Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Non-Wargaming Discussion => Chat & News => Topic started by: Leon on 04 February 2013, 05:35:13 PM

Title: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 04 February 2013, 05:35:13 PM
I've got the 2013 catalogue sorted, which has been done in a booklet format in Publisher.  My version of Publisher 2003 doesn't want to save as PDF's anymore, and when I have used Office 2007 previously, the PDF option didn't save the booklet in a nice viewable format either. 

So, does anyone have any working knowledge of PDF's and Office, and how I can create a nice page-by-page layout PDF of the catalogue?

:-\
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Fenton on 04 February 2013, 05:55:20 PM
Techno might know :)
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: barbarian on 04 February 2013, 06:04:54 PM
Depends of the format, I may be able to.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Techno on 04 February 2013, 06:16:57 PM
Quote from: Fenton on 04 February 2013, 05:55:20 PM
Techno might know :)

Errrr....

Maybe not....What's it stand for then ?....Something to do with Hefferlumps ?
Pachyderms Digest Fruit ?
Ask me another... :P :P :P
Cheers - Phil.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 04 February 2013, 07:28:15 PM
Quote from: barbarian on 04 February 2013, 06:04:54 PM
Depends of the format, I may be able to.

Each page is A5, with them all in sequence so that it prints as an A4 booklet which can be folded in half.  When I've put it into PDF previously, it changes the format so that the PDF has page 1 with page 56, page 2 with page 55 instead.  That's fine if people want to print it out, but for viewing it's no good at all.

:-\
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: sebigboss79 on 04 February 2013, 08:11:19 PM
Have you tried pdfcreateor?
Happy to help you out. Basically you want an A4 sized landscape format that incorporates 2 (consecutive) of your A5 pages?
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: barbarian on 04 February 2013, 09:11:40 PM
I guess this is an option.

You can "print" on a virtual printer to have a pdf. Check the options of the virtual printer.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 04 February 2013, 09:53:20 PM
Quote from: sebigboss79 on 04 February 2013, 08:11:19 PM
Have you tried pdfcreateor?
Happy to help you out. Basically you want an A4 sized landscape format that incorporates 2 (consecutive) of your A5 pages?

Yep, basically that.  If a separate pdf of the cover could be thrown in at the beginning that'd be a bonus, but it's not the end of the world if not.

:-\
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: sebigboss79 on 04 February 2013, 10:31:32 PM
hmm..if your free tomorrow after 10am I can guide you through the process with skype.....
Basically pdfcreator installs itself as a "printer" so you need to arrange the pages in consecutive order and just hit print. Works same as any printer as in arranging pages to fit 2on1 or so.

For more sophisticated pdfs you would need to "merge" several prints, I would need to google free software for that though...
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 04 February 2013, 11:49:48 PM
Quote from: sebigboss79 on 04 February 2013, 10:31:32 PM
hmm..if your free tomorrow after 10am I can guide you through the process with skype.....
Basically pdfcreator installs itself as a "printer" so you need to arrange the pages in consecutive order and just hit print. Works same as any printer as in arranging pages to fit 2on1 or so.

For more sophisticated pdfs you would need to "merge" several prints, I would need to google free software for that though...

Ain't got Skype I'm afraid.   :(

If you've got a brief run-through you can post here, I should be able to find my way through it?
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: sebigboss79 on 05 February 2013, 10:01:25 AM
any other messenger software?

I can try to pm you . Just hit me up when you have installed the software
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: barbarian on 05 February 2013, 10:15:34 AM
Check "Pagination" options.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: WeeWars on 05 February 2013, 12:41:23 PM
Problem is A5. If you were doing the same thing with A4, there wouldn't be any expectation of viewing A4 on line and printing to A6 and folding. Simple solution: suggest using A5 paper for printing or provide both a print and an online copy.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 05 February 2013, 01:07:34 PM
The printed copies are fine, we've been doing those for years, and it they come out without any bother.  It's just this PDF aspect, so that we can offer it as an online download as well.  It's been done before, but I have no idea how it was managed.

I'll give the pdfcreator a go and see how it turns out.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: WeeWars on 05 February 2013, 02:06:35 PM
I think you're suggesting that you need two options for saving a PDF - re barbarian's "Check "Pagination" options". In my copy of Adobe Acrobat, Page Layout options include Continuous, Facing, and Continuous - Facing. I think you just have to change the Page Layout settings before each save of your PDF file and you will have the two versions you require.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 05 February 2013, 02:36:54 PM
Quote from: WeeWars on 05 February 2013, 02:06:35 PM
I think you're suggesting that you need two options for saving a PDF - re barbarian's "Check "Pagination" options". In my copy of Adobe Acrobat, Page Layout options include Continuous, Facing, and Continuous - Facing. I think you just have to change the Page Layout settings before each save of your PDF file and you will have the two versions you require.

It's getting it into a PDF which is the stumbling block, as the only way I can save it from Publisher throws the layout completely out of whack.

