Graphic Designers - Business Card Help

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06-02-2008, 11:34 AM
encore

Graphic Designers - Business Card Help

I designed a business card in AutoCAD and printed it to a PDF.

The printer says I need to do the following:

"...I would need an Indesign or Quark file, either native, or saved as a highres pdf, which fonts and graphic files imbedded."

When you look at the PDF file at 6400% zoomed there seems to be some line and hatch marks through the text.

I need some help cleaning up and converting this file. I have a gray shaded area that I would like to turn to a light olive green such as a "Pantone 366 CS, R:199, G:224, B:143" I still need to review the hard copy of the Pantone chart for final color.

I'm assuming this won't take long. Can someone help me out?
06-02-2008, 11:48 AM
agentorange

Not claiming to be a graphic designer, but what kind of schmancy text do you have going on? What happens if you change in the plot config > custom properties > advanced > document properties > advanced > true type font (change from 'substitute device font' to 'download softfont')? If that doesn't work then I dunno.
06-02-2008, 12:00 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by agentorange

Not claiming to be a graphic designer, but what kind of schmancy text do you have going on? What happens if you change in the plot config > custom properties > advanced > document properties > advanced > true type font (change from 'substitute device font' to 'download softfont')? If that doesn't work then I dunno.

It's Arial and Swis721 BlkEx BT.

In either case, I still need the file converted to a InDesign or Quark file, and I need the color added.

Edit: Where is "plot config" in AutoCAD?
06-02-2008, 01:18 PM
encore

Help me out here fellas.

I've given skis away free to maggots, did a wall section for Inspector Gadget free of charge, hooked up maggots with free places to crash, given away free beer!

Pay it forward! :cool:
06-02-2008, 01:28 PM
advres

Quote:

Originally Posted by encore

I've given skis away free to maggots, did a wall section for Inspector Gadget free of charge, hooked up maggots with free places to crash, given away free beer!

Why don't you ask the people you've helped out?:rolleyes2

In all seriousness, I don't have either so I can't really help. If you needed a psd or ai file I could've helped.
06-02-2008, 01:36 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by advres

If you needed a psd or ai file I could've helped.

the printer just told me that an Adobe Illustrotor file would work.
06-02-2008, 01:37 PM
scarlet begonias

I don't use Autocad, but I use In Design here at work, and I am not sure you can convert autocad files to In Design. Just build it in In Design in you can. Or see if you have the option to export the file from AC to another format i.e. In Design. Can you convert it to a PDF and then print? Quirk I don't know shit about so I can't help you there.
If you have access to In Design I can help...Until then sorry. :redface:
06-02-2008, 01:39 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by bumpskier

I don't use Autocad, but I use In Design here at work, and I am not sure you can convert autocad files to In Design. Just build it in In Design in you can. Or see if you have the option to export the file from AC to another format i.e. In Design. Can you convert it to a PDF and then print? Quirk I don't know shit about so I can't help you there.
If you have access to In Design I can help...Until then sorry. :redface:

It is in a PDF format. I just printed straight to PDF format from AutoCAD. I would build it in InDesign if I had the program and knew how to use it. I have the card complete, so I don't want to pay someone to re-draw it in another program, when I think only a file conversion and the additional color is needed.

You can bring a PDF into InDesign correct?
06-02-2008, 01:41 PM
Patches

You created by printing to PDF?

Sounds like it bitmapped the file.

Instead of printing to PDF, you need to save the autocad file as an illustrator file. They are both vector formats so have no jagginess.

I have not used autocad but if saving as illustrator is not native, you should be able to save the file as some kind of vector format, then use a 3rd party converter to convert it to one of the accepted file types.
06-02-2008, 01:48 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patches

You created by printing to PDF?

Sounds like it bitmapped the file.

Instead of printing to PDF, you need to save the autocad file as an illustrator file. They are both vector formats so have no jagginess.

I have not used autocad but if saving as illustrator is not native, you should be able to save the file as some kind of vector format, then use a 3rd party converter to convert it to one of the accepted file types.

Thanks. I'll look into that now. I'll see if I can save as an illustrator file or some sort of vector format.

