Lab Handbook

Creating PDF Documents

There are several ways to create PDF files in Windows, but this is probably the most universal method for producing the most consistent results.

There are three basic steps:

1. Create a postscript file.
2. Open the postscript file with Acrobat Distiller.
3. Save the resulting PDF file.

To create a PDF, you first need to print a postscript file. To do that, choose Print from the File menu as you would normally do to print to a printer.

Select Save As Postscript as your printer.

Click OK.

If you do not have Save As Postscript as a printer, follow these steps to create a Save As Postscript printer.

In some cases, you will have a nice navigational dialog that will let you save the file in your own documents folder. Name your file with a .ps extension so programs know that it is a postscript file. In this case, though, even though you name the file with a .ps extension, Windows will add a .prn extension that you will need to remove by hand (bad Microsoft Windows!).

In other cases, a more simple dialog box will appear. In this case, you should precede your file name with a C:\. If you don't, the file may appear anywhere on the hard disk (bad Microsoft Windows!)

Open up a window, switch to the C:\ location, then move your file into your own documents folder to continue.

Locate your postscript file that you saved. You will need to view filename extensions in order to remove the .prn extension.

Finally, you have a real postscript file, complete with the Adobe postscript file icon.

Open your Acrobat Distiller program. Find it in the Start menu.

The Acrobat Distiller window will appear.

If you are saving a PDF file to be printed, set the job option to eBook-Print.

If you are saving a PDF file to be viewed on a computer screen, set the job option to eBook.

A PDF file saved in the Screen option will have reduced quality graphics that will appear fuzzy when printed.

NOTE: You must have administrative privileges on the computer to change any job options settings (bad Adobe!). If eBook-Print is not available, use Print.

Select Open... from the File menu.

Select the postscript file that you saved earlier.

Click Open.

Save your PDF file.

The file will automatically have a .pdf extension if you don't name it with a .pdf yourself.