dimensions as 8.5x11in.

However I sent the file to the designer who works with postscript files on his PC. He doesn't have an Apple so presumably he isn't using Preview. He told me the file was cropped and that this was probably to do with incorrect paper size being specified somewhere.

Is it something to do with what are called 'bounding boxes' (I don't know what they are), or is that something else?

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Answer 3

fruhulda

Level 6

15,167 points

Jan 27, 2011 8:31 AM in response to johntarby

If it was seen in a PC I can't replicate the problem. Maybe Peter pops in. He might know more about the postscript part and how it wil work on a PC.

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Answer 4

KOENIG Yvan

Level 8

41,819 points

Jan 27, 2011 9:02 AM in response to johntarby

You must define the paper size thru the menu item :

File > Page Setup

You will have to create a custom paper size according to your needs.

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) jeudi 27 janvier 2011 18:02:45

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Answer 5

johntarby Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 27, 2011 9:14 AM in response to KOENIG Yvan

I can confirm the original pages file is the correct size. I can also cnfirm that it will export to pdf and that is also the correct size.

Now I want to save as postscript at the correct size and as I said this is the part where i need help.

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Answer 6

fruhulda

Level 6

15,167 points

Jan 27, 2011 9:24 AM in response to johntarby

I did create a custom size 54 by 60 cm and saved itby going Cmd + P > PDF > Save as postscript. It kept is size. I opened it in Preview, took some time though. I went to print again and in the print window it looked wrong but I could select the right size for the document. How it will behave on a PC I don't know.

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Answer 7

johntarby Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 27, 2011 9:44 AM in response to fruhulda

Well you have followed exactly what I did.

When the print window opened were you able to choose what printer was selected and could you check what paper size could be selected? When I do this it offers me a choice of two printers that I am connected to and neither of which can print much larger than A4.

I think this is the key to it. If I could get my computer to recognise the size, without actually having a large format printer connected, then I think it would work. I am sure the size of the postscript is related to the size of connected printer (and printing paper size).

What do you think? Can you check what printer and size it thought you would print to if you hadn't selected 'save as postscript' ?

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Answer 8

fruhulda

Level 6

15,167 points

Jan 27, 2011 9:49 PM in response to johntarby

I don't have any PS printer. When I went for printing in Preview I got another paper size choice which I last used with my printer. I clicked on the printer button and chose Any printer. I also changed the paper size to correct one. But I can print it with my printer due to the large size.

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Answer 9

johntarby Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 28, 2011 3:01 AM in response to fruhulda

Well that is strange because I seem to have lost the 'any printer' option on my Mac. This seems to confirm my suspicion that something is wrong with my printer options. I am stuck with only my Samsung and Kodak printers available in the drop down choice. Do you know how I recover the 'any printer' option?

I have found (on other web-sites) discussion about the 'page size limit' when creating postscript files, apparently it is a common issue.

However I have quite independently found an on-line application which will produce postscript files from PDFs that provides a work around for my needs, which I will share for the benefit on anybody else who has this problem.

Here is the link for the PDF to Postscript convertor:

http://pdf.my-addr.com/free-online-pdf-to-ps-convert.php

This question will remain unanswered for me until I can resolve this issue within my Mac.

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Answer 10

Feb 2, 2012 4:22 AM in response to johntarby

Did you ever sort this out, or find your "any printer" options? I am having teh same problem of a cropped document when i try to turn a large poster made in pages into a PDF via a PostScript for quality....

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Answer 11

Feb 2, 2012 5:20 AM in response to johntarby

You don't need to choose any printer to either Export to pdf or Print to pdf.

The pdf should be the same size as the original which I assume you have created in Page Setup…

Do not use any Postscript conversions, they are useless and redundant in OSX.

For a start Preview can do conversions for you, if you really must, but which you shouldn't.

The full method to go to pdf is:

Menu > File > Print > PDF (bottom left corner) > Save as PDF…

or

Menu > File > Export > PDF > choose quality

Peter

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Answer 12

Feb 2, 2012 6:02 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Hi Peter,

Thanks so much. The thing is, even when I pick best quality, the PDF just looks really bad. The text is lumpy and ragged, and the whole thing looks ugly. At least the corner of the PostScript made PDF looks lovely...

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Answer 13

Feb 2, 2012 6:21 AM in response to Lauren104

That is a separate issue.

Are you using a lot of transparency/shadows/reflections/Alpha Masks/3D Graphics?

OSX is not kind to transparency and renders it at very low resolution.

Peter

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Answer 14

MegPi

Level 1

0 points

Jun 20, 2012 4:49 PM in response to johntarby

Did anyone ever figure out how to convert a large document (ie poster) into postscript? The quality is much nicer, but I'd like to see more than the bottom left corner.

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Answer 15

Jun 20, 2012 6:35 PM in response to MegPi

See my post above. PostScript is dead and gone. Forget it.

Peter

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