I'll still need the file converted to Adobe Illustrator, Quark, or InDesign.
06-02-2008, 01:48 PM
scarlet begonias

Quote:

Originally Posted by encore

You can bring a PDF into InDesign correct?

Yes but I don't think you can edit it. You have to open it in Illustrator to be able to edit the file. Sorry I don't have clear answers for you. I use In Design to create in and then export to PDF's to send the stuff out/print. And I am a self taught In Design user. I learn something new everytime I use that program...then they update the version and I have to learn more new shit.
06-02-2008, 01:50 PM
agentorange

In Cad did you try 'publish to web' with the .jpg or .png format? Then bring it in to whatever adobe program you have?
06-02-2008, 01:58 PM
encore

I don't see anywhere in AutoCAD where I can save or export as an Adobe Illustrator file. I can export as an EPS file or a bitmap. Does that do me any good? Bitmaps aren't that clear though right?
06-02-2008, 01:59 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by agentorange

In Cad did you try 'publish to web' with the .jpg or .png format? Then bring it in to whatever adobe program you have?

Yeah, I just saw "Publish to Web", but I seem to be missing a template file and it won't open! :mad:
06-02-2008, 02:01 PM
scarlet begonias

Quote:

Originally Posted by encore

I don't see anywhere in AutoCAD where I can save or export as an Adobe Illustrator file. I can export as an EPS file or a bitmap. Does that do me any good? Bitmaps aren't that clear though right?

Have you tried to just creat it in Microsoft word? The business card paper you are using (if you are using one) should have a template you can open in word and make the card in that...
06-02-2008, 02:04 PM
Adolf Allerbush

PM sent. I'm not a graphics designer but I work with CAD, Adobe CS3 and GIS a shit ton. I'll try bro.
06-02-2008, 02:06 PM
hemas

Encore, at least my Illustrator CS 3 can open AutoCad DWGs straight up (no coversion needed)... EPS should also work...
06-02-2008, 02:09 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by hemas

Encore, at least my Illustrator CS 3 can open AutoCad DWGs straight up (no coversion needed)... EPS should also work...

Thanks. I can export as an EPS file in AutoCAD
06-02-2008, 02:10 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by bumpskier

Have you tried to just creat it in Microsoft word? The business card paper you are using (if you are using one) should have a template you can open in word and make the card in that...

I'm not printing them on my own printer. I'm using a print shop. I want them on good quality, thicker paper. I want them to really look sharp!
06-02-2008, 02:11 PM
hemas

Quote:

Originally Posted by encore

Thanks. I can export as an EPS file in AutoCAD

Id first try the native Autocad format (DWG) and see what that looks like, before trying different export formats.
06-02-2008, 02:12 PM
timvwcom

Quote:

Originally Posted by encore

Thanks. I can export as an EPS file in AutoCAD

If you do this, select export text as curves... unless who ever you send it to has the EXACT same text fonts as you do.
06-02-2008, 02:12 PM
advres

The EPS file is the way you want to export it for sure
06-02-2008, 03:01 PM
Woodlandclown

I have illustrator and can try to help you if you can make an .eps file. I have tried converting cad to an .eps or .ai without luck in the past so if you can figure it out lemme know. pdf wont work, cant alter the file. good luck, it may have been easier to ask someone to design it for you from scratch.
06-02-2008, 03:04 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodlandclown

good luck, it may have been easier to ask someone to design it for you from scratch.

You can export an AutoCAD drawing to an EPS file. I'm not sure how good of a quality you get though.

Yeah, probably would of been easier, but would of cost money. I'm either going to say screw it and go with what I got and see what happends, or design the card in Photoshop.

Thanks everyone for their time and helpful hints!
06-02-2008, 03:10 PM
advres

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodlandclown

I have illustrator and can try to help you if you can make an .eps file. I have tried converting cad to an .eps or .ai without luck in the past so if you can figure it out lemme know. pdf wont work, cant alter the file. good luck, it may have been easier to ask someone to design it for you from scratch.

