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TMLank
TMLank
Participant
July 23, 2020
Answered

Measurements Changing in Word to PDF Conversion

  • July 23, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 1075 views

I use Word with gridlines to map simple line-based outlines before converting to PDF for use in a laser printer/etcher (e.g. a box). I'm noticing a problem. Acrobat is downsizing the measurements. I created a 6"x11" pattern that Acrobat shrank to roughly 6" x 9". I haven't run into this problem before. Any ideas on how to fix it?

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Correct answer Dov Isaacs

Some quick observations:

 

(1)    From your description and the fact that in the Word document, the graphic objects are not grouped in any way, it is impossible to determine exactly what object or objects you are referring to. Provide the simplest possible sample with only the problematic object and we might be able to better track what is occurring.

 

(2)    Yes, using Acrobat's PDFMaker (Save as Adobe PDF), we get the same PDF file you attached. But you also get roughly the same PDF file if you use Microsoft's built-in Save as PDF. Both depend on the same EMF graphics and text stream produced by Word and then do their own PDF conversion from same. The fact that both PDF files show similar graphic results is indicative of the problem –whatever that is per (1) above – being in Word and not in anything from Adobe or in the resultant PDF file.

 

(3)    For what it is worth, Microsoft Word is a word processing program and not an illustration program. The type of content you are producing would be much more readily, reliably, and consistently created and edited in an llustration program either from Adobe (such as Illustrator) or other software vendors.

 

1 reply

Dov Isaacs
Dov IsaacsCorrect answer
Legend
July 23, 2020

Some quick observations:

 

(1)    From your description and the fact that in the Word document, the graphic objects are not grouped in any way, it is impossible to determine exactly what object or objects you are referring to. Provide the simplest possible sample with only the problematic object and we might be able to better track what is occurring.

 

(2)    Yes, using Acrobat's PDFMaker (Save as Adobe PDF), we get the same PDF file you attached. But you also get roughly the same PDF file if you use Microsoft's built-in Save as PDF. Both depend on the same EMF graphics and text stream produced by Word and then do their own PDF conversion from same. The fact that both PDF files show similar graphic results is indicative of the problem –whatever that is per (1) above – being in Word and not in anything from Adobe or in the resultant PDF file.

 

(3)    For what it is worth, Microsoft Word is a word processing program and not an illustration program. The type of content you are producing would be much more readily, reliably, and consistently created and edited in an llustration program either from Adobe (such as Illustrator) or other software vendors.

 

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)
    TMLank
    TMLankAuthor
    Participant
    July 23, 2020

    Thank you. This helped out a lot. When I plugged the PDF into Illustrator the proportions were preserved correctly. 

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