TIP 18: Creating PDF Files from Source Programs
PDFMaker is a set of tools that Acrobat installs into Microsoft Office programs in addition to a main menu item called Adobe PDF. The contents of the Adobe PDF menu vary according to the program, but typically the menu offers the commands Convert to Adobe PDF, Convert to Adobe PDF and Email, Convert to Adobe PDF and Send for Review, and Change Conversion Settings (Figure 18). Installation of PDFMaker in Office XP for Mac doesn't include the Convert to Adobe PDF or Send for Review options.
Figure 18. The PDFMaker 7.0 toolbar and menu heading are installed into Microsoft Office programs automatically.
Easy Loading
In earlier versions of Acrobat, if you installed an Office program that used PDFMaker after Acrobat was already installed, you had to reinstall Acrobat to add PDFMaker to the Office program. The sequence in which you load programs doesn't matter in Acrobat 7. If you install an Office program after Acrobat has already been installed in your system, choose Help > Detect and Repair from the Acrobat menu. Acrobat finds the Office program sans PDFMaker and automatically installs it for you. |
The four basic types of PDF conversion that you use for most circumstances can be chosen through Acrobat Distiller or from a PDFMaker's Conversion Settings dialog: Standard
The default set used for basic business document conversion and viewing. Standard settings use a printing resolution of 600 dpi. High Quality Print
Used for high-quality output; prints to a higher image resolution but includes only a limited amount of coded information about the document's fonts. High Quality Print sets the printing resolution to 2400 dpi. Press
Used for high-end print production, such as image setters, and prints at a high resolution. All the information possible is added to the file. This setting includes all coded information about the fonts used in the document. Smallest File Size
Creates the smallest file size possible; used for distributing content for the Web, email, or onscreen viewing. Images are compressed and their resolution is decreased. Fonts are not embedded.
Before you convert a document to PDF format, be sure to: Check spelling and grammar, and make sure the finished content is how you want it to appear in the PDF format. Although you can certainly edit content in Acrobat, it is much simpler to ensure that the original document is complete. Decide how the document is to be used. You choose different conversion settings for an online document, for example, than for one intended for high-quality printing. Check links and other hidden content such as comments if you plan to convert them for PDF use. Check the conversion option's settings. For example, you may choose a Standard conversion option but require changes in the graphic conversion settings.
Converting a Group of Documents
If you are converting a large number of documents, convert one and check that it meets your needs before converting the others. This will save you valuable error-checking time. |
Several other options are available for converting documents according to PDF standards both for printing and archiving: PDF/A archival standard
Used for documents intended for long-term storage and use. (See Tip 15 in Chapter 2 for information on the PDF/A standard). PDF/X standard
The PDF conversion settings include four PDF/X standards versions. These files are intended for high-resolution print production. You can't produce a standards-compliant PDF/X document using PDFMaker. (Read Tips 52 and 53 in Chapter 6 for more on these standards.)
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