[G4] Creating PDF in PageMaker

[L M Andrews]

Hi John,

>PI have tried everything you suggested, same result.  Let me explain
>again.  I can create a PDF file with any other doc in PageMaker 7 in
>OS 9.2
>using the same size doc it just won't let me do it with this one.  I
>get as far as exporting to PDF, Export and save and that's when it
>stops.  My computer doesn't freeze the Curser just sits there and the
>little window which should show what is going on stays blank.  Don't
>know if there is anything I have to change in the PDF options?
>John

Sorry, coming into this a bit late.  Long-time PageMaker user back since
the Aldus days.  PageMaker's printing (including exporting to PDFs) has
always been finicky, funky, flaky, well, pick your own f-word.

Since you've got a print deadline let's focus on how you can do it for now,
and treat this as a one-off quick solution..  Also,  as someone else
mentioned, if you can normally export to PDF, then it's clear that
something is wrong with this file--more like with some asset you've place
in it, such as a graphic or (most likely) a font problem.

Here are some options to try:

1)  Can you print to a postscript (.ps) file from PM's print menu.  You'll
need to have a postscript printed selected in the chooser, and it can be a
"Virtual Printer" rather than a "real" printer.

2) If you can't (PM complains) print the postscript file, then you'll need
to look into the PM file for offensive assets and remove or replace them.

3) If the postscript file printed properly, you'll have several options to try.
First in OS 9:
3.1. Ask your printing company if they'll accept the .ps file.
3.2  If your toolset includes Illustrator, try opening the ps file in it
and saving to PDF if you must have  PDF.
3.3  If you have PhotoShop, do the same as above, and when opening it'll
ask for the dpi to raster, then use 300 dpi at least, and save the file as
a Photoshop PDF (it'll be big).
Or in OS X
3.4  Switch to OS X and try opening the ps file in Mac's Preview
application, and saving it from there.
3.5  If the results aren't good, one other possibility would be to open the
Terminal application in OS X and use "ps2pdf" (Google for details). There
are other open source apps that can run on OS X to handle ps files as
needed.

In any case, it depends what your printer (company) needs to print from.

Not currently using PM, but I remember the sudden file corruptions and also
how I'd make a backup copy in the Finder every 20 - 30 minutes to have a
recent clear version to go back to when stuff happened. And it always did.

Finally, there's a PageMaker mailing list with old-hands who know PM
inside-out, and you can subscribe here:
List-Subscribe: <mailto:PAGEMAKR-subscribe-request at LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU>

Good luck and let us know what happened.
L