Bad resolution on PDF export

[grogbro]

When I export a PDF the quality is so much poorer than my original PSD. I am using the High Quality Print preset.

On the left is the PSD and on the right is the PDF. I believe as the Destination setting I used something called "US - Web" which I suspect might be the issue but I am not sure what to choose out of the enormous list of 'destinations'.

[JonathanArias]

what size is your photoshop document? what is the resolution? what size did you make the document in indesign?

[grogbro]

I apologize, the original is in Photoshop and I was doing Save As in Photoshop as a PDF, using High Quality print and I got the above result. Indesign wasn't involved in the process, yet. But, I am thinking that maybe Indesign has a better PDF exporter?

The image is for a box cover with a fairly hard template for me to setup with my very limited knowledge of InDesign. So, I was using the PDF template they supplied and I opened that in Photoshop, applied my box lid image, and exported as PDF. To the above result.

[Laubender]

Hi grogbro ,

all default PDF export settings will downsample your data if your original PhotoShop artwork is highres. That means more than 450 ppi effective resolution. Change that in your export. Do a custom preset for export. Say no to downsampling.

Regards,
Uwe

[Bill Silbert]

If you have enlarged the image in InDesign from its original Photoshop size then you can expect a loss in quality when exporting to print or pdf through InDesign. Remember, that as the size of a raster image increases the resolution (and quality) decreases.

[grogbro]

the PSD image is around 3300 x 3300 pixels, or so, and its at 300 dpi in the settings. I think my export to PDF settings are off maybe.

[BobLevine]

Moved to the Photoshop forum

[JonathanArias]

3300 pixels is about 11 inches. it is perfectly fine to place that photoshop file on to indesign and let indesign make the .pdf for you. and you can even keep your photoshop as RBG and let indesign convert to CYMK by selecting the print .pdf option too

so my question was how big was the document size you had in indesign? was it bigger than 11 inches by 11 inches?

[Mo Moolla]

Check your compression settings on export in the pdf preset screen. Use the High Quality Print module. Compatibility Acrobat 7.0. Turn off ALL compression settings i.e set compression to none and Downsampling to Do not Downsample.

You will get a really big file size but quality should be good

Let me know

Mo

[grogbro]

Thank you! I will try that when I get home. I think your suggestion on 'Do not downsample' and setting compression to None is exactly what I need to get this thing out

[Mo Moolla]

Keep me updated and best of luck.

Mo

[Test Screen Name]

Compression "none" may be a useful emergency test, but it isn't for general use. For lossless compression, choose "ZIP". The image will be identical to None.

[Mo Moolla]

As you will notice the original file was 16 bits/channel. The only think abut the IP format I dont like is that there is no 16 bit/channel option so effectively it drops 16 bit to 8. With Compression set to NONE you can choose 16 or 8 bit/channel manually

[Test Screen Name]

Thank you for pointing that out, I was not aware that Photoshop had this limitation. It is not a limitation of ZIP format, but it seems Photoshop does not do it if you are using 16 bit.

[Mo Moolla]

No worries. And please excuse the pink highlights, Just borrowing the wife's MBP Retina so she has all her highlights set at pink lol