When importing a PDF with images, Photoshop CS6 adds faint outlines to the PDF image segments in the file. Prior versions of Photoshop render the PDF correctly. See the attached image for an example.
Its an display error in the way Reader handles the PDF -> If you put Reader in "Druckfarbenvorschau"-Mode (Print colors preview-Mode?) the lines disappear.
And every single version of Photoshop before CS6 would correctly rasterize and display the PDFs without white lines. Thats not a Problem of Indesign or Illustrator because since PDF 1.3 was introduced these white lines are present - in every software known to man that is able to produce pdf 1.3. Even if you go the "traditional" route of printing postscript and creating a PDF with Distiller.
Summarized: CS6 import algorithm cant rasterize PDF 1.3 and the blame is shifted onto the creator of the PDF - for using PDF 1.3. Its not dependent on the tool used, there is not a single PDF 1.3 (with pictures) in existence that gets rasterized correctly by Photoshop CS6
I tried it with PS CS4 with many different resolutions, but I never got these lines. In CS6 you can't use the pdf import. So I have to keep the CS4 just for this.
And imagine that I don't only want to open my own PDF files. It is an essential function for all graphic designers working with customer files.
Fix it please.
And it is a pity that these lines are visible on screen even in the newest Acrobat PRO XI.
The PDF import works -but you either need to disable antialiasing on import, or make sure that your PDF files are not saved with flattened transparency that writes tiled images and causes the artifacts.
Please read the previous comments. The file would be fine if you turn of antialiasing, if you rasterize it at the original resolution of the images or higher, or if you saved the PDF without the tiled images.
This is not something we can easily fix in Photoshop. This really has to be fixed at the source of the bad PDF files.
Yes, you can turn of antialiasing - if you like pixelated fonts and vector elements. These *bad* PDF files worked ever since CS6. And we don't work only with our own PDF files. Why and how did you broke it up in CS6?
Please read the previous replies. Photoshop CS6 has improved antialiasing. The older antialiasing just rasterized at a higher resolution and downsampled - which showed the artifacts less often, but could still show them.
The problem is still there in those tiled image PDFs, even in older versions of Photoshop.
Chris, please define 'improved antialiasing'. If its causing all these problems then it doesn't sound like an improvement to me. The old version worked, the new one doesn't. Simple.
Chris, please read my comment completely. I don't only work with MY OWN PDF Files. And as you might know the printing companies (all I work with) require PDF/X files with flattened transparency. Therefor I have a lot archived PDF files in this format and it always worked in CS4. I NEVER had these lines before. And sometimes I need to rasterize some of the older PDF files AND CUSTOMER PDF files. Shall I tell them, I am a professional designer working with the latest Adobe Photoshop version, but I can't work with your Adobe PDF files? How come it is possible to PRINT these files correctly (and required), but they cannot be displayed correctly on screen in Adobe Acrobat *PRO* XI and cannot be opened correctly in Adobe Photoshop CS6?
As Nigel said: CS4 works / CS6 works not. And this issue is known for more than 7 month.
A last time before I start to scream: Its not a Problem with the PDF File. I can even replicate this error when using copy and paste between Photoshop and other CS6 applications. Turning of antialiasing is a stupid idea because fonts will not be displayed correctly. Its not dependent on the resolution youre rasterizing at. I can't find one single instance where somebody somewhere on the internet said something bad about the PDF Import of Photoshop CS5 and prior. But everyone is complaining about the new import.
What you offer Chris is not a workaround or even a fix. Photoshop CS6 import is broken and thats it.
And the worst part for me as a customer is that you continue to refuse to accept it. Thats a slap in the face of customer who depend on this feature to work.
PLEASE read what I have written. The problem is, 100%, the PDF files.
We have been working on this, looking at all the issues and options -- and with the files written as they are: they cannot be rasterized without artifacts except at resolutions higher than the original resolution of the images.
Whomever made the choice to slice up the images in the files made mistakes - they did not consider what would happen when the document was rasterized at other resolutions.
Photoshop is not broken. The files are broken and Photoshop is simply showing that more often now because of the improved antialiasing (improved quality overall, when the PDF file isn't fundamentally broken).
We are still working with the groups that produce the broken files to see what can be done (we've already exhausted ideas for how to render the broken files - nothing worked).
