Suggestions When exporting to .pdf, What preset do you use to send to your RIP?

[craigwojo]

Thank you so much.

 

[myront]

Corel X7
Made my own "Smallest File Size"
General - Selection, set by the selected objects, compatibility = Acrobat 9.0
Color = Use document color settings, output color as Native
Objects - Bitmap compression = ZIP, downsampling = 300/300/600, render complexas bitmaps, compress text and line art, export all text as curves
Prepress - none

98% of our prints are done in -house. Haven't had any outsourced pdf's rejected.

 

[TinFoilHat]

Corel X7
Made my own "Smallest File Size"
General - Selection, set by the selected objects, compatibility = Acrobat 9.0
Color = Use document color settings, output color as Native
Objects - Bitmap compression = ZIP, downsampling = 300/300/600, render complexas bitmaps, compress text and line art, export all text as curves
Prepress - none

98% of our prints are done in -house. Haven't had any outsourced pdf's rejected.

Do you generally create the files using CMYK since it is a physical graphic instead of digitally design or do you prefer RBG???

 

[bob]

Do you generally create the files using CMYK since it is a physical graphic instead of digitally design or do you prefer RBG???

For vector objects CMYK is fine but for bitmaps always send RGB at ~1/4 the resolution you're printing.

Thank you so much.

I try never to send a PDF, there's always a subtle but nasty color shift. I'll always try to send an RGB jpg with the rendering intent for bitmaps set to 'Perceptual'. A RIP will sort out RGB into CMYK far better than any other software you might have.

 

[Solventinkjet]

For vector objects CMYK is fine but for bitmaps always send RGB at ~1/4 the resolution you're printing.

I try never to send a PDF, there's always a subtle but nasty color shift. I'll always try to send an RGB jpg with the rendering intent for bitmaps set to 'Perceptual'. A RIP will sort out RGB into CMYK far better than any other software you might have.

Oh come on! At least send an uncompressed TIFF! Sorry I like to rag on JPEG users.

 

[richsweeney]

Suggest, best quality for print. If you use smallest size, then any .jpg art will look bad. Unless all your art is vector in the first place.
On the colors, leave colors unchanged, if you already know what color profile your machine prints best in. So if you get good results from a RGB profile in your working file, then leave colors unchanged.
We are able to sell pleasing color, as I am too grumpy to sell color matching. You may just need to spend a Saturday trying different outputs and profiles that work best for your machine and market.

 

[Ronny Axelsson]

I use the Editing preset (with only small adjustments) for printing in house.

Then it depends on the RIP how well it processes transparencies and other effects, and this is something you have to learn and know.
If you do have a lot of effects, especially if they involve transparency, it is always better and safer to "flatten" the file before making the PDF and/or sending to the RIP.

Convert all areas affected by these effects to a bitmap, but leave text and other vector objects on top of it, as they are.

 

[myront]

We're not too concerned with colors being rgb, cmyk or Pantone. We've found that our RIP most accurately prints Pantone colors and if we're printing for a particular client that uses a vector logo with Pantones pdf best holds those correct values and the RIP converts as it sees fit. If the majority of a clients pdf file is comprised of many large raster images, be it rgb or cmyk, doesn't matter, I'll export it as an rgb tiff for print and usually no more than 150dpi. We can't have the RIP tied up trying to RIP 1-2gb files. We print car wraps all the time this way.

 

[Ronny Axelsson]

Myron?
Nice to see you in here too.

I agree people tend to use a higher resolution than needed, especially when printing for cars, banners or signs for example.
Going above 200 is definitely overkill, and as you say, 150, or even less, is often more than enough.
Then of course, it might be wise to save a high resolution copy for future use.

 

[bob]

Oh come on! At least send an uncompressed TIFF! Sorry I like to rag on JPEG users.

The image from an uncompressed or minimally compressed first generation JPG file is indistinguishable from that of a TIFF. A JPG file can suffer from the Xerox effect in that if one is opened then saved then bit for bit it will differ from the file that was opened. After many iterations of open/save the quality of the image can deteriorate. Bitmap images are sturdy and can withstand a lot of violence before the visual imaged is damaged to a point of being unusable.

 

[Solventinkjet]

The image from an uncompressed or minimally compressed first generation JPG file is indistinguishable from that of a TIFF. A JPG file can suffer from the Xerox effect in that if one is opened then saved then bit for bit it will differ from the file that was opened. After many iterations of open/save the quality of the image can deteriorate. Bitmap images are sturdy and can withstand a lot of violence before the visual imaged is damaged to a point of being unusable.

I know and I really am just playing with you. It was ingrained in me early on that JPEGs are not print ready files even though pretty much every print in our showroom is a JPEG from the internet.

 

[bob]

I know and I really am just playing with you. It was ingrained in me early on that JPEGs are not print ready files even though pretty much every print in our showroom is a JPEG from the internet.

I figured you were jesting. Are there any other myths to which you cling?