Inspiring

Answered

Vector PDFs?

Forum|Forum|14 years ago
October 20, 2011
5 replies
101882 views

Sorry if this is a really dumb question (my background is web design, and I do the odd bit of work in Illustrator and InDesign), but is there anything special about a Vector PDF, or are PDFs just a vector (supporting) format?

I'm asking as I've just done some business card designs for a client - the printers I use just print from hi res JPGs, and I've had clients need the designs in PDF before.

I use Fireworks quite a bit, so I usially do the design in FW, export out as a hi res 300dpi JPG, drop the JPG into InDesign, and export out the PDF.

With this job, a Vector PDF is required, so just wanted to check if that's what I'm getting anyway, or if I need a different workflow / export option to create a Vector PDF.

Thanks for any clarification.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Abambo

By having access to Indesign, you should create any document in Indesign and use other tools (Photoshop, the (now phased-out) Fireworks, Illustrator etc) as supporting tools. Export from Indesign to PDF by setting the relevant parameters to what ever your service provider recommends. If raster images, however, are not in the required quality, they want change to that quality just by outputting a PDF.

Abambo

Correct answer

Community Expert

By having access to Indesign, you should create any document in Indesign and use other tools (Photoshop, the (now phased-out) Fireworks, Illustrator etc) as supporting tools. Export from Indesign to PDF by setting the relevant parameters to what ever your service provider recommends. If raster images, however, are not in the required quality, they want change to that quality just by outputting a PDF.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

voletyk68477232

Participant

Hi,

I'm assuming that you're trying to convert raster vector image to pdf which can be done easier with lot of tools available online.

Please do try and let me know so that will help you if possible.

Abambo

Community Expert

You're answering to a 7 year old question. It's very improbable that the problem still persists.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

voletyk68477232

Participant

Though it's a 7 yr old question it has not been closed. So answered it.

C

CHMprepress

Inspiring

Iain71

You better start learning to make printfiles in Illustrator and Indesign. Fireworks is no the right tool for this.

Mike_Gondek10189183

Community Expert

Once you bitmapped a file(in your example when you make this a .jpg), you cannot make it vector again by dropping it in InDesign and making a .pdf.

I don't work in fireworks, but suspect it is similar to photoshop. So elements like type, smart Objects, vector masks and shape layers are vector elements, and as long as you save to .pdf that infinite vector resolution will be retained.

What I suggest you try is save to .pdf (use high quality or a print setting) directly from fireworks, open that .pdf in Illustrator, do a CMD Y so you can see what elements are vector.

J

johngordon12Author

Inspiring

Thanks for all of this.

I guess what I don't quite have in my head is whether 'vector PDF' is a particular kind of PDF, or means it had to contain vector graphics?

I tried exporting the PNG out as PDF from FW, but wasn't an option.

Would dropping the PNG into InDesign be an option?

These are the requirements:

Any images/photographs should be in TIFF format, or maximum-quality JPG;

and at a resolution of 600dpi

-Your artwork should be output as a (vector) Press Quality PDF (with

embedded fonts and images).

-Final artwork submitted to us should be created suitably for

high-resolution 4-colour process lithographic printing.

So something there about embedded fonts that I'm not too sure about either.

I can get that this sort of stuff might apply to a larger project, but is it just me, or does it all seem a bit OTT for a business card?

Or is it more to do with the printing than source material?

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

Iain,

Ah.

What they mean is:

Create the actual artwork as vector and keep it vector,
Do not Type>Outline, but keep the live Type and embed the fonts (that happens by default),
If the document contains raster images, make sure the resolution is 600PPI,
(Implied if relevant, unless lower for rugged appearance reasons, set Effect>Document Raster Effect Settings to 600 PPI)

I can get that this sort of stuff might apply to a larger project, but is it just me, or does it all seem a bit OTT for a business card?

Even a business card has rights.

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

Iain,

or are PDFs just a vector (supporting) format?

Yes. You may have a glimpse here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF

When Illy helps you create vector artwork, and you Save As PDF or Print to PDF, (that part of) your PDF will be vector; in addition, you may have raster images and raster effects in the same document, without any issues or differences in workflow. You should make sure that you meet any requirements concerning PDF settings.

J

johngordon12Author

Inspiring

Thanks Jacob - that's what I was starting to think - never really heard them referred to as Vector PDFs before!

The only particular setting was CMYK - in the past I've just accepted the default setting when exporting out from InDesign - had a look just now and didn't spot anything.

Its only a simple design with a white background and two colours of text, so I can't imagine it going too far wrong!

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

Iain,

The CMYK is set in Illy. I was thinking of things like PDF/Acrobat levels, font embedding, and special PDF subsets such as PDF/X, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF/X.

But as you say, the dangers should be limited, if you have the colour management right (you may start looking here, ignoring the fact that it is written for Photoshop):

http://www.computer-darkroom.com/home.htm

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