Problem printing PDFs from InDesign in OS X Preview

What you say is true, though I'm intrigued about what it is in the PDFs from CS6 that makes Preview go "dotty", when CS3 and other apps don't.

I would be grateful if anyone else could confirm the behaviour, so I can report it on the Apple BugReporter.

Bob Levine wrote:

 

You've already gotten all the detail you need. If you want to keep using

Preview, knock yourself out but you'll continue to have problems.

"Thank you for you help." Yes, I appreciate that I will have to use Acrobat to print, but that's a bit tedious as Preview displays my PDFs better, so I'm stuck for a default.

Bob Levine wrote:

 

You will note that when you create a PDF with InDesign it is specifically an

Adobe PDF.

An "Adobe PDF"? As opposed to anyone else's PDF? And the PDFs I create with Distiller from other apps -- are they not Adobe PDFs? Or the ones from CS3?

Bob Levine wrote:

 

All other readers besides Acrobat and Reader are going to be hit or miss.

Why? PDF is a published, open standard. Anyone can implement a PDF reader just as well as Adobe.

Willi Adelberger wrote:

 

But Apple does not implement the full PDF standard, so use Acrobat or Reader. You claim that Preview is not showing or printing your PDFs properly but use it because it shows them better?

 

No, I'm claiming Preview displays the PDF better than Acrobat, but has trouble printing ONLY those pages that are from InDesign CS6. Preview works for PDF 1.4, which is what I'm working to. Everything else above that is bells and whistle thatI don't use.

But I see you use Print and Distiller for creating PDF files. This you should avoid too. Export PDFs from InDesign or save them from Photoshop or Illustrator but don't use the Distiller, because it is a PostScript based workflow like EPS and is outdated since many years.

I use Distiller for other applications, not for CS6.

But why do you stick with Apple Preview?

As said, I'm left with a dichotomy where Preview displays the images better, but Acrobat prints them better.

Producing PS and Distilling from ID was a TEST, for the purposing of troubleshooting the issue. It is curious that ID prints correctly, but its PostScript still causes the problem, when Distilled using the same settings as PostScript from other apps, where the problem does not appear.

I am interested in two things:

1. Any possible settings in InDesign/Distiller that might shed light on the nature of the problem.

2. Anyone who can confirm the same behaviour.

Both of which are for the purposes of figuring out the exact cause, and for submitting to Apple. Thank you for your help with this.

My job options are slightly modified from the standard Press Settings, with no colour conversion and no letting the .ps change the job options.

I concur that, for the time being, I will have to print my PDFs from Acrobat.

I don't concur that there is anything archaic about Distiller. It is included with CS6, so that makes it current. It would be a sad day when one couldn't write some PostScript and convert it to PDF.

Dov Isaacs wrote:

 

The reason why creating PDF by distillation of PostScript is considered archaic and obsolete is that PostScript is only a subset of the imaging model supported both by InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat/PDF.

 

(1)     The PostScript output from InDesign is not optimized for PDF creation, but rather, for printing to actual PostScript printers.

Luckily, I use my PDFs for printing to actual PostScript printers. As stated, if it comes from a CS app, I use export to PDF. But there are other apps out there.

We are not aware of any situations in which Apple's Preview software provides objectively better display or printed output than either Adobe Reader or Acrobat.

I did post about the display issue on the Acrobat board. It was unresolved. Yes, I tried changing the settings.

Having given this problem a bit more thought, I have discovered that Preview doesn't handle pages in a CMYK colourspace well. If I ensure that the PDF is converted to an RGB colourspace, then it prints properly from Preview.

I'm sure one of you might have suggested this if you had actually considered the issue for a moment, rather than telling me I was using the wrong applications and "archaic" workflows.

1. No one told me what colour mode to use. I identified that as the source of the problem.

2. Correct. It's a bug! I am now able to avoid it. I have also reported it to Apple BugReporter.

3. PostScript may not be "cutting edge", but I work with some applications that have to export PS; and doing "Save As PDF" is not an option.

I should not have to receive such scornful contempt for having an unfashionable workflow. I came here to ask for your help and experience. Nothing else.

Willi Adelberger wrote:

 

It is not our problem and it is not a problem at all.

Why are even replying, if you're not going to be helpful? I had a problem, I found the answer.

I thought someone here might have been able to help. I was wrong. Apologies for that.

Bob Levine wrote:

 

Go back and read your original post.

Do likewise.

 

I'm presuming Preview may well be at fault, but as InDesign has much more configurable options, I'm looking to adjust the output from there.

 

I was trying to find the technical CAUSE of the problem. If you haven't got any useful technical information to contribute, then I don't need any more of your hostility.