FAQ Suggestions and Corrections

Report · Dec 04, 2000

This thread is available so you can recommend suggestions and corrections to the FAQ.

Please add only FrameMaker FAQ related entries here.

Please post software-related questions to the regular FrameMaker and FrameMaker+SGML forums and topics. Do not post them here. This topic only concerns suggestions and questions for the FAQ.

Thanks!

Sean

Report · Dec 04, 2000

Strong Message:

Questions unrelated to the FAQ are subject to deletion. Sorry, but it is important to keep this topic on-topic.

Thanks,

Sean

Report · Dec 06, 2000

Test message. Feel free to post FAQ suggestions of corrections here.

Report · Dec 18, 2000

What about FrameMaker to On-line Help?

Report · Jan 02, 2001

Does this meet the need?

Sean "WebWorks Publisher and Online Help" 1/2/01 11:33am

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Jan 23, 2001

Sean,

I think we need an FAQ entry dealing with Save As PDF. If I remember correctly, you rely on this method, but it is a method that tends to get new users in trouble. Once they know enough about the process, they might use it successfully, but new users should follow Arnis' oft-repeated advice: pretend Save As PDF doesn't exist.

This topic would also have to deal with properly installing the Distiller Printer, but that could be a separate FAQ entry as well, don't you think?

Jeanie

Report · Jan 24, 2001

Jeanie:

How does this work?

Sean "Problems Creating PDFs" 12/4/00 1:48pm

Let me know.

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Jan 24, 2001

Sean,

I know, I know: everybody's an editor, but how about this?

To create a PDF from FrameMaker make sure that you have installed the Acrobat Distiller printer instance. This is NOT done by using the Add Printer option found in Start > Settings > Printers. Instead:
1. Download the latest Adobe Universal Printer Driver Installer from Adobe.
2. Make sure you have the latest PPD file available. You will be asked to find it during printer installation.
3. Double-click the .exe file to install the driver you downloaded.
4. When you are asked for the PPD file, browse to find it on your system.

Now you will have a printer instance called Acrobat Distiller. Use this printer when you create PDF files or when you create PostScript files from FrameMaker.

Do not use Save As PDF! This seems handy, but doesn't let you control Distiller job options. Instead:
1. From your Frame file or Frame book file, Print.
2. Make sure to select Print to File.
3. Make sure that Acrobat Distiller is the printer selected. It is good practice to make sure Acrobat Distiller is the default printer for your system before you go from Frame to Acrobat.
4. Distill the resulting postscript file.

Using watched folders can make your Frame-to-Acrobat tasks nearly automatic. See the Acrobat Guide for more information.

***
Sean, I think that your post may give the beginner a little too much information they won't understand until they've been at this for awhile. The "If you are outputting to a service bureau..." part for example. I think the FAQ should answer the questions for beginners. As they gain more experience and confidence, they will start to do things your way--the daring Save As, for example!

Your troubleshooting ideas are great. Can you add, under the b&w or grayscale PDF problem that it might be caused by selecting Spot as Black in the Frame print dialog?

Hope I'm not too much a pain about this... Also hope I didn't mess up the details in my suggestions...

Jeanie

Report · Jan 24, 2001

"As you wish." <g> Sean sean@quodata.com

Report · Jan 24, 2001

nice! Thanks to both of you.

Report · Jan 24, 2001

DK, thanks to you for sanctioning this adventure!!

Sean

sean@quodata.com

Report · Jan 24, 2001

I just wave the baton... Adobe gives us the space. My thanks to them for giving us the ability to share among ourselves and help one another out.

Report · Mar 09, 2001

How about the good old missing fonts issue? You're welcome to grab content from my web site www.techknowledgecorp.com/help/help.html if you want, then massage it into a format for this forum.

Report · Mar 15, 2001

Done:

Sean "Missing Fonts Error" 3/15/01 6:46am

Thanks for the thought. Check it out and let me know if it meets the need or needs tweaking.

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Mar 29, 2001

From reading all the replies so far,it appears to me that there is not a consistent answer to the problem of deleting empty pages in FrameMaker documents which appear after updating a book.
Can one of you experts summarise the procedure for this because the online manual states the obvious: use pagination..delete empty pages or assign a master page to empty page. None of these work.

Report · Mar 30, 2001

There were a lot of screenshot discussions within the last weeks. A summary of them might be helpfull for the community.

Report · Apr 09, 2001

> > How about the good old missing fonts issue?
>
> Sean "Missing Fonts Error" 3/15/01 6:46am
> Check it out and let me know if it meets the need or needs tweaking.

You could also consider linking to my web page

http://w1.133.telia.com/~u13304072/framers/fonts/unavailable.html

for a more in-depth explanation.

/Thomas

Report · Apr 09, 2001

I'll get to these this week, I promise ;?).

Report · Apr 29, 2001

Sean,

Still waiting for someone to summarise an answer for deleting empty pages.Will it be done?

joe

Report · Apr 29, 2001

I got sidetracked and busy. I wrote up my thoughts on screen captures and it became a 40-page paper. Obviously, I have to reduce that for here.

As for deleting empty pages, I'm not sure that is such a big issue, I don't see it a lot. Let me post to the forum first, not the FAQ, and see what turns up (see Sean "Deleting empty pages--anyone having trouble with this?" 4/29/01 10:47am).

Cheers,

Sean

Report · May 09, 2001

Forum changes moved this topic and removed a FAQ written to address the blank pages issue. I'll recompose it. In the meantime, the link mentioned in the previous link goes here: Tim Murray "Deleting empty pages--anyone having trouble with this?" 4/30/01 2:09pm.

Report · May 09, 2001

I re-created the blank pages FAQ here: Sean "Blank Page Issues in FrameMaker" 5/9/01 6:44am.

Please note any suggestions and corrections here, in the Suggestions and Corrections thread.

Sean

Report · May 09, 2001

Thanks for all that, Sean! Your efforts are much appreciated.

Report · May 09, 2001

Thanks.

It is made all the easier by forum denziens who stay mostly on-topic and who can be categorized as a decidedly "ruly" lot.

I am still, slooowwwwwwllllllyyyy working on reducing my 40-page graphics capture paper to something that I can post here.

Cheers,

Sean

Report · May 09, 2001

Okay:

The screen captures thread is up and running: Sean "Screen Captures Exposed" 5/9/01 11:29am.

Bear in mind, this was a solo effort, your opinions might differ . . . but the content should be accurate. Post corrections or suggestions here.

Sean