publsher to pdf?

May 19, 2008 5:04 PM

I am having trouble converting Microsoft Publisher files to PDF...

It seems that every time I save a .pub file as a PDF, two yucky things happen. The first is that it shrinks a little bit, but I cannot understand what percentage it is shrinking to, or why. So, for example, let us say I am trying to make address labels in Publisher using one of those nice built-in Avery templates. If I were to print them directly from the .pub file, they would print out perfectly. But, if I save them as a PDF, then try to print them, the images are a little smaller and don't line up with the labels. Why?! Is there some easy way to ensure that the size of my document (margins and all) will not change when I convert it to a PDF? It seems like it should be so easy.

Also, problem number two: certain image types that look fine in Publisher, look crazy grainy when made into a PDF. I think WMF or maybe BMP images do this. Why? What can I do?

Now, just to let you all know what I am working with, I use Adobe Acrobat to make the PDFs in Publisher, by going to "File" --> "Print" --> and then sending it to the Acrobat PDF creator. I have also downladed CutePDF and tried the same with the same results. I have also tried the built-in PDF converter in Publisher 2007, and it still shrinks my documents.

Also, printing directly from Publisher is not an option for me at the moment, or, obviously, I would just do that.

Can anyone help? It makes me crazy.

posted by foxinthesnow to computers & internet (5 comments total)

The scaling issue is not unique to you. I have had that and it can be maddening on precisely laid out projects. I don't have an answer on fixing that, but I have a workaround that might help.

Try saving the page as a TIF , then opening the TIF in Photoshop, or even the Office Fax Viewer utility. Print to PDF from there and see if it does any better. No guarantees, but it might take care of the scaling and the image issue as well.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 5:11 PM on May 19, 2008

In my experience, it's not that the PDF has somehow shrunk, it's that Adobe Reader is set to shrink the print out so the "whole" PDF fits within the current printable margins. That means that a print from Reader about 94% percent of actual size. Assuming you've used normalish margins in your original publication, try telling Adobe Viewer not to resize anything in the Print dialog box.
posted by bcwinters at 6:43 PM on May 19, 2008

Use Foxit Reader instead of Adobe Reader. It's a much smaller program, opens in a jiffy, and works like Adobe should. Also, look into a novaPDF print option.. where you can choose to "Print" any program file but instead of sending it to a printer, it generates a PDF instead.
posted by vanoakenfold at 8:42 PM on May 19, 2008

Seconding the opinion that the shrinkage is happening at the print-the-PDF stage, rather than the convert-to-PDF stage. Foxit Reader (and, IIRC, Adobe Reader) has a printing option, on by default, to shrink the PDF so it fits inside the printable region of whatever printer it's printing to. Usually this is the Right Thing - it's incredibly annoying to print a 100 page PDF, only to find out that the page numbers have all disappeared into an HP printer's half-inch bottom-of-page black hole - but it does break precise layouts. Find the "zoom" or "fit page" option in your PDF reader's print dialog and turn it off.
posted by flabdablet at 11:33 PM on May 19, 2008

All I can tell you is that you are not alone in your Publisher-Acrobat woes. I haven't had this particular problem but I am very sympathetic!
posted by radioamy at 8:50 AM on May 20, 2008