After numerous tests to make this work, I've finally come here to ask for help.
A vendor that we use for some of our printing is now requiring us to send them PDFs for all 2 sided jobs that, no matter what the orientation, will print head-to-head. Previous to this change, I would create all PDFs with customized Press Quality job options to retain the highest resolution possible. But when using 'press quality' job options, any landscape jobs would automatically rotate to portrait.
What this means to us now is that, for example, a 2 sided, landscape business card would result in a portrait PDF that when sent to this particular vendor would end up having the second side printed upside down.
I've spent hours tweaking job options for Acrobat clicking and unclicking anything I thought might give me a correct PDF and just when I think I have it right and am producing a press quality landscape PDF, their system rotates the artwork and gets bounced.
I've contacted them about this issue and they are laying the responsibility solely on my shoulders and I am out of ways to make this work.
They've told me to open my PDFs in illustrator and that is supposed to show me whether a PDF is truly landscape or portrait but no matter what orientation PDF I end up with, in illustrator it opens as a portrait page.
I've sent them several test files, which they returned with a lengthy multiple step process of how they managed to get my files to work, (open in acrobat, save as PS files, open in distiller to create new PDFs.) I've tried this on my files and still have not had success.
I've tried this from two different applications (CorelDraw and InDesign CS4) with the exact same result. I've tried printing to PS files first and distilling to PDFs. Same result. I've tried printing to PS files through my rip and then distilling to PDFs. Same result.
What can I possibly be missing?
Rotation problem when creating PDF
2011-09-20 13:33:51
Answered
My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 9.4.3, Windows
Acrobat Pro 9.4.3, Windows
2011-09-21 07:49:57
#2
Thanks for the information, Kelly.
I guess what I'm really trying to understand is at what point orientation is decided. I'm not sure I'm asking the right questions about this anymore.
I can produce a landscape PDF several ways. I've done print-to-file, I've done print-to-postscript, I've done export as and on and on and on. This is not my first trip to the rodeo. ;) Trust me when I tell you that I'm that person, that only asks for help after I have exhausted every possible option I can think of and only when I am truly at a loss. I just don't asking for help. ;)
Anyways, the true problem isn't in 'creating' or 'producing' and properly oriented PDF. That much I can accomplish. The problem (what I think is the problem I'm having) is determining what information get's buried (?), embedded (?) in the PDF that makes it rotate to portrait when I A) have to upload that file to our vendor, and B) 'preview' it in Illustrator. It is perplexing.
About the PPD. From many years of using CorelDraw, I've determined that it is pretty dependent on PPDs with regards to orientation and digital printing. I've seen this as a problem when printing from CorelDraw to PDF. I hesitate to blame Corel only because in all the PDF testing I've done in the past couple of days, I've gotten the same results from InDesign also. But knowing what I know of Corel, I did go and hunt down and download PPDs for Acrobat from the Adobe website. There are 4 (or maybe 5) different PPDs and I have no idea which one to use based on their names alone and found no descriptions of which is which.
CorelDraw does have a "Publish as PDF" feature which is much the same as the "Export to PDF" in InDesign. I have tried that several times with several tweaks of the job option settings and I have managed to produce a landscape PDF, but once again, when viewing those PDFs in illustrator, or trying to upload to my vendor, they either automatically rotate to portrait, or appear to be falling off the page showing only a quarter of what should actually be there.
I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. More so like a battle I shouldn't be needing to fight. But I am determined to figure this out. ;)
SO I am open to any and all suggestions.
Thanks!
I guess what I'm really trying to understand is at what point orientation is decided. I'm not sure I'm asking the right questions about this anymore.
I can produce a landscape PDF several ways. I've done print-to-file, I've done print-to-postscript, I've done export as and on and on and on. This is not my first trip to the rodeo. ;) Trust me when I tell you that I'm that person, that only asks for help after I have exhausted every possible option I can think of and only when I am truly at a loss. I just don't asking for help. ;)
Anyways, the true problem isn't in 'creating' or 'producing' and properly oriented PDF. That much I can accomplish. The problem (what I think is the problem I'm having) is determining what information get's buried (?), embedded (?) in the PDF that makes it rotate to portrait when I A) have to upload that file to our vendor, and B) 'preview' it in Illustrator. It is perplexing.
About the PPD. From many years of using CorelDraw, I've determined that it is pretty dependent on PPDs with regards to orientation and digital printing. I've seen this as a problem when printing from CorelDraw to PDF. I hesitate to blame Corel only because in all the PDF testing I've done in the past couple of days, I've gotten the same results from InDesign also. But knowing what I know of Corel, I did go and hunt down and download PPDs for Acrobat from the Adobe website. There are 4 (or maybe 5) different PPDs and I have no idea which one to use based on their names alone and found no descriptions of which is which.
