Working with PDF files

This TechNote contains information about FreeHand working with and exporting PDF files.

• Gradients print banded when printed from PDF
• OpenType Fonts (OTF) are lost when exporting a PDF
• Print to PDF issue on Mac OS X
• Error opening FreeHand exported PDF in Acrobat
• Imported PDF displays as black and white
• Missing composite path vector based elements in PDF export
• When a multi-page document is exported as an EPS, multiple EPS files are generated
• Text jumps to the side on PDF export
• FreeHand features not supported in PDF export

Printing FreeHand gradients that have been distilled as PDF to a PostScript Printer show obvious banding and color shift. This appears to be an issue with Acrobat Distiller, and even an Adobe Illustrator 10 distilled file exhibits these problems.

Users can attempt to control banding issues with the use of controlled step blends. For more information regarding controlled step blends see Creating Smooth Gradients for PostScript Output (TechNote 3668).

OpenType Fonts from Adobe(OTF) are lost when generating a PDF from FreeHand on the Macintosh platform. The actual issue varies among platforms:

• Macintosh OS X: The fonts will be included with the PDF if they are embedded when exporting from FreeHand. The fonts are not included if the fonts are not embedded.
• Macintosh OS 9.x: The fonts are not included even if they are embedded.

The solution will differ depending on the platform:

• Macintosh OS X: Embed OpenType Fonts from Adobe when you export as PDF.
  1. Choose File > Export.
  2. Set the Format to PDF.
  3. Click the Setup button.
  4. Check the Embed Fonts option (selected by default).
  5. Click OK, then export the file.
• Macintosh OS 9.x: Convert any Open Type fonts to paths.
  1. Select each instance of text that uses an OpenType font from Adobe.
  2. Choose Text > Convert To Paths.
  3. Once you have done that for each instance, export the file as PDF.

The Macintosh OS X 10.2.x platform does not support printing PostScript output to PDF.

Work around this issue using any of the methods below:

• Select a non-PostScript printer as the source printer. FreeHand will then write the file to the printer as a PICT image which the system can convert to PDF.
• Use the "output options" panel of the PostScript printer's print dialog box to specify that you want to save the file as a PDF file. FreeHand will then write the file to the printer as a PICT image which the system can convert to PDF.
• Export the file as a PDF file using the File > Export menu.

Note: Exporting the file as PDF rather than using either of the two print options will result in a higher quality PDF.

Users may experience an error message when opening a PDF file in Acrobat that was exported from FreeHand.

This issue revolves around the PostScript driver, which needs to be the default driver for correct PDF PostScript interaction. The same principle applies for PDF as for EPS file.

See the following TechNotes for more information.

• PDF export: Type 2 error or missing text (TechNote 15759)
• Fonts do not appear correctly in exported PDF files (TechNote 12295)
• PostScript fonts in an EPS substitute in display and print (TechNote 12272)
• What happens to fonts when I export an EPS from FreeHand? (TechNote 13235)

When importing PDF files produced by Acrobat Distiller 5.0 and PDF version 1.3, the text, images and overall content will display as black and white.

Save the PDF as PDF 1.2. In testing, files produced as this version imported successfully into FreeHand, and all the colors displayed correctly.

A PDF file exported from FreeHand MX will not include composite path vector based elements if those elements originated from Adobe Illustrator 10. This issue only occurs on Macintosh OS 10.2.x.

Note: Only composite paths from Illustrator imported or opened in FreeHand MX, and then exported to PDF, will not appear in the PDF document.

Select all the composite paths in the FreeHand document, apply Correct Direction from the Xtra Options panel (available by selecting Window > Toolbars > Xtra Operations) and then export. All composite paths will now be exported as expected.

When FreeHand generates EPS files from a multi-page document, a separate EPS will be generated for each page.

There are a couple of options that you have to create a multi-page PDF:

• Use the option in Adobe Acrobat for creating a PDF from multiple files. Refer to the Acrobat documentation for more information on how to do this.
• Generate a PostScript file instead of exporting to EPS or PDF.
  1. Choose File > Print.
  2. Verify that you are printing to a PostScript printer.
  3. Click the Print to File option. On Macintosh OS X, this option is available by choosing Output Options from the pop-up menu.
  4. Choose OK.
  5. Distill the PostScript file using Adobe Acrobat Distiller. Check the properties for things such as page orientation and size to get the proper results.

When a line of text with a right-aligned tab is followed by a carriage return, and then a centered line, the centered line will jump out of the text block on the PDF export.

This is a known issue for FreeHand. One solution is to split the text block into several text blocks or make a 0 height line between the text line with the tab and the centered text line.

When exporting PDF files from FreeHand, users should be aware that:

• Alpha channel transparency will be lost.
• Placed EPS, PICT and DCS files will not be exported.
• Custom, textured and PostScript fills and strokes are not supported.
• PostScript-generated screens (halftone, line, etc.) applied to bitmap graphics will be ignored.
• The PDF format is limited to a maximum page size of roughly 45 inches by 45 inches. PDF will ignore anything outside of this boundary, cropping whatever is taller or wider than 45 inches.
• All text effects will be ignored, except inline graphics.
• All overprinting effects will be ignored.