Making+PDFs

How do I make PDFs for printers, clients and presentations?
PDF (portable document format) files are versatile digital documents that can be used for many purposes. PDFs preserve the original graphic appearance of a document by embedding pictures and fonts into a single file. Here are a few examples of how PDFs can be used:
 * Proofs for client approval
 * Proofs to be printed
 * Archival copies of projects
 * Interactive publications for viewing on devices
 * Slide show presentations

Creating PDFs for different purposes require different technical considerations. Fortunately, Adobe has presets that make it easier for designers to prepare PDFs. These presets can be accessed from Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign but you'll find the menu command in different locations:
 * Illustrator: file > save as
 * InDesign: file > adobe PDF export
 * Photoshop: file > save as (format=Photoshop PDF)

Regardless of how you access the PDF export dialog box, you'll have access to these two presets which designers will find most useful:


 * Smallest File Size:** This type of PDF is usually emailed to the client, so file size is a consideration. However, attaching large files to email messages is not good etiquette. So if this preset produces a PDF much larger than 1MB, consider using Dropbox, Google drive or another file sharing service to deliver the file. Note: This preset will convert all CMYK images to RGB which is fine for onscreen previews.


 * High Quality Print:** This preset automatically optimizes the pixel elements to the minimum size needed for a professional print job (usually 300 to 450 pixels per inch). But file sizes can still be fairly large depending on the size and quantity of pixel elements in the document. RGB files are preserved which will give you a better print job on laser and inkjet printers. You can further minimize the file size by unchecking the "preserve Illustrator/Photoshop editing capabilities" option (but be sure that the original layered native authoring file is saved separately in AI or PSD format):




 * Multi-page PDFs for presentations:** If you use InDesign to create your presentation, simply export a multi-page PDF using the "smallest file size" preset and you're done. If you need to combine PDFs from multiple sources and/or different document sizes, you can stitch pages together using Acrobat Pro.
 * open the first PDF
 * view > tools > organize pages > open
 * click INSERT > from file: choose 2nd PDF
 * repeat as needed, re-arrange pages as needed, save as a new PDF

Tip: When presenting with PDFs, use full screen mode (view > full screen mode or cmd+L). Be sure to adjust the Acrobat preferences for full screen mode to suit your preferences. Many people prefer Acrobat instead of Powerpoint for making presentations because PDFs embed fonts and Powerpoint for Mac does not.


 * Multi-page PDFs for printing:** If are making a saddle-stitched (stapled) multi-page publication for printing, you must use InDesign to create your PDF. If you want Parkland's print shop to print the publication, you must use [|this template]. In addition, please take note of these mechanical limitations:
 * saddle-stitched publications must have a minimum of 8 pages
 * the final page count must be divisible by 4
 * the page size can not be larger than 8.5 x 11 inches (including bleed)
 * create **spreads** for proofreading and presentations (just look for the spreads check box in the PDF export dialog box)
 * final PDF for the print shop must be **single pages** (so that the printer can rearrange the pages from "reader spreads" to "printer spreads")