Printing VSDs through Distiller Problems

[tsmith]

To All,

We have Adobe 5.0, Visio 2003 and Word 2002 in XP. We open a VSD in Visio 2003, right click the graphic desired and select Copy, then within Word 2002 (w/sp3) paste the graphic, size it, adjust properties etc. then print it using Adobe 5.0s Distiller, saving it then check the resulting PDF by printing or viewing.

We do this all the time and it works fine until a specific 4 VSDs are pasted. The problem is the result of Distiller. When we open the newly created PDF the VSDs text fields are all over the ENTIRE page even though the VSD was not sized to fill the entire page. We have exported the VSD into EMF and GIF and then copy and paste and get the same result or the graphic is plain poor (gif).

If we save the VSD into Word and view or print, it looks and prints out fine. However when we run it through Distiller it trashes any of the 4 VSDs that we have had trouble with in the past. The item produced includes JPGs, VSDs, columns, footers and headers.

I intend to copy this message and paste it at an Adobe Forum also.

Any ideas would be considered.
Thanks
Tsmith

[Paul Herber]

If you export as EMF or WMF, or even PNG what does the result look like direct from those images?
There are several other PDF creation tools, I use PDF995, you can try it out free
http://www.pdf995.com/
These might point to where the problem is.

[vojo]

pdf995 has worked great for 5+ years for me.  Use 100% for any PDF creation

[Visio Guy]

Hi TSmith,

Anything specific to just these 4 drawings? Scaled/measured drawings? Transparency?

I know I've had trouble with the MS PDF-export when I've got gradient fills with transparency in them. But that isn't really anything like the text problems you are having.

[wapperdude]

Are the fonts special or non-standard.  I remember get strange results several years back with some fonts that I had down loaded.  The PDF converter wouldn't handle them correctly--I had to swap them out.

[tsmith]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your replies regarding printing troubles. I have found your suggestions to be a "Pot of Gold"
I have d/l'd the pdf995 software files and installed and tested. The pdf995 system is a fabulous work around for the problem I was having. We now have the decision regarding the number of licenses required.

I have chosen not to paste the same message at Abobe ... I am afraid I would add too much to the original massage and complicate my problems. As the cost of the pdf995 software is, should I say, affordable to say the least.

I did consider the potential differences within the 4 graphics that seemed to be the only files that trigger the undesired results.
I have been unable to find one commonality. Most of the VSDs end up getting scaled larger on a page. Not certain of the reference to "Measured Drawings". Transparencies would apply to only one of the files ... and not too sure that a white shape that layers over another portion (to cover a portion with acolored shape and not allow one to see the lower) would be called a transparency. I also have no gradients however many do have white or gray shapes within them. The afore mentioned envionments do not have troubles printing.
We also exported the VSDs to EMF, GIF, BMP, WMF, PNG and TIF before importing to the DOC and found no better success.

The only commonality I did find was the DOC included BMPs and VSDs. But that doesn't make sense either. Many other DOCs we generate includes those as well.

All that to say the pdf995 software fixed the problems. We took the original DOC file that included the VSDs ran it through pdf995 print driver software and problems are GONE.

GREAT SUGGESTION. I hope all that have simular problems find this answer.
Thanks Again

Tsmith