How do I flatten images while maintaining quality?

[Warm_Hearts_Publishing]

I am publishing PDFs for people to download and print. I am required by some clipart artists to flatten/merge their images into the document so that they cannot be extracted. I use both vector and raster graphics in my PDFs. When I tried one method of flattening using Print Production in Acrobat, it reduced the quality of my PDFs. Is there a way for me to flatten images that maintains the high quality of my graphics in either Acrobat or InDesign? By the way, I do optimize my PDFs.

Susan

[Doug_Hanna]

Unfortunately - I have yet to find a flattening tool that does a great job in performing this work, reliably, and without having to spend a lot of hours of futzing with settings.

The most reliable method I've found to flatten vector & bitmap page objects - without converting everything to bitmaps - is by refrying.  Printing the PDF back through the Adobe PDF printer to generate a new PDF.

Yes, I know I will get a LOT of heat for saying that.

Things to keep in mind about refrying... all interactive objects will be gone (links, bookmarks, form fields & buttons, etc.).  All transparency will be removed.  All blending modes will be flattened.  Trapping will be impacted.  Intents will be solidified.  It is not a process for the faint of heart, weak of constitution, nor if you know not what lurks, as there be dragons!

As such, you may be better off applying simple security to the PDF that prevents folks from copying/extracting objects.  That should meet the T's & C's. of the collateral.

Hope this helps.

Doug.

[Warm_Hearts_Publishing]

Thanks for your help, Doug. I wonder, is there a way to flatten all of the images in InDesign instead? That's where I create my documents.

[Dov Isaacs]

No, InDesign has no such facility. However, you could open the vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator, export as a raster image, and place the resultant raster image in InDesign.

However, note that whatever you do, you will always degrade vector graphics by doing such early rasterization. And for what it is worth, someone can always extract the raster image of the artwork from the PDF file unless you apply security as Doug Hanna advises above, in which case you should be OK with leaving as vector.

And for the record and on behalf of Adobe, we do not recommend “PDF refrying” in that the PostScript generated by Acrobat is designed for optimized PostScript printing, not for generation of PDF, and can yield various problems when PDF is generated via distillation. And there is absolutely no guarantee that the vector artwork will be rasterized or “flattened” in any way whatsoever. (If fact, normally the Distiller does not rasterize vector artwork. The only way PDF vector artwork might be converted into a raster image would be if transparency was involved with original vector artwork.

Two suggestions — either apply PDF protection to prevent extraction or find a new source for clipart. Requiring you to “flatten” (i.e. ruin) vector artwork is ridiculous. Most reputable clipart vendors have no such draconian requirements.

          - Dov

[Warm_Hearts_Publishing]

Thanks so much Dov. I should clarify that the artists requiring me to merge/flatten images are providing me with raster images, however, I do sometimes combine those images with my own vector images in a document. What do you recommend I do in these two scenarios:

1. I make a document with only raster images that are required to be merged/flattened.

2. I  make a document with raster images that are required to be merged/flattened plus vector graphics that are not required to be merged/flattened.

[Dov Isaacs]

In that case, Acrobat security restricting copying and extracting should suffice. The password is strictly for you to change those settings. Those who receive the file will simply see that certain operations are prohibited.

          - Dov

[Warm_Hearts_Publishing]

Thanks for all of your help! One last question. If I make a document with raster images only, is there a way to flatten them or is security the only option?

[marliton]

You can apply a password security for avoiding edit (and extract content) of the PDF.

[Warm_Hearts_Publishing]

Thanks Marliton. I do apply a password security because these clipart artists require that as well as merging/flattening.