PDF Creation ... in summary ...

[Dov Isaacs <isaacs@xxxxxxxxx>]

Over the last 36 hours or so, these lists have seen a large number
of postings with regards to PDF creation and what is safe and prudent
to do and what is not.

Let me summarize this from Adobe (and Dov's) perspective:

The "Save as PDF" function in existing versions of FrameMaker is not
reliable enough to recommend for general usage. If you have the full
version of Acrobat installed, we recommend that you create PDF files 
from FrameMaker documents via printing to the Acrobat Distiller printer
instance (Windows) or the Create Adobe PDF printer instance (Macintosh).
For books, under Windows, you need to use the "file" option with the
Acrobat Distiller printer instance and manually distill and under
MacOS, you use the Virtual Printer printer instance associated with
the Distiller PPD. If you only have the "bundled" version of Acrobat 4.05
installed (not the full Acrobat package), under Windows, create a
PostScript driver printer instance "to File" using the Distiller PPD,
use that to create PostScript and manually distill. On the MacOS, use
the Virtual Printer associated with the Distiller PPD and likewise use that
to create PostScript and manually distill.

PDF files should always be generated from as generic-as-possible
PostScript at PostScript 3. Device specific "stuff" is added into the
print stream when Acrobat prints to a specific device.

There is no question that some users through skill, luck, cunning, or all
three manage to get usable and "correct" PDF files either through the existing
"save as PDF" function of FrameMaker OR by printing to file with printer
driver instances associated with PPDs other than the Acrobat Distiller PPD.
We don't recommend either of these approaches because they are not reliable
since too many variables underlie whether their use yields successful results;
Adobe cannot stand behind them and provide support for them. (As analogy,
conceivably, I can get from Manhattan to Brooklyn by hang gliding off the
Empire State Building if I am skilled and all the underlying circumstances
are OK. That obviously would NOT be how I would advise people in general
to deal with that itinerary.)

On the other hand, let me assure you that "save as PDF" will indeed work,
at least as well as printing to the "correct printer instances", with the
next major version of FrameMaker.

In terms of workflow, the trend is towards creation of PDF file "digital
masters" from which all subsequent printing and viewing is done. This
allows the author to reliably preview the "look and feel" of the output
and reliably transmit that "look and fee" as well as the content to the
clients. This also allows printing to devices other than PostScript devices
with the highest level of fidelity to the underlying PostScript imaging
model.

	- Dov


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