FM 2020: Generating PDF in Single Tone for Paper Printing

[Bob Giant]

Is there anyone to give more information or to tell useful tips for generating PDF in single tone for paper printing?

Product: FM 2020

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I think people are going to need a bit more info - you're working in Structured FM, correct? Are you all patched up? Are you creating PDFs currently? Maybe you can explain what a "single tone" PDF is - I've never heard that term before.

[K.Daube]

«Maybe you can explain what a "single tone" PDF is - I've never heard that term before.»

It my be graycsale ?

[Bob_Niland]

My guess would be half-toned grayscale, but then, I've never heard the phrase either.

[Bob Giant]

Yes, I think you are right. I mean half-toned grayscale is an accurate word, and "single tone" is broken English used in only Korea (I guess).

Is there anyone to tell me any detailed configuration or set up for half-toned grayscale paper printing in FM 2020?

[Bob_Niland]

If the result desired is B&W halftone, I don't think that FM offers that post-processing of output images. Further questions might include whether patterned or dithered haltone is desired.

Even if FM had the feature I'd probably not rely on it. When I had the requirement years ago, I would use Photoshop to flatten to dithered, optimized for the exact dpi & dot gain of the in-house printing process, save as an EPS copy. Usually some adjustment of the grayscale was required pre-flattening.

[Winfried Reng]

I would assume that it is easiest to adapt the PDF and not try to achieve this in FrameMaker.

[Bob Giant]

I think you are right. My engineers and I are using FM 2020, and handling DITA XML as well as EPS graphic resources, trying to produce half-tone grayscale PDF.

Now I am doing my own research on managing PDF. Can you give more information or tips for adapting a PDF in order to generate half-tone grayscale PDF?

[Winfried Reng]

Hi Bob,

Acrobat Professional has a preflight tool with which you can change your PDF.

Other tools that I heard of are:

Callas pdftoolbox

PitStop professional

In the German Wikipedia article about preflight there is a list of tools. Not in the English version.

Best regards

Winfried

[StudioSm]

When printing to PDF you have this option:

Will that do for you?