Can't get my pdf to save at 300dpi despite flattening and exporting press ready

[jenniferw31022785]

I have never had this happen before. I flaten my artwork using 'high resolution'. I use 'save a copy' I define my pdf export as 'press quality' without the 'preserve illustrator capabilities". I use bicubic downsampling to 300dpi. It keeps showoing up as 72 dpi. What am I doing wrong? please help!!!! I'm late on this print job 😞

[jdanek]

The resolution you are referring to is image resolution and if you set 300ppi i your settings, then that is what you will get ( upon output ).  Not sure where you are seeing 72, that may be your preview file.  Most direct to plate workflows use 5480dpi / 300ppi for a output halftone screen of around 150lpi.  So, if you set your PDF for "press quality", you should be good to go.

[jenniferw31022785]

Hi jdanek,

Thank you for responding. Would you mind expanding your answer if I give you more information? You're more advanced than I am and it would help me figure out what I'm doing wrong. When I say that it keeps coming out at 72dpi, I think it might be the preview file I;m looking at like you said, I'm attaching a screen shot of what I see. But also, when I upload my picture to my pritnt it says low resolution. 

[Monika Gause]

That is a screenshot of Adobe Bridge?

Looks like it is a pure vector logo. So resolution really doesn't matter. At all.

Please describe step by step what exactly you are doing and what exactly you are "uploading" (what do you mean by that) where.

[jdanek]

Instead of Export, use "Save As A Copy" > in the dialog choose Adobe PDF > Press Quality.  The default settings are going to give you, in theory, high resolution upon output.  Make sure you embed the fonts.  I did a Save As on an EPS file and checked File Properties.  There was no reference that I could find mentioning resolution.  Tell us where you are seeing that and in what app.  In PDF settings, resolution is setup in the compression fields.  Vector elements remain vector, images and document resolution ( things like gradients ) are set at 300ppi ( Press Quality ).

[Test Screen Name]

PDF files don't have a resolution. Not at all, so don't look for one. Of course, a PDF can contain images, and each one will have a resolution, perhaps different. So you might want to check for the MINIMUM resolution used anywhere in a PDF. Acrobat's preflight can do this, if you set it up right.  Now, what are you seeing? Well, a number of apps have a space to show resolution, and they don't like to leave it blank, so they show any old junk! This is terrible design in those apps. Try to ignore them.