I can send the file to anyone if they want to have a play about with it.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: WeeWars on 05 February 2013, 06:00:31 PM
Go on, then, you have my email.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: fred. on 05 February 2013, 06:45:26 PM
Leon  - I've not followed in detail what you have tried. But it sounds like in Publisher you are choosing a Save As PDF option, to save a copy of the file as a PDF?

It may be better to install a PDF printer and use that to 'print' the file to create a PDF file. This sounds a bit odd, printing to make a file, but it generally works better as most applications are better at printing, than saving in a different file format.

The PDF printer that I use quite a lot is CutePDF, a free download. It will probably need to GhostScript as well (I can't recall if it will auto download this).

Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 05 February 2013, 07:13:21 PM
Quote from: fred  12df on 05 February 2013, 06:45:26 PM
Leon  - I've not followed in detail what you have tried. But it sounds like in Publisher you are choosing a Save As PDF option, to save a copy of the file as a PDF?

The Pendraken catalogue is a Publisher file, on A5 pages.  The pages are all in sequence, and the software rearranges them all during printing, so that Page 1 goes with Page 56, Page 2 with Page 55, etc. so that we end up with an A4 stack of pages which can be folded in half to make the A5 catalogue.

Now when I try and PDF this Publisher file, instead of keeping the pages in sequence like on the screen, it rearranges them again so that they are in the printing order.  That's fine if people want to print their own copies I suppose, but for viewing them it would be a nightmare, as you'd be flicking all over to follow the lists.

Quote from: WeeWars on 05 February 2013, 06:00:31 PM
Go on, then, you have my email.

Cheers, I'll throw it over.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: sebigboss79 on 05 February 2013, 07:44:46 PM
That sounds to me like publisher is the problem....
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 05 February 2013, 07:47:07 PM
I've got the PDF Creator software, and this is what it's given me: http://www.pendraken.co.uk/FileBin/Pendraken Catalogue 010213.pdf (http://www.pendraken.co.uk/FileBin/Pendraken Catalogue 010213.pdf) with all the pages out of sync like previously.  It looks like if I want to edit the PDF, I need to pay for all the add-on features?
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: hondo1690 on 05 February 2013, 08:25:24 PM
Leon have a look at this Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djlx5N8qQB8.  If you need any help you ave my email address.  :)
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Techno on 05 February 2013, 08:44:14 PM
As I can't possibly contribute anything about PDFs.....
I'd just like to welcome hondo to the forum. :-h
Cheers - Phil.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: WeeWars on 05 February 2013, 08:45:39 PM
Quote from: hondo1690 on 05 February 2013, 08:25:24 PM
Leon have a look at this Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djlx5N8qQB8.  If you need any help you ave my email address.  :)

Leon, using the 'catalog' template appears to be the in-Publisher solution to use. I guess hondo1690 has solved your problem.
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 05 February 2013, 09:28:16 PM
Quote from: WeeWars on 05 February 2013, 08:45:39 PM
Leon, using the 'catalog' template appears to be the in-Publisher solution to use. I guess hondo1690 has solved your problem.

The catalogue was built in that template, so that should be fine.  I've gone through using that video tutorial, but it looks like my Publisher 2003 doesn't have all the functions of 2007, as this is what it's given me: http://www.pendraken.co.uk/FileBin/Pendraken Catalogue 010213-3.pdf (http://www.pendraken.co.uk/FileBin/Pendraken Catalogue 010213-3.pdf)  At least it's put them in the right order this time, just need to get rid of all the half pages visible down the sides!

:'(
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Shedman on 05 February 2013, 09:48:37 PM
Have you tried using Google Docs?

If you send it to me then I'll have a go

Alan

Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 05 February 2013, 09:57:35 PM
Quote from: Shedman on 05 February 2013, 09:48:37 PM
Have you tried using Google Docs?

If you send it to me then I'll have a go

Not tried that one yet, gonna have to leave it for tonight and go get some casting done for a bit before heading home.  I'll pop you the file through though, see if you've got better luck than me!

:D
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: WeeWars on 05 February 2013, 11:37:23 PM
Quote from: Leon on 05 February 2013, 09:28:16 PM
just need to get rid of all the half pages visible down the sides!

Change the width of the export page?
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 06 February 2013, 01:36:39 PM
Thanks to everyone for the help, and in particular to Shedman and Enbaji, who have both worked their magic and knocked up exactly what we were looking for!  Hopefully I can work out how to do it myself now, and then I'll be able to put up a PDF catalogue each month with the latest releases in it.

8)
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Derek H on 06 February 2013, 04:00:49 PM
Belated offer of help deleted.  Note to self - always read to end of thread before posting
Title: Re: Anyone good with PDF's?
Post by: Leon on 06 February 2013, 04:06:21 PM
Quote from: Derek H on 06 February 2013, 04:00:49 PM
Belated offer of help deleted.  Note to self - always read to end of thread before posting

8)