Hum. I'm having the same problem over and over with the PDF file.
Once it's imported into the file, I can't access it. I ctrl-click the frame, but the handles don't appear. Any thoughts? Thanks, Deirdre On 10/10/08, Art Campbell <art.campbell at gmail.com> wrote: > Most people's primary reason is that a reference keeps the FM file > from bloating (copying in physically adds all the graphic info to the > file). This means the file is quicker to load, scroll, and modify, is > less likely to become corrupt just because there are fewer bytes > involved, and is just more easily portable. > > It also makes the graphic easier to edit and change. > > Other benefits include allowing people to work on the graphic and have > their changes included automatically, supporting translation better > (because different language files can be swapped in on a > directory-level basis), > > Art > > Art Campbell > art.campbell at gmail.com > "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 > Vincent and a redheaded grl." -- Richard Thompson > No disclaimers apply. > DoD 358 > > > > On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 11:05 AM, Deirdre Reagan > <deirdre.reagan at gmail.com> wrote: > > LOL -- yes, sorry -- I was between emails. The best source is a PDF > > -- I'm so excited to find out that I can open the PDF in Photoshop, > > tweak it, and save it as a PDF. > > > > That's going to save me a lot of time. > > > > Import by reference: sadly, I'm not allowed to do that. > > > > But just out of curiosity, why is import by reference better than import? > > > > Thanks again for all the advice. > > > > Deirdre > > > > On 10/10/08, Art Campbell <art.campbell at gmail.com> wrote: > >> Uh no, that isn't what I was saying and I don't think that's what Fred > >> would recommend either. > >> You didn't say the source file was a PDF, or if you did, I missed it. > >> > >> If you already have the source graphic in a PDF, that's your best > >> final format right there because it's a PostScript file. Vector based, > >> scalable, etc. Only way you can degrade it is by converting it to > >> another graphic format.... which is what you've been doing. > >> > >> You can optimize the PDF further with Acrobat, and you can crop it > >> with Photoshop or another program, both actions that will reduce the > >> file size. But other than that, you're good to go. > >> > >> And you should still be importing it by reference.... > >> > >> Cheers, > >> Art > >> > >> Art Campbell > >> art.campbell at gmail.com > >> "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 > >> Vincent and a redheaded grl." -- Richard Thompson > >> No disclaimers apply. > >> DoD 358 > >> > >> > >> > >> On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 9:37 AM, Deirdre Reagan > >> <deirdre.reagan at gmail.com> wrote: > >> > Thanks all. > >> > > >> > I really appreciate your feedback -- you are confirming what I > >> > suspected but don't have enough knowledge to back up! > >> > > >> > Here's my situation: > >> > > >> > I get the drawing package as a PDF file. > >> > > >> > I don't have AutoCad or Katia or any of the other drawing progams, so > >> > I can't access the original vector drawing. > >> > > >> > I've been turning the PDF into a bitmap file and copying and pasting > >> > it into my file. > >> > > >> > I copy and paste because the lead technical writer is adamantly > >> > against importing by reference. > >> > > >> > He also told me that I have to stop using bitmap because bitmap > >> > graphics won't work if we have to turn these documents into HTML > >> > (STML? XML? Some sort of web-based product) documents. > >> > > >> > So, based on what you all are telling me, bitmap is the best way to go > >> > (yeah!). > >> > > >> > And bitmapped graphics are just fine for web-based documents? > >> > > >> > Thanks so much guys! > >> > > >> > From the fun factory, > >> > > >> > Deirdre > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > On 10/9/08, Art Campbell <art.campbell at gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> Fred's on top of the graphic issues. Bottom line is JPG is the way > >> >> wrong format and is adding some bloat. > >> >> > >> >> However, its not clear from the OP message whether you're copying the > >> >> graphic file in, or importing by reference. > >> >> Importing by refrence is the preferred way to do it. Copying is not > >> >> the way to go. > >> >> > >> >> If you are copying them in, that would be a good reason for the > >> >> slowdown. > >> >> > >> >> Art. > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> Art Campbell > >> >> art.campbell at gmail.com > >> >> "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 > >> >> Vincent and a redheaded grl." -- Richard Thompson > >> >> No disclaimers > >> >> apply. > >> >> DoD 358 > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 6:06 PM, Fred Ridder <docudoc at hotmail.com> > >> >> wrote: > >> >> > > >> >> > Deirdre Reagan wrote: > >> >> >> Anyhow, when I add jpgs to my Framemaker file (FM 8.0, Windows XP), > >> >> >> Framemaker slows way down when I scroll over the page with the jpg. > >> >> >> > >> >> >> The jpgs are 300 dpi, which they need to be for good print resolution > >> >> >> (they are black and white drawings). > >> >> >> > >> >> >> I import the file to an anchored frame, then resize the graphic to 80 > >> >> >> percent because it is usually too large for the anchored frame. > >> >> >> > >> >> >> I really don't know anything about graphics, so anything advice would > >> >> >> be most appreciated. > >> >> > > >> >> > To cover only a couple of the most basic issues: > >> >> > > >> >> > First and foremost, JPEG is *not* an appropriate file format for line > >> >> > art > >> >> > or anything containing text. JPEG was specifically designed for > >> >> > *photographic* images, which tend to conceal many of the format's > >> >> > shortcomings due to the continuous-tone nature of photographs. > >> >> > JPEG's area-based image compression algorithm inherently produces > >> >> > artifacts near abroupt color transitions, which is clearly seen as a > >> >> > kind of gray smudginess alongside lines in drawings or as a kind of > >> >> > cloud surrounding text. For line art you should be using a lossless > >> >> > file > >> >> > format like EPS, WMF (or EMF), or PNG (or GIF or TIFF or even BMP). > >> >> > The one file format you should *not* use is JPEG. > >> >> > > >> >> > Second, if you need to scale your graphics, you should use a vector > >> >> > file format (EPS, WMF, EMF) rather than a raster file format (any of > >> >> > the others mentioned). Vector images contain mathematical descriptions > >> >> > of the geometric and text objects in the drawing, which means that > >> >> > they can be rescaled over a wide range of sizes with no loss in > >> >> > quality. > >> >> > Raster graphics contain a pixel-by-pixel rendering of the image, and > >> >> > to rescale them you either have to change the pixel pitch or you have > >> >> > to resample them to throw away pixels or make up new pixels that > >> >> > don't exist. > >> >> > > >> >> > Third, if you do have raster images (screen shots, for example), the > >> >> > best way to change their reproduced size in FrameMaker is not > >> >> > to use the scaling command, but rather to change the dpi setting. > >> >> > Doubling the dpi will reduce the dimensions to 50%; halving the > >> >> > dpi will double the reproduced size of the image. If this approach > >> >> > is not acceptable for some reason, the other alternative is to use > >> >> > a tool like PaintShop Pro or Photoshop to resample the image, but > >> >> > this *always* causes a loss in quality. > >> >> > > >> >> > I'll leave any other issues to others to address. > >> >> > > >> >> > -Fred Ridder > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > _______________________________________________ > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > You are currently subscribed to Framers as art.campbell at gmail.com. > >> >> > > >> >> > Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com. > >> >> > > >> >> > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > >> >> > framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com > >> >> > or visit > >> >> > http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/art.campbell%40gmail.com > >> >> > > >> >> > Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visit > >> >> > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info. > >> >> > > >> >> > >> > > >> > > >
