PDF Printing & Workflow [Paperback]

Frank J. Romano (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 22, 1998

PDF and related digital technologies are transforming graphics arts workflow - and with every new job, it seems, come new surprises. Now there's a comprehensive guide to the realities of digital workflow with PDF, by the industry's leading expert and author - Frank Romano. In PDF Printing and Workflow, you'll walk through all you need to integrate PDF into digital processes that actually achieve their goals. From preflighting to color management, trapping to RIPping, it's all here - the best practices, pitfalls, workarounds and compromises that would otherwise take you years to learn. Learn how to build reliable networks for digital workflow automation - and prevent bottlenecks. Get expert advice on creating, viewing and editing PDF files. Master advanced trapping approaches, including In-RIP Trapping. Make the most of Acrobat Exchange, PDFWriter and Acrobat Catalog. Implement technology and workflows to support short runs, personalization, repurposing, soft proofing, and other critical new requirements. Get hard-to-find troubleshooting help with PDF and PostScript. Finally, discover how to establish designer/printer relationships that support high-quality, profitable work in digital environments.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This practical guide helps you learn how to use Adobe's portable document format (PDF) to create cross-platform files for easy transmitting, viewing, and printing. PDF files retain all of your formatting, even your fonts and graphics, and can be shared electronically in any number of ways--via disk, intranets, e-mail, CD-ROM, and the Web.

Unfortunately, the book has a few typos; the chapter on "Adobe Capture," for example, is called "Adobe Culture." But there's useful information nonetheless, including details on creating and fine-tuning PDF files. You learn about Adobe Acrobat, the software for converting files to PDF format and for publishing the completed files, and you explore the uses of Acrobat's companion tools: Adobe Capture, Distiller, Exchange, Catalogue, PDF Writer, and Reader. More technical chapters cover printing issues, such as trapping and OPI (Open Prepress Interface); digital workflow issues, such as networks, printers, and workflow systems; and PostScript, the page-description language. There's also a lot of technical information on the PDF format itself. Other topics include the Acrobat SDK, plug-ins for extending Acrobat's functionality, and the uses for PDF files in publishing and other fields. --Kathleen Caster

From the Back Cover

Must reading for every design, publishing, and print professional The only complete, real-world guide to PDF and digital workflow!

PDF and related digital technologies are transforming graphics arts workflow-and with every new job, it seems, come new surprises. Now there's a comprehensive guide to the realities of digital workflow with PDF, by the industry's leading expert and author-Frank Romano. In PDF Printing and Workflow, you'll walk through all you need to know to integrate PDF into digital processes that actually achieve their goals. From preflighting to color management, trapping to RIPping, it's all here-the best practices, pitfalls, workarounds, and compromises that would otherwise take you years to learn.

• Build reliable networks for digital workflow automation-and prevent bottlenecks
• Get expert advice on creating, viewing, and editing PDF files
• Learn advanced trapping approaches, including In-RIP Trapping
• Make the most of Acrobat Exchange, PDFWriter, and Acrobat Catalog
• Learn more about Crackerjack, Tailor, Checkup, PitStop, and other key PDF plug-ins

Discover how designer/printer relationships must evolve to support high-quality, profitable work in digital environments. Implement technology and workflows to support short runs, personalization, repurposing, soft proofing, and other critical new requirements. Get "under the hood" with PDF and PostScript to see why things don't always work as they're supposed to. Whether you're a creative, publishing, or print professional, PDF Printing and Workflow brings together all the theory and practice you need to succeed with digital workflow.

• The definitive guide to digital workflow with PDF!
• Real-world applications and insights
• Trapping, RIPping, color management, personalization, and more
• Up-to-the-minute coverage of PDF problems, workarounds, and plug-ins

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1st edition (October 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013020837X
• ISBN-13: 978-0130208378
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,036,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent summary of PDF prepress technology, July 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: PDF Printing & Workflow (Paperback)

Romano gives a wide-ranging (if sometimes disjoint) overview of PDF's uses in prepress, with one of the most comprehensive summaries of existing Acrobat plug-ins available. Romano knows prepress, and he succeeds in giving valuable insights into the proper uses of PDF and Adobe's Acrobat products in a printing or prepress environment. Romano also knows PostScript and gives valuable insights into PS's relation to PDF. Weaknesses include cursory coverage of the Portable Job Ticket Format and zero coverage of PDF's internals (operators, data types, workings). Buy this book if you're into prepress, not if you're into web publishing.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Information-rich but rather haphazardly organized, April 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: PDF Printing & Workflow (Paperback)

This is an excellent resource for someone who has some basic experience with PDF files and/or digital prepress and who wants a more profound understanding of how PDF works, how to optimize its production, and what can potentially go wrong. It is *not* a book for computer beginners or people trying to learn the basics of digital printing; its apparent intended audience is publishing students or professionals familiar with the industry and its terminology. As a journal editor converting to PDF prepress, I found it helpful in explaining the steps I don't see after I ship digital files to our printing company, and very informative on the "innards" of Acrobat and PDF. The book would have benefited from rigorous copyediting to remove repetitions and to clarify the book's organization. All in all a solid reference for publishers/printers using Acrobat 3 and PDF 1.2, though some details may not apply to the just-released Acrobat 4 / PDF 1.3.