14 Replies Latest reply: Dec 28, 2008 12:35 PM by (Peter_Truskier) RSS

    cannot print (save) to ps or pdf

    alan ruta Community Member
      I can export to pdf so this isn't a travesty but I'm wondering why I get an error message when I try to print to ps or to pdf. I get a message that it isn't supported. I can print to a postscript file form photoshop.
      I can output/export a pdf. Do I have to reinstall ID3 to fix this?

      alan
        • 1. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
          Was DYP Community Member
          Where are you choosing to print to PS in ID dialog or in the printer driver dialog.

          In the printer driver dialog it will not work.
          • 2. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
            alan ruta Community Member
            I'm not sure. From the ID print dialogue press Printer (highlighted blue) and then from the ensuing print dialogue I pop the "PDF" button and slide down to "save as postscript". That is when I then get the error.

            I've set up a localhost so I print directly to ps which is working so I'm "okay" but still a bit distressed. From my desktop mac I have no problems.

            thanks

            alan
            • 3. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
              Al Ferrari Community Member
              What ppd is being used by the local host?

              In the Print dialog:

              Select Postscript File in the Printer popup.
              Select Device Independent in the PPD popup.

              The Printer button at the bottom of the Print dialog will be grayed out. Make other settings as needed, and print.

              Al
              • 4. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                Community Member
                >I'm wondering why I get an error message when I try to print to ps or to pdf.

                This is because you are doing this on an Intel Mac. Using the Mac OS X "Save as PDF/PostScript" functionality from InDesign will work on a PPC, but not an Intel machine.

                Why do you need/want to do this? In my experience, there are not many cases in which you need to.
                • 5. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                  alan ruta Community Member
                  My laptop is Intel so that explains a few things.

                  I was using a generic postscript printer driver.

                  Where I work they want us to print to file and distill--not my choice.

                  I don't use my laptop much at work--I was mostly curious as to why, e.g. one problems sometimes raises a red flag that something else isn't quite right.

                  thanks
                  • 6. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                    Al Ferrari Community Member
                    You can distill the postscript generated according to #4.

                    Al
                    • 7. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                      Was DYP Community Member
                      Is there some reason your not creating the ps from Indesign's print dialog box?

                      Why are you trying to use a printer driver?
                      • 8. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                        alan ruta Community Member
                        You can distill the postscript generated according to #4.

                        Yes--I can print to a ps file if I set up postscript file as a printer.

                        However:
                        Is there some reason your not creating the ps from Indesign's print dialog box?

                        I can't pop the "PDF" button on the ID print dialog and save as a postscript file. That was the original post/question. Apparently on an intel box that functionality is gone.

                        Its not a big deal. I was just wondering if there was a problem I created in my installation.

                        alan
                        • 9. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                          Was DYP Community Member
                          >I can't pop the "PDF" button on the ID print dialog and save as a postscript file. That was the original post/question. Apparently on an intel box that functionality is gone.

                          There is no "PDF" button on the ID print dialog. Only in the Printer Driver dialog.

                          For the last time I am going to ask, why are you not choosing in the second drop down list in the ID print dialog "PostScript® File"?
                          • 10. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                            alan ruta Community Member
                            I do print to PostScriptFile. As my original post said I was just wondering why I got the error. It was answered in a later post stating that the functionality didn't exist on Intel.

                            Where I work they want me to press "Printer" from the ID dialogue and then press PDF in order to save to a postscript file. Since they will be switching me to an Intel box I wanted to know what was going on.

                            alan
                            • 11. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                              Community Member
                              >Where I work they want me to press "Printer" from the ID dialogue and then press PDF in order to save to a postscript file.

                              In my experience, there is generally no good reason to do this as opposed to saving a PostScript file from the ID Print Dialog Box (which even requires fewer clicks and dialogs).

                              There is, though, and exception to this. When you save a PS file from InDesign, you do not have access to all of the options which may be present in the PPD ( e.g., certain screening parameters, etc.)

                              The Mac OS X Print Dialog dynamically configures itself to display all the PPD options, while the ID Print Dialog does not. So, if you need access to those parameters, you are up a creek with an Intel Mac...
                              • 12. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                                alan ruta Community Member
                                One of the things I don't like about the export to pdf is size the overall page.

                                Sometimes I have to create certain page sizes to fit n-up on our proofer.

                                If I have a 12x12 inch file that I wan't to be 13x13 with marks offset 12 pts it is simple when printing to ps and distilling.

                                When exporting I don't know how to achieve this.

                                alan
                                • 13. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                                  I cannot save as pdf or ps. If this is because of the intel processor what is the solution?
                                  • 14. Re: cannot print (save) to ps or pdf
                                    Community Member
                                    Alan, Rather than trying to do this from the Mac OS X Print dialog, instead, select "PostScript File" from the "Printer" popup menu in the InDesign Print dialog. Unless you have a need to specify some PPD feature/option that is not in the InDesign Print dialog, this should work fine for you.

                                    Michelle, I'm guessing that like Alan, you are trying to do this from the "PDF" button in the Mac OS X Print dialog, which does not work on an Intel Mac. Have you tried exporting a PDF from InDesign, or printing to a PostScript file as described above?