I have read what you have written and understand what you are saying. But, the issue is that the tool we're relying on to produce acceptable results (ie Photoshop) is no longer doing so. We do not always have the option of being able to redo the PDFs, often having to work with PDFs generated by somebody else some time ago and therefore beyond our control. As someone else said these are often pre-press PDFs made as PDF 1.3 compatible for PDF-X/1a (as still used by a large section of the print industry). I appreciate that the PS CS6 rasteriser is sharper than the previous version and looking forward I would love to see PDFs that never have white lines on them, but for the time being my immediate problem is that PS CS6 cannot produce a decent rasterised image from certain PDFs, therefore I can't use it for that purpose. It's fine saying the rasteriser is improved, but if that creates another problem then that needs to be addressed.
your last sentence (including the one in brackets) is something we, your customers, want to hear: "yes, we are working on it - we did this and this to eliminate the error".
Please provide us with updates on a regular basis, so we can see that something happens.
Once more: don't take this easy! I guess if all users which are concerned by this issue would post here, the thread would burst.
Saying this: can you tell us something about the priority, this issue has on your scedule?
The PDFs are broken, and cannot be rasterized without artifacts unless you use a higher resolution, or turn off antialiasing (and even that might have some artifacts depending on the resolution - I haven't done enough testing without antialiasing to be confident that it'll always work).
I appreciate that you can't always fix the files. But we don't have a choice here. CS5 and earlier still showed artifacts on these files - just at different resolutions from CS6. The files have always been bad, you just didn't notice it as often in earlier releases. Having done more testing and been looking for it -- I've seen the artifacts all over the place with these tiled image PDF documents.
We cannot go back to the CS5 antialiasing because it had huge problems with artifacts in many documents. Right now the CS antialiasing only has problems with some PDFs that contain tiled images (aka bad PDF files that can't rasterize well). CS6's antialiasing is still the better choice overall, even if it does not work well for your particular files.
We've tried to find a way to rasterize these tiled images without artifacts, and have not found a way to do so (despite having the best people in the business working on the problem). We are still trying to get all the different groups together to work out the issue - but it's not an easy issue since many of these bad PDFs are already out there.
Sadly, my team's priority does not match up with the priorities of the InDesign, Illustrator, rasterizer, AGM parser, PDF flattener, etc. teams that need to be involved. Again, we are trying to get everyone together to work this out.
then, could you hand this thread over to someone of the other teams who's in charge of fixing this problem (and - of course - willing to talk about it with us customers)?
That would be nice!
Same issue..
Still waiting for fix from adobe.. because this is not cool in professional application to have such bugs..
And in my opinion its only normal to have some PDF with flattened transparency..
Its not only PDF problem.. its not possible to copy vector objects from illustrator without those "glitches"
Same with PDFs from quark etc.
In CS5 i could open print PDF and check if there will be everything ok in print.. but now its not possible in CS6.. So only solution i found was to use CS5.5
AND other bug i have found is if you copy vectors from illustrator (5x5mm square) than in photoshop after paste it's in some 104% x 96%.. bigger the object smaller difference.. for objects below 2mm its even biger.. so if you making some web object 20x20px and paste in small square from illustrator.. in photoshop its not square any more..
I think photoshop CS6 have some problem between millimeter and pixel convertations
Whats the reason to add more effects and features without thinking about main functions. World is starting to go down 🙂 everyone wants just profit without giving enough quality...
So, after my last post is allready one (in numbers: 1) month old, I celebrate this anniversary with a little "remind me"-post.
Chris: if you still read this thread, can you tell us something new? I think everybody who subscribes to this thread is eager to hear something from Adobe!
The paste problem is probably because you have the "snap transforms to pixel boundaries" enabled - which will distort fractional pixel dimensions to whole pixel dimensions (as designers asked).
And we still haven't gotten the PDF folks on the other teams to discuss the problem (despite the rasterization folks repeatedly telling them that the files can't be rasterized without artifacts).
Hi Guys, I too have been tearing my hair out with this one...its making me double handle files to try and work around. Say for example i have to send a high res PDF ad to a publication normally Id use indesign, print to postscript and distill my files with the PDFX 4:1.3 settings to flatten transparency properly for certain RIPS. In many cases a plain press ready pdf file is not suitable and I need to flatten in this 1.3 setting.
Some end users of my file may prefer to flatten all their supplied files by converting them in photoshop before printing to save any issues. Im scared im going to send a PDF, that may pass photoshop on the otehr end and end up with these lines and marks, so im supplying a PDF and a flat JPEG in some cases to the publications. Silly, but safe! I have noticed if I export from indesign with the regular 'press' setting and open that PDF in photoshop its fine and smooth and no lines from the transparency....
BUT if I print to a Postscript file from indesign and distill that to pdf with the same 'press' setting, it will not work in photoshop and the lines are back. So the probem must surely be in indesigns flattener transparecy setting on print to postscript or in Distiller. So strange, Ive been playing with settings for HOURS to find the best solution. What a mess, I hope they fix this soon im on creative cloud CS6.
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