Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with adobe

CS4 upgrade confusion makes my wallet cry

Thorzdad — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:42:38 -0800

Is there really a difference between the upgrade and upsell versions of CS4? Now that I finally have an up-to-date system, I need to upgrade my ancient version of CS1 to CS4. Therein lies some confusion...

I see that Amazon offers the CS4 Design Premium suite in both upgrade and upsell versions. Is there really any difference inside the box between the two? The upsell price is pretty darn breathtaking and I'd love to avoid spending the dough if I can. I mean, that $300 is a huge difference for me. The $588 is hard to take as it is, but I really do have to upgrade. I'm making CS1 work for now on my new iMac and SnowLeopard, but let's just say the experience is...touchy...at times.

Rummaging around Amazon I found yet another upsell version for people wanting to upgrade from stand-alone copies of Illustrator or Photoshop. That went for over a grand. Does Adobe actually print several different versions of the install disc for varying upgrades vs. upsells? Or is it the same damn disc and I can go ahead and get the $588 version and upgrade without worry?

Download Adobe Presenter Flash Files

mathiu — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:29:05 -0800

I'd like to download a particular "Adobe Presenter" (Flash) document to show it to a group of students without having access to the Internet. How do I download these Flash files to replay them on my computer? I have tried a couple of Flash downloaders but I don't arrive at downloading "Adobe Presenter" Flash documents. I have the authorization to get the presentation offline but I don't have access to the "mother-file".

Here is an example of the type of presentation I'm looking at. (same link as in the title).

(Preferably macish, but both Windows and Mac solutions are appreciated)

Video-Editing for Dummies!

newfers — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:39:04 -0800

I'd like to make a presumably simple video in the style of a series of opening credits for a tv show. What's my cheapest way to do it, and how? I am attempting to make a short video for friends, and my idea is to have a 1-minute video playing and at 4 points during the video, a photo appears in the center of the video, with the friend's name underneath.
Each pic appears briefly, disappears (or twirls or shrinks, whatever - doesn't need to be anything special)... and then the next pic appears, until all 4 are done. It's kind of like a series of badly done opening credits.

Before I go ahead and purchase Premiere Elements, is there another easier or cheaper method to do this very thing, and if so, can you give very basic instructions? The only media I will be using will be the video clip and 4 image files to be placed within the video as it plays.

I use a PC primarily, but also have a MacBook Pro, so if iMovie can do this, I'd be happy, but I don't see the option as I played with the program. I'd prefer a PC solution, or a platform agnostic solution.

How can I replace embedded PDF fonts?

lwf — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:07:15 -0800

How can I replace embedded fonts in a PDF with "normal-looking" versions? I have a textbook I received from my professor for a class, and the text is incredibly hard to read. Screenshot of PDF. (non-highlighted text is what the text looks like normally)

I'd also like to not lose text formatting. (italics/monospace etc)

New slices from guides

four panels — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:32:51 -0800

Photoshop CS3 for Mac: Is there a way to create new slices from guides, without destroying existing slices?

How can I recover my key to Adobe CS3 from the machine it's installed on if I can't find the case?

justkevin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:56:47 -0800

How can I recover my key to Adobe CS3 from the machine it's installed on if I can't find the case? I can't find the case to my copy of Adobe CS3 Web Premium Suite (Windows XP). I've combed the office and it seems increasingly unlikely that it's going to turn up. It's still installed on my PC, but if I have to reinstall or want to move it to a new computer, I'm in trouble.

I've tried Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder and Keyfinder Thing, neither of which could find the key in the registry.

Does anyone know how to recover an Adobe CS3 Suite key from a computer?

What is the current state of Adobe Flex and what tools are commonly used?

Riemann — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:57:16 -0800

What is the current state of Adobe Flex and what tools are commonly used? Though most of my experience is in C# / C++, I have done a fair bit of development in Flash over the last few years. Despite the fact that the threading model is still crippled (compared to desktop technologies or even Silverlight), I have an idea for which I think Flash / Actionscript 3 might be an appropriate platform.

Right now I am considering whether to base my app off of Flex 3 framework or just code directly with AS3 / Flash.

(as an aside, I have read the answers to these questions on the Adobe website. However, years of experience working with Adobe products has made me extremely skeptical of anything they claim about their own products)

So, I have two questions:

1) What are the advantages which Flex 3 offers compared to just Flash? Are the Flex user interface controls substantially better than what is available with Flash alone?

2) What IDE and other tools are actually worth using for Flex 3 development? Is Eclipse still the IDE of choice?

Editable PDFs?

Kattiara17 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:09:58 -0800

I want to be able to create editable, form-based PDFs. What software do I need? I want to be able to create editable, form-based PDFs. For example, if you look at this W4 form, you can click and type information into each of the preset fields.

