Topic awaiting preservation: Adding Photoshop images to PageMaker...

Is it possible to import PSD's into PageMaker? I've only had luck with it by converting the images to TIFF's, but the quality I'm getting is horrible.

Thanks!

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"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into a sewer hole and die." - Mel Brooks

There's a plugin on Adobe's website that allows you to do it.

List of downloads:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=34&platform=Windows

Here's the page for the plugin: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=2
:::11oh1:::

[This message has been edited by krets (edited 02-23-2004).]

I appreciate the extremely quick reply, however, you misread PSD (Photoshop Document) for PDF (Portable Document Format).

I'm trying to import a Photoshop image into a PageMaker document.

Thanks, however, that plugin is pretty kickass.

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"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into a sewer hole and die." - Mel Brooks

I know nothing about PageMaker but Illustrator and InDesign have a "Place..." option in the file menu that places bitmap images including PSDs. PageMaker is a printing layout app right? I would be suprised if it didn't use a similar convention... What version of PageMaker are you using?

Pagemaker can indeed import PSD, at least in Version 7 which I can confirm does work. How ever transparency is not supported, layers are but I would suggest flatting as most layer effects are not supported and could cause more problems then it's worth. I would stick with Tiffs for the best results. If you want to creat an outline clipping paths are supported in tiff format. You could use an EPS but they should only be used when printing to a postscipt printer or destilling to PDF.

Now you didn't say where the quality was horrible. But i assume you mean on screen. Like most page assembly application Pagemaker uses screen proxy images to speed there display. Often you may have 10-20 images placed on the page, imagine the memory required if they were all full resolution. Pagemaker does allow you to activate 24-bit preview it's located in the preferances. The setting is called "Graphics Display setting", you could try switching it to high. Warning you will use up memory very quicky!!!. I would use it only as a last step before printing or final review.

If the quality hit is on output, the "Graphic Display Setting" could also be to blame. It DOES have an effect when printing to non-postscript printers such as most comercial epson and hp inkjets.

Here's how you should print from Pagemaker to a non-Postscript printer:

First print the file to a PDF via Distiller using the "Print" preset.
Once distilled simply print the PDF using Acrobat Reader. Selecting Arobat Reader Printer setting to "print as image" I think it located under an advanced tab/button in Version 6.

Acrobat Distiller is basicly a Postscript RIP that convert the Postscript to PDF. Using this method allows all the features requireing postscript to work such as EPS, printers marks, and full quality vector EPS and .ai printing instead of the icky screen previews.

This is one of the primary reasons Acrobat Distiller was shipped as part of Pagemaker version 6.5 and 7. It's an extra step but it works well and it's not to bad if you set it up correctly. An added perk is works as a softproof allowing you to check for mistakes.


J. Stuart J.