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"Save as PDF" feature [Mac OS® only]
Clicking the Printer button (not the Print button) in print dialog boxes on the Apple® Macintosh®
takes you to the operating system's printer dialog. The PDF button at the bottom of the dialog
box opens a pull-down menu with PDF options. These options are a function of the operating
system, and do not invoke Distiller or any other Adobe process. The Save as PDF function is an
Apple operating system capability, and does not provide flexible control over color handling, nor
have any options for font embedding (although embeddable fonts are embedded and subset by
this process). Consequently, a PDF created with the Save as PDF function may not be appropriate
for CMYK-based commercial print workflow. Some Adobe applications do not allow you to use
this system function, but non-Adobe applications allow you to use it.
If your workflow requires that you submit PostScript files for RIP processing, consult the vendor
documentation for your system before creating PostScript. Some vendors require that you use a
proprietary, vendor-specific PostScript Printer Description (PPD) as the target when you create
the PostScript file. Such workflows may limit editability and repurposing PDFs. If you are not
required to use a vendor-specific PPD, generate device-independent PostScript. Generally speak-
ing, you should keep the following guidelines in mind when creating PostScript files:
• Use PostScript Language Level 3 whenever possible, if your RIP is compatible with
Level 3.
• Include fonts in the PostScript.
• Add the file extension .ps to the PostScript file. If the file is processed through
Distiller, the PDF will be given the same name, but with the extension .pdf. Some
Windows applications, such as Microsoft® Word, may automatically add a .prn
extension; Distiller recognizes both .prn and .ps extensions. If you are submitting
PostScript to an imposition process, consult the documentation for that process to
determine the correct naming convention.
• Choose an appropriate PPD file for your output device. If there is no vendor-specific
PPD, use Adobe PDF as your target printer. Even if you do not plan to process the
PostScript file through Distiller, using the Adobe PDF PPD provides maximum flex-
ibility in print options and media sizes.
Helping Customers Prepare Files for Submission
Educating your customers makes your life—and theirs—easier on many levels, and as a result
also builds customer loyalty. It's very helpful if you provide reference materials outlining correct
procedures for job submission. Do you prefer native application files (for example, an InDesign
file plus support art)? Advise your customers on proper usage of InDesign's Preflight (greatly
enhanced and customizable in CS4) and Package features, and point out the forensic tools built
into InDesign and Illustrator that can help them find errors before sending their files to you.
For example, Illustrator CS4 now includes a Separation Preview function, and you can create
and share custom InDesign Preflight profiles with your customers. See the "InDesign CS4" and
"Illustrator CS4" sections of this document for more information.
Macintosh PDFs
The Save as PDF option available in print
dialog boxes does not use Distiller to
create PDF files . You have no control over
color handling .
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Printing Guide
9
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