Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14

Thread: .pdf creator for high quality images

  1. #1
    chassis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    1,974

    .pdf creator for high quality images

    Hello

    Would like to create a .pdf mini-portfolio to send to prospective clients. What is the best tool/workflow for this? Images would be in tif or jpg formats. I would like the end result to be a not-too-large (emailable size) .pdf. The portfolio would also have text and some very simple graphic elements.

    My simple mind thinks Powerpoint saved as a .pdf. Is this the highest quality method?

    Thanks for any comments.

  2. #2
    8x10, 5x7, 4x5, et al Leigh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Maryland, USA
    Posts
    5,454

    Re: .pdf creator for high quality images

    .pdf files can contain three types of images: plain text, simple line drawings, and full detailed images like pictures.

    The pdf creation software does not modify any of these elements in any way.
    It just puts a "wrapper" around each to identify the contents to the pdf reader so the content is displayed properly.

    Whatever images you present to the .pdf creator software will be contained in the final .pdf document unchanged.

    So you need to manipulate the image files before putting them in the .pdf. Any edit s/w will work.
    Your choice of creator software does not matter.

    - Leigh
    If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.

  3. #3
    chassis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    1,974

    Re: .pdf creator for high quality images

    Thanks Leigh. I will give it a try. My concern is/was loss of quality.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    1,490

    Re: .pdf creator for high quality images

    If possible, create your PDF straight from Photoshop - don't bother using Powerpoint as an intermediary. And once you have your PDF portfolio, you can apply PDF file protections such as preventing anyone from copying, extracting or even printing from the file.

  5. #5
    jp's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    5,628

    Re: .pdf creator for high quality images

    Quote Originally Posted by chassis View Post
    Thanks Leigh. I will give it a try. My concern is/was loss of quality.
    There's always a balance between quality and file size/speed.

  6. #6
    IanG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Aegean (Turkey & UK)
    Posts
    4,122

    Re: .pdf creator for high quality images

    I've used CorelDraw since the mid 1990s and used to regularly send work to be printed commercially - small catalogues, posters A4 to A1, cards, calendars etc. I've also created Portfolios for on-line use. You chose the quality parameters when you first save the PDF

    A free alternative and now very good is Inkscape.

    Ian

  7. #7
    IanG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Aegean (Turkey & UK)
    Posts
    4,122

    Re: .pdf creator for high quality images

    Quote Originally Posted by jp View Post
    There's always a balance between quality and file size/speed.
    I've gone around that by sometimes creating much larger PDF files, for instance an A2 set of posters this is the Master copy, that can then be scaled down to A3. The advantage of our European A sizes is A2 folded in half is A3, A3 folded is A4 etc so perfect for re-scaling.

    I use the larger A2 posters laminated for lectures while the smaller version is an A4 4 page article - essentially the same as a portfolio.

    Ian

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Anglesey, North Wales, UK [53.3N 4.4W]
    Posts
    484

    Re: .pdf creator for high quality images

    Quote "Adobe's *.PDF Portable Document Format is a file format used to present and exchange documents reliably, independent of software, hardware, or operating system." unquote.
    The pdf protocol was developed decades ago to overcome the then problem of a document's formatting changing as it was moved from one computer to another.
    For instance writing a Word document on one computer and sending that word.doc file to another computer could result in the then opened file being in a form that was different from the originating file.
    At that time any *.pdf file was unchangeable unless opened with Adobe's Acrobat program.
    The other advantage of a *.pdf file is that It can be read/opened on any computer platform provided that the appropriate Adobe's Reader is installed. So a document written in WordPerfect [and saved as a *.pdf file] could be opened on a computer that only has the Word program installed.
    Nowadays almost every text or image generating program enables the generated file to be saved as a *.pdf file.
    Also free software is available that enables the 'binding' of individual pdf files into a single pdf file.
    However, the bottom line is that the pdf format will not improve the quality of the originating file.
    regards
    Tony

  9. #9
    Andy Eads
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Pasco, Washington - the dry side of the state
    Posts
    246

    Re: .pdf creator for high quality images

    Check this page out. There are numerous settings that can affect the quality seen on another computer.
    https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/usin...-settings.html

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    vermont
    Posts
    117

    Re: .pdf creator for high quality images

    create your portfolio in Indesign, you can link your fullsize images directly to the document and then compress and downsample on export to a reasonable size. This gives you the maximum amount of control and flexibility.

Similar Threads

  1. What should a high quality drum scan look like?
    By big_ben_blue in forum Digital Hardware
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 18-Jun-2010, 06:10
  2. high quality scanning
    By Carl P in forum Digital Hardware
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 10-Mar-2010, 15:55
  3. High quality large filter
    By Richard Ide in forum Lenses & Lens Accessories
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 25-Jul-2005, 22:40
  4. looking for high quality 240mm for 4 X 5
    By Lloyd Chamber in forum Lenses & Lens Accessories
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 17-Aug-2001, 06:54

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •