Big struggles with PDF's

[defaultfpu944rkipzz]

Hello everyone,

I have become painfully aware that using photoshop for the type of document I have been creating for PDF purposes is not very ideal. However, I am really hoping that someone out there can help me with my 2 remaining issues.

1) The document must contain my logo, which I unfortunately cannot successfully export without it looking pixelated and compressed. I have tried everything I can think of by now.

The original file is an EPS file of 6946 pixels. Exporting this does not look good. So I have tried a number of other solutions, without any success. I attempted the EPS file as both CMYK and RGB - same results. I have exported the logo into PNG, both original size and the exact size needed for the document. I have tried exporting it as PNG for web, exported it to SVG (also as CMYK and RGB).

I believe I am using the correct PDF export settings. All intents are on preserving quality and not downsampling or using compression and remain the highest quality.

Attached to this thread are 2 files. In both files you can see that the lines are not straight and smooth, which is the common issue both the logo and images experience in the result of exporting my PDF's.

Moving on to the second issue

2) In exporting my documents my images again does not look well. I have the idea that my images experience the same issue as the logo in export, but I really am lost as to what I can do to fix this. The photos as well as the logo are of high quality. This is not a problem of the source files not being of good enough quality, which results in less desired quality in export.

My documents are created for my photography website, and they contain a lot of images so it is very important for me to find a solution to this.

Thank you kindly in advance, for anyone taking the time to read this and or possibly try to help.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you please post screenshots with the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Options Bar, …) visible? 

How did you place the logo-eps? As a Smart Object, pixel layer, …? 

Does the eps truly contain vector data? 

What are the psd-files pixel dimensions and resolution? 

How do you place the photographies? 

What pdf settings do you use on export? 

[defaultfpu944rkipzz]

Thank you kindly for this response,
Below I have tried to answer your questions as detailed as possible.

Logo placement

Place embedded - resize to 200px - pixelated
Place embedded - convert to smart object - resize to 200 px = pixelated
Place linked - convert to smart object resize to 200 px = pixelated

This is only for the EPS file.
For all other versions (PNG, SVG, JPEG conversions I have tried to just place and resize the pixels. For PNG I have attempted to resize the file on forehand and place as embedded I believe).

Additionally I want to mention that the logo must not remain EPS. I merely received it like this from the creator and it has until now, always worked well to just place it as such. If another file format is preferred I can attempt to change this.

EPS file

Honestly I am not sure. Someone I know opened the file in Illustrator to check. I believe it is, but see screenshot for further details

PSD file size

1920 x 4616 pixels 300 dpi

Photography placement

Original files: 5760 x 3840 pixels 300 dpi
Placed and resized to: 3 small ones: 570 x 380 pixels & 2 big ones: 860 x 573 pixels

Tried to resize the 3 small images to 570 pixels each, and place them as embedded.
(Process is Save as - Filename - JPEG options quality 12 / Format options Baseline optimized

Resizing resulted in same unfortunate look

It is worth mentioning that it is not only the look of the logo in the images I am trying to resolve. The edges of the white box in question is also not displayed straight but also has (what I believe you refer to when you say) staircase effect.

Save Adobe PDF settings

Adobe PDF Preset: HIgh quality print modified
Standard: None / Compatibility: Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4)
General - nothing ticked in
Compression - Do not downsample / Compression: None
Output - Color converstion: No conversion / Don't include profile

I may be doing something wrong somewhere, but hopefully either of you can spot it if that is the case.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

The logo seems simple enough to work as Shape Layers in Photoshop, so try copsing it in Illustrator and pasting it as »Layers«, that way Paths can be output as Vector content in a pdf. 

[defaultfpu944rkipzz]

Thank you for this tip.

I had someone create this file for me as I do not own Illustrator (only photoshop and lightroom). His process was: Open the file in Illustrator, select all, copy
Open new file in Photoshop, paste -> select paste as layers option

I then open that PSD in another tab, and drag it over to the tab with my PDF/

It does make the logo look great after the PDF export. However, it increases the file size of the PDF by a lot and thus lags the opening process of the PDF. The original PDF file size is 130MB and with the pasted PSD file the PDF is now 840MB. I find this very strange as the PSD logo-pasted-layer file is only 256kb. 

Why is this and what can I do about it? 

[PECourtejoie]

HEllo, even 130MB is a huge file.

Are the images smart objects?

Did you try to do some layer management before converting to PDF (first saving the PSD, then merging some layers together, but especially, selecting not to keep the photoshop editing capabilities would reduce the size tremendously)

[defaultfpu944rkipzz]

The images were indeed not smart objects, so I tried to convert them to that. Additionally I also merged all fill layers and converted that to smart objects (that creates the design and section separation). Additionally I also opened up the PSD with the new logo and resized it to 250 pixels before placing it into the PDF PSD. I have never kept the editing capabilities in my export settings.
If I export the PDF with the same settings (highest quality, in an attempt to solve the image quality issue) as I mentioned above in my export settings, the file size still remains the same. Thus the opening also still lags.

However, if I export the PDF with "Save for fast web preview" the file size is drastically reduced to an incredible 3.37MB. I am no expert in this so I am not sure if I can safely use this option and be happy with the reduction in file size or if I must make some other changes?

In any case, I have attached a screenshot of the file overview as well as one screenshot in which you can see the entire PSD structure. Text layers have been converted to shapes (To my knowledge, I must convert text layers to shapes to not have the PDF lag upon opening, at least with the way I unfortunately created these PDF's), images to smart objects, fill layers merged and converted to smart objects, logo processed as mentioned above.

 

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, it is very strange not to see a huge file size difference when unchecking the PSD editing capabilities, as it stores a PSD file inside the PDF. What's the weight of the PSD file?

How does the 3.37 MB file look? Do you intend to have that document press printed?

[Grant H]

Also, your logo has angles that lower res just loves (not) so you will need to export at a good resolution to minimise the staircase effect, but you already know the real answer here. To combine vector and raster PS is not the proper tool.

[defaultfpu944rkipzz]

Thank you kindly for your response Grant H

When the original PSD file is created in 1920 x 4616 pixels 300 dpi, what do you consider to be a good resolution?
I have indeed learned the hard way that creating a text document in photoshop with the purpose of it becoming a PDF is not desireable. However, I have created 20 documents before I knew this (I also dont know InDesign or own it unfortunately) and I am now trying to make the best out of this situation.

[Grant H]

can you send me (upload) 1 pic and the logo in vector format. Maybe I can work out a decent workflow.

[defaultfpu944rkipzz]

Thank you, that is so very kind of you to offer! Above someone had a suggestion that is in the works right now. If that does not work out (don't want to make you have to put in effort if it is not needed), I will take you up on this kind offer.