Fuzzy Graphics

[t***@adobeforums.com]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any more ideas on this. I already use PNGs but the images are still fuzzy. I also use Framemaker 8. Found lots of people with this problem but none of the solutions I've read have worked.

[R***@adobeforums.com]

Tracy:

I quickly scanned this thread and didn't see (or quite possibly overlooked) any discussion of the settings for whatever you're using to create the PDF(?)

I've been happily using PNGs as my default images format for three years or so. When they've appeared less than crisp in a PDF, it's usually because Acrobat Distiller (or whatever calls it these days) was compressing graphics in a way that affected image crispness.

So, if you haven't already done so, take a look there...(?)

Cheers & hope this helps,
Riley

[Art Campbell]

te:

As Riley asks... when and where are they fuzzy? In the PNG, on-screen in Frame, printed, in PDFs ???

If in PDFs, your job settings are probably downsampling/compressing the graphics. Turn those settings off.

If it's all the time, everywhere, there may be something wrong in the way you're creating the PNGs.

[t***@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Riley,

I thought this was something to do with Distiller, not PNGs, if anyone has any tips on how I can get my images to look OK, it would be great

Simon

[t***@adobeforums.com]

Hi Art, thanks for your help

They aren't fuzzy in Framemaker.
They are fuzzy in the PDF.
They aren't fuzzy when they are printed.

I'd appreciate some help on the best way to generate the PDF? At the moment I'm using File > Save As PDF. I've never really used Distiller before, and don't really know how and when to change settings. Any good tutorials anywhere? How do I turn off those settings you mention..?

The images are all screenshots which I created at 96dpi (accepting default settings in SnagIt).

I haven't resized them, I just cropped them and put them into Framemaker at 96dpi...?

Simon

[Art Campbell]

te,

First, SaveAs isn't the best way to create a PDF from FM. Printing to the logical Acrobat printer is preferred.

So, in FM, do Print Book.

On the Print dialog box, in the Printer field at the bottom, select Adobe PDF (the exact name will vary from system to system, depending on how the system is set up and what version of Acrobat is loaded).
Once Adobe PDF is selected, click Setup > Properties. (Many people either set Adobe PDF as the system default printer or use a plug in to set it for Frame.)

On the Document Properties screen, under default Settings, either select High Quality Print or Press Quality (these are pre-configured collections of options that, together, are a Job Option.) OR, Edit whatever Job Option is currently active and shut off graphics downsamplling.

Click OK and OK to get back to the Print Book box.

Activate the Generate Acrobat Data checkbox. De-activate Print To File.

Click Print and see what you get.

Art

[t***@adobeforums.com]

That's great, Art, thanks.

I've selected Adobe PDF and followed your instructions. Everything was just as you said so I presume we are working with similar versions of Framemaker. However, what I get when I print is... nothing.

It goes through the thinking process but then nothing appears.

How do I know if/where it's been saved....
Thanks again for your help!

Simon

[Art Campbell]

Sounds as if you still have "Print To File" checked/activated in the FM dialog box, which must not be checked.

On most systems, Distiller will pop up and prompt you for a file name & location when you hit the Print button.

Art

[t***@adobeforums.com]

Thanks for your help Art.

Distiller didn't pop up, but I saved the ps file then opened it in Distiller and a PDF was generated, so I presume it was doing the same thing.

The images are better, but frustratingly not as good as the originals. I would like to get this 100% right. I'm working with screenshots so you can really tell when they aren't as clear as the originals.

One curious thing I've noticed is that when I view the source file at 100% in Framemaker and 100% in Acrobat, the PDF is larger. When I reduce the PDF size so that it's a similar size to the Framemaker file on screen the quality improves. How can 100% page size be different in both applications?

nb I've a couple of photos, Jpegs, in the manual which work perfectly in the PDF.

Any further help appreciated.

Simon