Help! PDF/X??

[Pammi 0]

Long story as short as possible, I've been 'volunteered' to do a big fancy-schmancy ad ... and I have a matter of days to do it. I'm frantically searching for what I need to do it, and what the hell they are talking about when they give the specifications. It mentions Quark and Illustrator (neither of which I've ever even seen! ACK!) EPS files are not acceptable, that it needs to be in PDF/X format (then lists specifics).

I know, I know...it's insane...but I know I can figure this out. I've done crazier things :) I'm researching it on the web, but if anyone can give me a quick rundown in English that'd be great :)

Thanks!
Pam

[Gawain 0]

Sounds like they want the final "proposal" in an Adobe PDF format. Images, text, specs, etc.

EPS (Encapsulated Post Script) is fairly common for sending pictures or images, or logos.

Anyway if you prepare your final ad as an image, and put it in a common file, PowerPoint, Word whatever, I have a PDF writer. Just in case...

That's just my perception of course...

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[Pammi 0]

It actually says "must not be done in PDF writer" :/ That I have to use distiller. Here is the specs:

Dwell

I appreciate the offer tho!

[narcimund 0]

I do this sort of thing for a living. Please do NOT try to fake your way through it. This sort of thing really does take a long time to get good at.

Find a professional. You CAN'T do it yourself.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[PhreeZone 15]

I agree... a professional is going to be about the only one thats going to be able to have the tools and know how to use them in the efew days you have to do this.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Gawain 0]

Quote

It actually says "must not be done in PDF writer" :/ That I have to use distiller. Here is the specs:

Dwell

I appreciate the offer tho!

I like the part in the specs where it says:

Quote

Detailed instructions on how to prepare a postscript and PDF file are available upon request.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[KerMor 0]

I am using 'ps2pdf' on my linux system and it works very well for this kind of things. I think it satisfies most of the specs. At least, it works for publications in scientific magasines.

example of usage :
ps2pdfwr -sPAPERSIZE=letter -dPDFSETTINGS=/printer -dCompatibilityLevel=1.4 -dMaxSubsetPct=100 -dSubsetFonts=true -dEmbedAllFonts=true name.ps

This script uses gs (ghostscript : GNU General Public License = free) and I think it is available for windows users.
(help on all the options widelly available on the web)

I hope this helps a bit ...

You can't determine the length of your life
- but you can control its height and depth.

[Pammi 0]

Thanks, appreciate it! I'm all for having someone else do it...I'm certainly not getting paid for it. I can't hire anyone cuz it's not for me, but I can recommend it. *shrug* If I don't figure it out I guess that's what they'll have to do. I'm just trying to help someone out so they don't end up in a jam from cheap-a$$ bosses who expect too much and won't understand (sounds crazy but I'm serious) when this person says they can't do it.

It's like I told Merrick this morning....I love these people who expect me to pull a monkey outta my butt on cue. My boss told me just before I left to get him reservations at a top NYC restaurant for THIS Saturday after the theater. The same man who's too broke to give me a raise (not had one since I started) or benefits will spend $300-600 on a bottle of wine. Sucks for him that there's no way in h*** that restaurant will happen short of a miracle no matter how "important and confident" (his words) I make myself sound. LOL!


Pammi

Thanks!
Pam