What software do I need to be able to do this? My google-fu is failing me; it looks like I need to buy Adobe Acrobat, but is that the only option? If it is, does it matter as far as Standard vs. Pro edition?

Is there a "curves" function on Photoshop Elements 7?

tangyraspberry — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:49:07 -0800

Is there a "curves" function on Photoshop Elements 7? I just purchased Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 and cannot find the curves function.

After Effects Resolution vs Adobe Premiere

bostonhill — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:22:09 -0800

After Effects Resolution vs Adobe Premiere Hey everyone,

I just bought After Effects and I am sort of a noob when it comes to this so I am hoping someone can help me when it comes to aspect ratio/resolution.

I have a file that was created in AE where the resolution is 1280x720 (16:9), however, the format I am working with in Adobe Premiere is 720x480 (I use a DVX100b camera).

What do I have to do in order for the 1280x720 resolution to fit properly in Premiere 720 by 480?

Much thanks

Happy cross-OS CS4ing?

oulipian — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:14:57 -0800

If I have an iMac and also a laptop running Windows XP, is it possible to get a single license of Adobe CS4 Design Premium that I can legally use on both computers?

Tagging in Acrobat Pro 8

nosila — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:59:38 -0800

I would like to be able to search comments in numerous pdf files at once using Adobe Acrobat Pro 8. Can it be done? Ideally, I would be able to designate a folder to search within. This way, the comments could act as tags. E.g. if I have a folder that is full of articles about Haydn that I've read and marked up, I could easily locate every comment in which I've written "Symphony No. 8." Then I could click on the search result and the appropriate pdf would open magically at the right place.

If this isn't possible in Acrobat Pro 8, any suggestions on how I might do it? I'm willing to entertain the possibility of using other software, though I really like Acrobat Pro aside from this.

Help me be the first to buy Photoshop

lukemeister — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:21:48 -0800

Is there a legitimate way to buy discount software for a high-school student? My son, a sophomore in high school, is enjoying a class that makes heavy use of Photoshop CS4. We'd like to get him CS4 for the computer he uses at home (Vista, 4 GB memory), but it's very expensive. I know there are discounts for college students. We'd rather not use 'warez' sites. Thanks!

Which PS Template for 16x9 DVD Menu

anonaccount — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:03:29 -0800

Ive created a series of 16x9 videos that I want to make into a DVD using Adobe Encore. My version has no templates for some odd reason. Which Photoshop Template do I use? PAL D1/DV
PAL D1/DV Widescreen
PAL D1/DV Square Pixel
PAL D1/DV Widescreen Square Pixel

?? and what's the difference between them?

How do I create a "fill in form" on Adobe?

genniangel0 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:53:05 -0800

How do I create a "fill in form" on Adobe with text boxes and check boxes? I have a pdf that I am trying to modify so that the user can tab through and fill in the form. I can't figure it out. I want to be able to not only fill in text boxes...but a check box feature as well. Any ideas? I'm using Acrobat 6.0

Mac freeware for PDF Markups?

el_lupino — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:39:03 -0800

MacFilter: Anyone know of a free way to add markups and comments to PDF files in OS X? I had a copy of Acrobat Pro until this time last year and grew to love its comment and markup features for PDF files. I read lots of journal articles in PDF and putting a comment in the margins as one would with a pen in Ye Olden Dayes was a big plus. But my current employer doesn't have the budget for a license and I'm not really eager to drop the full price myself. Any suggestions? A big plus would be saving files with comments in a way that could be read by Adobe Reader later, for my students.

Can you "Save For Web" in Lightroom?

chocolatepeanutbuttercup — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:53:12 -0800

Best web photo prep software? Will Lightroom work? Asking for a friend: She is using Adobe Lightroom on a Mac and is familiar with preparing photos for print. Now she needs to be able to prepare photos for a webblog (usually jpgs at medium compression and at no more than 500 pixels wide.)

I looked (quickly) at Lightroom and couldn't figure out how to first, resize an image and second, control the compression. Perhaps it's possible and I just couldn't find it?

If Lightroom is not the answer, I was hoping to find a standalone version of something like Photoshop's "Save For Web" feature where you can see how much compression you're adding and what the end result will be. She could export her photos from Lightroom, pull them into some standalone program to prep them for the web and save them from there. Bonus points for open-source.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Need Illustrator reference recommendations

karmaville — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:51:44 -0800

I can competently use Illustrator CS3 and do so daily for my job but want to increase my knowledge base and skills. I currently would call myself a mid-range user but typically use illustrator for simple designs--usually integrated with photos from Photoshop--and signs, cards, posters, etc. I'd like to expand my knowledge into custom shapes, vectors, and some other upper level stuff as I am mainly self-taught on an as needed basis.

