When is it necessary to use Adobe Distiller?

[annt77764495]

When is it necessary to use Adobe Distiller in the creation of PDFs? I use the Mac OS (i.e. OS X). I export from inside the application Pages. The resulting PDFs look (for the most part) fine. Occasionally, there are apparent font substitutions when I view the exported document in Adobe Acrobat Pro. I've experimented with Distiller but never been successful. This is a typical message. Is Distiller worth bothering with?

[gkaiseril]

Distiller is a program within the programs provided as part of the Acrobat package. Its only purpose is to convert Post Script language files into PDF files. The PS files could either stand alone or an intermediate output form form another program used to create the PDF file.

Have you looked at using the Mac printer's option to create a PDF file?     

[Test Screen Name]

There should be an option in the print dialog "Create Adobe PDF" or similar. Try that, it will use Distiller.

[AadeshSingh]

Hi annt77764495.

The Adobe Acrobat Distiller application converts PostScript language page descriptions into Portable Document Format (PDF) files. The Acrobat Distiller control interface, present in version 7 and later of Acrobat Distiller for the Macintosh and Microsoft Windows platforms, allows other applications to pro grammatically control the Distiller program.

Fonts are an important consideration whether you are an application developer writing applications capable of embedding fonts or accessing embedded fonts within a file or using Distiller with font technology.

Helpful links :-

• Creating PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Distiller‌
• Working with Acrobat Distiller, fonts, and more | Adobe Acrobat Developer Center‌

Regards,

Aadesh

[jane-e]

Using Adobe Distiller is old technology, and there are newer, better ways. Here is a paper written by Leonard Rosenthal that will explain it thoroughly. He calls it "refrying".

http://www.gwg.org/wp-content/uploads/attachments/f121c163fa679f86977235da32290812.pdf

Whenever possible, convert to PDF from within the program. Apple has a support page for Pages to PDF, and there is an Export command from within Pages:

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH23606?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US

Hope this helps,

Jane Edwards

Adobe Certified Instructor

[duane_3366]

I tried to uninstall adobe but the distiller component remains and it slows my system down.  They should make this an option. I have no, zip , zero interest in this leech of software.