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Mediaman_12 · Sep 18, 2003, 06:20 PM

So I need to create a quick PDF of a (supplied) Quark job to stick on the clients site, no problem (I thought) I will open it up in In Design (2.0) export as PDF no probs. Until I get the file, it's in QX6 and ID won't touch it :gah: I eventually manage to find a friend wiling to lend me there copy to get it open, I am thinking"there's bound to be a PDF export, at worst I can use OSX's print to PDF feature".
I open it hit 'export to PDF' set some options. Only for Quark to reply " To save as PDF the current printer must be a LaserWriter 7 or greater",Fantastic I only have a inkjet, and (unlike OS9) in OSX you can't select printer drivers for printers not connected.
Ok so OSX's Print to PDF is next, It's part of the OS it HAS to work.
I have seen Quarks 'specialist' Print dialogue before (used QX4/5 in my last job). I hit the Printer button knowing it leads to the overridden OS Print box, and I hit the 'Save to PDF' button I hit Ok in the name dialogue, PDF document appears on desktop I then hit print in the Quark Print dialogue. Looks good all the pages are processing, then at the end nothing, the new PDF on the desktop vanishes?
So I could do with some hints. How can I fool ether the OS or QX in to thinking I have a LaserWriter? Or make the OS's 'save to PDF' work?

mikellanes · Sep 18, 2003, 10:22 PM

You can do (from Quark) save as EPS and then use distiller to make a PDF from that. (thats what I do at work)

Good Luck!

Mediaman_12 · Sep 19, 2003, 03:10 AM

Originally posted by mikellanes:
You can do (from Quark) save as EPS and then use distiller to make a PDF from that. (thats what I do at work)

Good Luck!

Theres got to be a better method? Quarks 'save page as EPS' has always been appaling, and this Quark file has many pages.

mikellanes · Sep 19, 2003, 10:15 AM

Well you asked for a method :-p

I have used this for every printer that required 1-page PDFs and have NEVER had a problem, what is so appaling about it?

Anyway, I can't think of any other options, sorry

Helvetica Neue · Sep 20, 2003, 08:51 AM

Your problem is that you haven't set up a virtual printer in the Print Centre.

Quark needs this to generate postscript in the background before running it through the JAWS libraries to convert to PDF.

A more reliable way would be to print the document to postscript and run the ps file through Distiller.

Mediaman_12 · Sep 20, 2003, 03:09 PM

Originally posted by Helvetica Neue:
Your problem is that you haven't set up a virtual printer in the Print Centre.

??? How do you achieve this? The add printer only brings up the dialogue with a selection of connection methods (USB, I.P. printing etc.) I can't find an option for a 'virtual printer' is it in the 'CUPS' setup web interface?

Tsilou B. · Sep 20, 2003, 04:21 PM

Open Print Center, click on "Add printer" while pressing the option key and there will be a new menu item called "More options" in the dialog. Choose it, then enter some stupid address and a name for the virtual printer, choose the ppd (or General) and click "Add".
That's it.

(I'm using a German Mac OS X, so I don't know the exact English names of the controls)

Mediaman_12 · Sep 20, 2003, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by Tsilou B.:
Open Print Center, click on "Add printer" while pressing the option key and there will be a new menu item called "More options" in the dialog. Choose it, then enter some stupid address and a name for the virtual printer, choose the ppd (or General) and click "Add".
That's it.

(I'm using a German Mac OS X, so I don't know the exact English names of the controls)

That is fantastic, you are my new hero Why on earth are the 'advanced options' (as named in the UK version) hidden like that. WITH NO DOCUMENTATION.

Thanks a million it worked a treat, and saved me hours of work using the other method (multiple EPS's in to 1 Acrobat doc via Distiller, or what ever Adobe is calling it this month).