Problem Creating Postscript File with FrameMaker 7.2

My advice for fixing this PS issue is to reinstall the Acrobat 7 components that shipped with FrameMaker 7, and to use Save As PDF from FrameMaker. As for all the other debate in this thread, I'm staying out of it. ;-)

Arnis- At no time have I ever suggested using any "Generis PS Printer". I have suggested adding a PS printer such as Tektronix 550 using their printer software (not installing the printer using the Windows software). And yes using the Tektronix 550 does do what you question (proper PDF). This is what I used to have color and B&W manuals commercially printed.

Rebecca- I may suggest that you find out who installed your PS printer. No you didn't create a PS file with a postscript driver, you did it with your postscript printer. Suggest you check your PS printer properties and verify that it's the latest Postscript Printer Driver. It should be 5.2 (5.2.3790.97) and make sure you are using the current PPD for that printer. Sounds like the person that installed it used Windows PS driver. If you don't know how to verify this, ask . By the way, and to clarify something both the Adobe PDF printer and the your PS printer should have the same Postscript Printer Driver. If they did, then there would have been no problem. It's the pPD that determines what features, etc., the PS printer has.

Arnis-If my Tektronx 550 and your Adobe PDF printer use the same Postscript driver, (5.2 (5.2.3790.97) then the result will not be different. The only difference what my printer does that yours does not.The Adobe PDF printer allows you to do Postscript Custom Page size (a plus)mine uses the usual Letter, envelope, etc. We both have the same Postscript options, Graphic Qualirty etc. In otherwords if I had a Tektronix printer to print my jobs, I would be able to make settings before pinting.

Yes BTW tried using a GENERIC PRINTER, bad mistake, I and no one else suggested using a GENERIC PRINTER. By the way, neither of my systems have a generic PS printer. Throw in one more PS printer in this round, if you use WebWorks their "WebWoks Rasterizer" can also be used to generate a PS file to be distilled, and it works as well as your Adobe PDF printer.

Art- Congraduations on your wiped out by PS code.

1adobe_user--If you can burn a CD, try copying the FM files and give your colleague the book to see if he has the same problems you have. If so, I still believe the problem is one of the chapters that causing the book to stop. Fix the chapter and you solved the problem. Suggest that you try creating a PDF for each chapter and see if you get a working PDF. My Other suggestion is try using the book and again do a "Print select files" and keep adding one more chapter and generate a PDF (chapter 1, OK; chapter 1 + Chapter 2, OK; Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3, error) You need to find out which chapter is causing your problem.

On your question-which version of FrameMAker creates PS files, they all can if you use either the Adobe PDF printer or have installed a valid (not generic) PS printer. Even if your Adobe PDF printer was installed with Distiller 5, you should be using the latest Postsript driver that would be used with Distiller 7. This is the first thing to check Adobe support asks when PostScript questions come up.

David- The answer is NO.
The only thing that Optimize for speed and optimize for portability is how fast the PDF opens and how large the file size.

Sherman, you really "won't be told", will you? LOL

Dov Isaacs is one of the (if not *the*) PDF technology gurus at Adobe.

Helge, I recall Dov Isaacs saying on this forum that he was not aware of any issue which could be resolved by changing "optimize for speed" to "optimize for portability". What do you think it would achieve?

Helge- unless I am missing out on something, I do not see a setting for "optimize for speed" or "optimize for portability" in Adobe PDF (at least not the version I am using)

Sherman- I tried Save As pdf the same book again and this time I set PDF Conversion to Standard. Again, there is an error, but this time it is a different error and it stop at some other page

%%[ Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: load ]%%

Stack:
/C.22.304547
/devnimg

I have no problem creating pdfs (either thru PS then Distiller or straight Save As) the page(s)/ files which were suppose to cause the Distiller to produce an error when I tried to print the whole book. In other words, I can create pdfs as long as it is not done thru Print Book. Really strange.

My colleague and I do not share folders thru internet. Each of our work is done standalone thru individual PC.