Any recommendations on tutorials, web sites, people to follow, essential books, etc.? I use the Visual Quickstart Guide for CS3 as my basic reference but want more. Step by step tutorials either web or video are my preferred option but anything else would be great too.

GIFs in PDFs

king walnut — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:09:07 -0800

How do I insert a GIF in its native resolution into a PDF? I've tried a few ways of creating PDFs (Word, Inkscape, LaTeX), but when I insert a GIF image, it doesn't retain its exact size when I view the PDF with Acrobat Reader, even when the view is set at 100%.

Desperately need a way to get a GIF (or PNG) image into a PDF at its native resolution.

Setting Color Options in Illustrator

ChloeMills — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:57:06 -0800

I need more Illustrator/Photoshop color help! We got Adobe Creative Suite 4 for our office. There are some color settings that I'd like to set as defaults but can't figure out how to do so. a) When I open a file in Illustrator or Photoshop - is there a way for it always to default to RGB instead of CMYK. So anytime we open start a new file it would be RGB unless we change it. It seems this should be easy. But I can't find it!

b) When printing I found the best printing color profile for our printer is: Epson Standard RGB Gamma 1.8. But that is not the default so every time we go to print in a new file it goes back to the standard default setting. So you have to go into color management every time you print. I saved an option so everyone can just scroll down to it but they still forget to do it. We are wasting a ton of paper. There has to be a way to do this.

I am definitely no expert and our IT isn't much help! Would appreciate any help!

How to import AVI video files in Adobe Premiere Pro?

meta.mark — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:41:22 -0800

When I import an AVI video file I recorded on a Canon digital camera to Adobe Premiere Pro, it only shows up as a still picture with audio. Why does it do this and how can it be solved? We are creating a music video as a school project and we need Premiere to add effects. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I need to go to design school

hamandcheese — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:45:19 -0800

Large-format printing filter: Help me figure out a workflow for getting my very large photographs into a 60" x 90" Adobe Illustrator file. Difficulty: need the job done tonight! I need to build some camera-ready PDFs that will be printed 60" by 90". CMYK, 1 inch bleed, one large 300 ppi photograph plus some small text elements per file.

My problem is that we're talking about HUGE file sizes here. Am I doing something wrong? I exported the files from Lightroom as 30", 300 ppi, and they come out as 200 MB monsters. This is one thing, but then I took them into photoshop to get them up to the 60" dimension I need. Unfortunately, when I save the PSDs, they're 2 freaking gigabytes! These things take forever to work with and even longer to save. I must be doing something wrong.

What workflow should I be using so that I can keep the file sizes down and still achieve decent print quality? I have access to Adobe CS3, and I need to finish this project tonight. I haven't done any large-format design work before. Help me hivemind!

Illustrator Pencil Tool Help

ChloeMills — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:53:47 -0800

Is there a way to change the options for the PENCIL TOOL in ILLUSTRATOR so that it just draws a new line once you pick it up and put it down again - (no matter how close you are to the previously drawn line)? Sorry - this is confusing to word - but if you have the same problem I am sure you will no what I am talking about.

For example - say I want to draw hash marks with the pencil tool.
As soon as I draw one line and try to draw the next one - it either a) replaces the first line or b) connects to the first line.

I want it to just keep the first line and draw a new one. It's more natural.

The only work around I have is to draw a line far away and then come back and draw the in betweens - but that is not as natural.

It drives me nuts. Thee has to be a way to fix it.

I am in CS3 on a Mac and CS4 on a PC.

Let me know.
Thanks :)

Design Dunce.

the NATURAL — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:54:01 -0800

Adobe Filter: Please help me with my graphic design woes. So, I'm starting my own little bootleg t-shirt company, and I'm interested in two types of operations:

1. Cutting an image from its background, then reducing the colors of the image to a reduced grayscale to make it more affordable to print (pretty basic, I know).

2. Taking an image (say, of a person), reducing it to grayscale, then reducing it to a number of composite single-color dots -- when viewed from afar, these dots constitute the original image. I've seen the effect done before on clothes, but I can't find a good image to use as an example (sorry!).

Which Adobe program should I get (and get familiar with) so that I can complete these tasks? Better yet, could I use a cheaper program (for Macs)?

Cannot install Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0.

tangyraspberry — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:03:41 -0800

Cannot install Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0. My wife bought me Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 which I only recently got around to trying to install, however, upon attempting, I'm getting a "could not find any audio drivers" message. Any thoughts or ideas. Thanks in advance.