How to sharpen a faint document?

[Guest]

Hi,

Is there any way to sharpen a faint pdf document using Adobe 9? (I will be content if I can only get a sharp printing but not document.)

I can upload some of these documents if needed.

Thanks in advance.

[~graffiti]

You may want to upload one since we have no idea how it was created or what the actual problem is.

Also, what version of Acrobat are you using? Do you have any other Adobe applications (such as Photoshop?)

[Guest]

Ok here's an example:

[~graffiti · Accepted solution]

Since it's only a scan, there's not a lot Acrobat will do to help.

You would want to use Adobe Photoshop and possibly adjust curves and levels there.

[Guest]

Thanks for your help.

I don't know using Photoshop. Is it suitable for mass editing (100+pages)?

[~graffiti]

If the issues with each document is similar, You can create an action and run that in batch mode yes.

[Guest]

I converted some of the pages into jpeg and lowered brightness it somewhat helps..

[~graffiti]

If you're using Photoshop you'll probably get much better advice in the PS forum but personally, I don't use the brightness. I use Levels and curves. It won't dull or wash out the entire image like brightness.

Also, don't save as a .jpg while you are working on the document. In Photoshop, you can leave it as a PDF or save it as a PSD. .jpg uses lossy compression. Every time you save your .jpg it degrades the image. Kind of like making a photocopy of a photocopy.

Good luck.

[Terry Smythe]

I'm routinely faced with this problem as I convert century old literature into PDF.     I have no idea if there is a standard fix, but what I do is extract the offending PDF page, then while it is still in memory, I 'save as' a JPG, with 'maximum' quality and 600 or 1200dpi selected.    Then open the resulting JPG in my favorite graphics editor and tinker with brightness/contrast to dramatically improve upon the image.    Then save it and insert the repaired image back into the PDF document.     Not quick, although relatively easy, provides an improvement the hard way.      If somebody else has a better way, let us all know.

Regards,

Terry Smythe

Winnipeg, Canada

[~graffiti]

Terry Smythe wrote

I'm routinely faced with this problem as I convert century old literature into PDF.     I have no idea if there is a standard fix, but what I do is extract the offending PDF page, then while it is still in memory, I 'save as' a JPG, with 'maximum' quality and 600 or 1200dpi selected.    Then open the resulting JPG in my favorite graphics editor and tinker with brightness/contrast to dramatically improve upon the image.    Then save it and insert the repaired image back into the PDF document.     Not quick, although relatively easy, provides an improvement the hard way.      If somebody else has a better way, let us all know.

Regards,

Terry Smythe

Winnipeg, Canada

Contrast may help yes.

Again, stay away from .jpg for your working files. Save it as a .jpg (or PDF or whatever) as a last step.

[Terry Smythe]

Here's the same example, now with 2 pages, the original, and the fixed page as a comparison.    Tooks about 5 minutes to do the fix for this single page.

Something to consider.

Regards,

Terry Smythe

Winnipeg, Canada