CorelDraw does have a "Publish as PDF" feature which is much the same as the "Export to PDF" in InDesign. I have tried that several times with several tweaks of the job option settings and I have managed to produce a landscape PDF, but once again, when viewing those PDFs in illustrator, or trying to upload to my vendor, they either automatically rotate to portrait, or appear to be falling off the page showing only a quarter of what should actually be there.
I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. More so like a battle I shouldn't be needing to fight. But I am determined to figure this out. ;)
SO I am open to any and all suggestions.
Thanks!
2011-09-22 12:30:00
#3
Accepted Answer
RedBoots,I'm sorry this has been such a long and frustrating process for you. I've been there myself and feel your pain. The orientation is determined when you write the PostScript file, controlled through the DSC comment for bounding box and viewing orientation. So the issue has to be with the PPD and the Page Size in the print dialog.
You can see the orientation of the PS file in any text editor. It is displayed in points (so divide by 72). Look for these lines in the beginning of the PS code:
%%BoundingBox: 0 0 450 306
%%HiResBoundingBox: 0 0 450 306
%%CropBox: 9 9 441 297
%%ViewingOrientation: 1 0 0 1
In the example above I have a 6 x 4 inch page with bleed. The Viewing Orientation uses the "CTM" (Current Transformation Matrix), which converts given coordinates into "page coordinates". The CTM is should be 1 0 0 1 which maps "user space" to the lower left corner of the page "device space".
If the ViewingOrientation is present in the PS code, any Auto Rotation Distiller could do is ignored.
2011-09-22 13:40:18
#4
Hi Kelly,
Thank you so much for that information. While I honestly had no idea what you were describing as I was reading it, I think I got it now! I love learning new things. ;)
I did a few tests today based on the information you gave me. Knowing now that PPDs were the key here, I went and figured out why there were 5 of them on the adobe site available for download and what each was for (languages apparently). Then I printed to PS using the PPD. While there appear to be many less options available to tweak the 'job options' like you can when printing to pdf or exporting to pdf, being able to set the output resolution seems to be enough. I then distilled my PS file using the custom press quality job options and produced a landscape PDF. WHICH actually opened as a landscape image in Illustrator! (Then I did a happy dance. ;) )
When I review the PS file, and I find the line 'viewing orientation', the numbers displayed are: 0 1 -1 0. This is for a 3.5 x 2 inch business card with bleeds. Not sure what that tells me since it is different from yours but it worked. And that's what matters. ;)
It still seems like I'm having to take too many extra steps just to get a PDF that my vendor can use through their upload site, but at least now I can.
Thanks again for your helpful information!!
Thank you so much for that information. While I honestly had no idea what you were describing as I was reading it, I think I got it now! I love learning new things. ;)
I did a few tests today based on the information you gave me. Knowing now that PPDs were the key here, I went and figured out why there were 5 of them on the adobe site available for download and what each was for (languages apparently). Then I printed to PS using the PPD. While there appear to be many less options available to tweak the 'job options' like you can when printing to pdf or exporting to pdf, being able to set the output resolution seems to be enough. I then distilled my PS file using the custom press quality job options and produced a landscape PDF. WHICH actually opened as a landscape image in Illustrator! (Then I did a happy dance. ;) )
When I review the PS file, and I find the line 'viewing orientation', the numbers displayed are: 0 1 -1 0. This is for a 3.5 x 2 inch business card with bleeds. Not sure what that tells me since it is different from yours but it worked. And that's what matters. ;)
It still seems like I'm having to take too many extra steps just to get a PDF that my vendor can use through their upload site, but at least now I can.
Thanks again for your helpful information!!
2011-09-22 13:58:19
#5
So glad to hear you got it all working! I'm very happy to have been of some help.
:D
:D
You are experiencing a case where the Distiller settings (job options) won't help you correct the orientation problem. The issue is caused by the method you are using to build the PDF (and original PostScript file).
The recommended method to build a PDF out of InDesign is through File > Export and choosing Adobe PDF (not Distiller). Distiller is recommended for non-Adobe applications. These are the steps you should use:
1. Choose File > Export
2. In the Export dialog, choose Adobe PDF
3. When you click Save in that dialog it will bring you to the PDF settings window
4. At the top you should be able to select the Press Quality (or modified Press Quality settings that your printer provided)
5. Click Export
Using this method will keep your landscape pages in the proper landscape orientation.
If you have to create a PDF through File > Print to PostScript. Follow these steps:
1. In the Print dialog, under PPD, make sure you choose Adobe PDF 9 (the default is Device Independent, which won't write in your custom page size)
2. Still in the Print dialog, click on Setup
3. Choose Paper Size Custom (this will write in the proper dimensions, with Marks & Bleed, if they are included in the settings)
Sorry I can't be of much help for creating PDFs from Corel Draw, but I suspect you have the same issue of the PPD (PostScript Printer Description) not writing in the proper page orientation. You could try File > Print to the Adobe PDF Printer (and making sure you have the proper settings selected). This does write PostScript (behind the scenes) and Distill for you.
Kelly McCathran
Adobe Community Expert
Certified Technical Trainer+