Best export format for commercial print from Publisher

[Beverly]

When I print my document to PDF directly from Publisher, my graphics do not
come out the way I expect - they are a bit distorted. The text is amazingly
clear at high zoom levels this way but my graphics do not look right.

When I save as .jpg at 300 DPI, why don't I get the same high resolution
that I see when I print to High Quality PDF? My graphics look perfect when
I save as .jpg but the text isn't as clear at high zooms.

Should I be saving as a different format (.tif, .png, .ps)? Can someone w/
experience in preparing documents for commercial print please help?

Thanks!!

 

[Ed Bennett]

When I print my document to PDF directly from Publisher, my graphics do not
come out the way I expect - they are a bit distorted. The text is amazingly
clear at high zoom levels this way but my graphics do not look right.

When I save as .jpg at 300 DPI, why don't I get the same high resolution
that I see when I print to High Quality PDF? My graphics look perfect when
I save as .jpg but the text isn't as clear at high zooms.

Should I be saving as a different format (.tif, .png, .ps)? Can someone w/
experience in preparing documents for commercial print please help?

JPEG is the worst format you can use. Not only does it convert
everything to pixels, but it also blurs everything up.

High quality PDF is theoretically infinite resolution - it is limited
only by the fonts, shapes, application and resolution of photos used.

Order of preference:
- PDF
- PS/EPS
- PNG/TIF
- BMP
- WMF/EMF


<Long gap cannot possibly express how preferable the upper options are>


- JPEG

HTH!

 

[Ed Bennett]

What's the difference between PNG, TIFF, BMP, and JPEG?

<snip>

Publisher doesn't let you choose any of the options that allow JPEGs to
produce good output (nor any other fine controls, really).

Publisher has "issues" with TIFF files, which is why I'm slightly
hesitant to recommend them - it will export them in the same colourpsace
as PNG, but they will occupy more disk space. PNG is a lossless format,
but is (AFAIK) always 24-bit (or 32-bit if you include an 8-bit alpha
channel). Publisher doesn't give you control over the compression level,
but that doesn't matter like it does with JPEG, as the compression level
does not determine the quality. BMP is lossless (at 24-bit, as far as
Publisher is concerned, but theoretically I think you could go higher),
but BIG.