Art- don't quite get you on the possible "network timeout issues". All the FM files and graphic links are on my stanalone harddisk.

I have checked my Temp - Windows and other temp and I am surprise to find there is no trace by Distiller even if there is an error. Looks like Distiller flushes out its trace (from temp) everytime it stops processing.

One thing I am not clear is do different versions of FrameMaker creates PS files different assuming I always use the default Adobe PDF printer? Or, maybe PDF Adobe printer is dependence on the version of Distiller one uses?

Sherman,

While I'd love to take credit for pointing you toward the PostScript God's powerpoint presentation, that was Arnis. Possible everything after the "Ar" is being wiped by bad PS code....

;- )

Art

Art- The Dov Isaacs document you referred me to was date in November 5, 2001, one would hope that things have changed with Distiller in the 5 years. Adobe has released a number of Acrobat and Distiller release since then. I read the article and I find nothing in this document that says use only "save as a book" or that there is anything wrong with setting up a Postscript printer, generating a PS file and distilling it. Do you have any other sources to support your belief that creating a PS file and distilling are wrong?

Even the second article that you referred me to says that adobe has offered an automated process has been available for some time.
A primary example of this latter issue is that of the route that users take to produce PDF from an application. Since Acrobat 3, Adobe has provided an automated method under both Windows and MacOS via the print command from every application to produce PostScript, distill that PostScript into PDF, delete the PostScript file, and open the new PDF file in Acrobat in what appears to the user to be one step. Yet, we continually hear the most basic questions from licensed Acrobat users as to how to create PostScript files and then manually 'feed them' to the Distiller as if they were using Acrobat Release 1!

As distiller has changed over the last few years, one must realize that there are setting that must be made to get usable PDF that Isaacs speaks about, in other words you dont use Distiller out of the box settings. Those that use the automated way to create a PDF should wake up and realize the distiller they have installed either with FrameMaker or Acrobat has to be configured using Distillers menu options and dialog boxes. The automated process dialog box is for distiller options is not complete.

From what I read in the second article, if the user knows what settings, options, use of Type1 fonts, and what knowledge of PS printing, the use of a PS printer will result in a PDF that is no different then the automated one. In fact if everything is done right the automated PDF and the manually one will be identical. Adobe has offered the automated system, Issacs calls it set and forget to take out the PostScript printer settings required, they have not taken out the need to configure distiller.

Sherman, I just did a very quick test. I have an FM document about 70 pages long, some colour graphics, nothing too fancy, in draft form so a few missing diagrams and stuffed xrefs.

I made a .ps file using Distiller and distilled it. No problems.

Then I made a .ps file using the postscript driver for our black and white printer. Postscript produced with no (obvious) errors, but it wouldn't distill (a syntax error). I'll admit I was surprised about the error - I expected to just end up with a black and white PDF.

So the PDF definitely depends on the postscript driver. Distiller isn't the only driver around that supports all the postscript features PDFs need, but seeing as it's designed for making PDFs, why not use it?

Cheers, Rebecca

Art- 1adobe already said he has checked his temp files and the size of his HD, he has 23 GB, he's not "sucking up hard disk space". He also has had all files open.

Arnis- Will have to disagree with you also. I have no such problem using postscript printers setup using their PPD and drivers. Where in the word do you get these ideas that the Adobe PDF is the only printer to use and if you don't you get the list you quoted.

And thanks for the links, will check these out now.

1adobe,

If you've been able to get Distiller 7 installed but the problem is still present...

Try opening all the files in the book in FM before printing to eliminate any network timeout issues.

One other thing you may want to check is how full your \temp and\or \Windows\Temp directories are; those are the directories usually used by Distiller as working directories. In particular, aborted processes may leave them littered with temporary files that are sucking up space and should be removed.

Art

Thomas-- there are 400 topics in FrameMaker forum. A search on the name "Doc Isaacs" in this forum turns up just one entry, "1adobe_user" (the one you are reading NOW). Since I don't have time to open and read 400 forum topics, maybe you are willing to share with us where or what topics Doc Isaacs has left his mark?