11 Replies Latest reply on Mar 21, 2012 12:32 PM by Turtlegirl203

Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

NellieNobody Mar 20, 2012 1:35 PM

I have a quick ref guide template designed for online viewing, not for printing on 8.5" x 11" paper. Nevertheless, many end users like to print out docs like this and post them in their cubicles.

I know I can configure certain print dialog presets in a PDF file's properties. But I would like to incorporate a few more complex settings (see below) into the file so the end users, most using Reader, can print them without struggling with the print settings.

How can I do this?

1. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

MichaelKazlow Mar 20, 2012 3:15 PM (in response to NellieNobody)

You cannot.
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2. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

Turtlegirl203 Mar 20, 2012 4:04 PM (in response to NellieNobody)

If it were me, I'd print this document to a new PDF using the settings you're indicating, and supply that PDF to your users as a "print ready" file.
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3. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

Dov Isaacs Mar 20, 2012 4:09 PM (in response to Turtlegirl203)

What we call refrying of a PDF file (creating a new PDF by printing to the Adobe PDF PostScript printer driver instance) is strongly discouraged as a very poor workflow practice. PostScript generated by Acrobat is not optimized in any reasonable way for generating PDF files, but rather for actual printing on PostScript printers. Live transparency is flattened and colors are converted to the target colorspace which for printing is typically US Web Coated SWOP (v2).

The idea of creating an n-up PDF file to reflect common printing is indeed a good one. What I would recommend is use of one of any number of imposition plug-ins for Acrobat that can achieve this effect without yielded what can best be described as a “ruined” PDF file.

- Dov
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4. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

Turtlegirl203 Mar 21, 2012 7:41 AM (in response to Dov Isaacs)

That's good to know, Dov. Thank you for the correction.

To the original poster, my apologies for leading you down the garden path. Regarding the imposition workflow that Dov mentioned, we use Quite Imposing here for these types of setups, with great success.
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5. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

NellieNobody Mar 21, 2012 9:42 AM (in response to MichaelKazlow)

MichaelKazlow: Yes, you can, in Acrobat on the Advanced tab of the Document Properties tab. The settings are very limited, however.
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6. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

NellieNobody Mar 21, 2012 9:58 AM (in response to Dov Isaacs)

Dov Isaacs and Turtlegirl203: I'm not familiar with "imposition" or these plug-ins. I'm lucky to have Acrobat X Pro. Before I ask my boss to spring for another tool, I need to know more. Can either of you point me to a simple explanation?
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7. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

Turtlegirl203 Mar 21, 2012 10:05 AM (in response to NellieNobody)

There is a fairly good explanation of imposition on the Quite Imposing website. There is a trial available there too, if you'd like to test it out. It's not the only imposition software out there, it's just the one we work with here (we are a demand printing provider, among other things). There may be others which are less costly if you don't need all the bells and whistles.
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8. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

NellieNobody Mar 21, 2012 10:24 AM (in response to Turtlegirl203)

Does this plug-in incorporate print settings into the PDF while preserving the original layout or generate a new layout? I don't want to change how end users view the files online, just how they print them.
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9. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

Turtlegirl203 Mar 21, 2012 10:39 AM (in response to NellieNobody)

It generates a new layout with your specs. For example, you could make a new PDF which is laid out with two original pages up on one 8.5 x 11, similar to the preview in the screenshot you included in your original post. You would have to send users this additional file for printing.

I realize this isn't the exact solution you were looking for. But since it doesn't seem that you can incorporate complex print setting into your original PDF as you had hoped, I thought this might be a good workaround.
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10. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

NellieNobody Mar 21, 2012 12:24 PM (in response to Turtlegirl203)

Thanks, but that was what I was hoping to avoid.
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11. Re: Acrobat X - How can I incorporate print settings in PDF file?

Turtlegirl203 Mar 21, 2012 12:32 PM (in response to NellieNobody)

Sorry to have not been more help. Good luck!
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