He gave me the pdf file and I opened it in Illustrator. The fonts were weird. They were coming up as multiple weirdly shaped splines instead of a single one for each letter. a "t" for example was broke into 3 different splines for no reason! That was where the "line" was coming from. The splines didn't connect to each other so was not completing the object. It must have been through the conversion or something, because I don't see why a font would work like that?!?
06-02-2008, 03:11 PM
advres

Quote:

Originally Posted by encore

You can export an AutoCAD drawing to an EPS file. I'm not sure how good of a quality you get though.

EPS is a vector file so you won't loose quality. You could blow it up 5 gajillion times and the quality would be preserved.
06-03-2008, 10:56 AM
Rideski

Kinda on the run today, but here is the skinny.

You want a file set up from native format of Indesign, quark, or AI
(not word, pagemaker, autocad, publisher, etc)

You want fonts embedded, or included in a zipped folder

You want bleed built into the document of 1/4 inch. Paginated 4 up on a 5.5 x 8.5

You want this created as Black plus Pantone 391

You do NOT want this created as 4cp, cmyk, or rgb.

The panel on the side could be whatever percentage of 391 you want, like maybe 50% so that your name in 100% overprints well. Line screen of 175.

I'm out for most of the day.

Cheers.
06-03-2008, 11:34 AM
Woodlandclown

Quote:

Originally Posted by advres

He gave me the pdf file and I opened it in Illustrator. The fonts were weird. They were coming up as multiple weirdly shaped splines instead of a single one for each letter. a "t" for example was broke into 3 different splines for no reason! That was where the "line" was coming from. The splines didn't connect to each other so was not completing the object. It must have been through the conversion or something, because I don't see why a font would work like that?!?

i dont know what a spline is? is that crazy?

maybe you dont have the font he used--probably font not converted to outline? probably cant do that in CAD. Would be easier to create the business card in illustrator. why dont you (encore) give someone the text, logo etc to be used and explain what you want done. probably anyone here could create it pretty quickly.
06-03-2008, 01:11 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodlandclown

why dont you (encore) give someone the text, logo etc to be used and explain what you want done.

I wouldn't expect someone to do it for freee. Yeah, the card is pretty simple but it would still take some time. I could just build it in PhotoShop and then have someone save it as Illustrator - that is pretty easy isn't it?
06-03-2008, 01:43 PM
Woodlandclown

Quote:

Originally Posted by encore

I wouldn't expect someone to do it for freee. Yeah, the card is pretty simple but it would still take some time. I could just build it in PhotoShop and then have someone save it as Illustrator - that is pretty easy isn't it?

no - but why would you need to create it in photoshop and save it in another program? If you create it in photoshop, have someone in photoshop work on it for you.
06-03-2008, 02:02 PM
encore

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodlandclown

no - but why would you need to create it in photoshop and save it in another program? If you create it in photoshop, have someone in photoshop work on it for you.

OK. I say Photoshop because that's the only other program I have. I figured since Photoshop and Illustrator are both Adobe products, you could do it pretty easily.
06-03-2008, 02:19 PM
Woodlandclown

Quote:

Originally Posted by encore

OK. I say Photoshop because that's the only other program I have. I figured since Photoshop and Illustrator are both Adobe products, you could do it pretty easily.

you would think that but then they wouldnt be able to sell all of the products in a bundle.
06-03-2008, 02:37 PM
agentorange

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodlandclown

you would think that but then they wouldnt be able to sell all of the products in a bundle.

errr.... you can bring in various graphic files (.psd, .jpg, .tif, etc) into illustrator and then save as ai if you needed to. It is compatible & can import other adobe formats but the fact that illustrator is a very different program than photoshop is the reason they sell it as a distinctly different program.
06-03-2008, 02:49 PM
Woodlandclown

Quote:

Originally Posted by agentorange

errr.... you can bring in various graphic files (.psd, .jpg, .tif, etc) into illustrator and then save as ai if you needed to. It is compatible & can import other adobe formats but the fact that illustrator is a very different program than photoshop is the reason they sell it as a distinctly different program.

you can bring in the files, but you will not necessarily be able to edit all aspects. The programs are different. that was the point, why create something in photoshop and then save as an .ai.
06-03-2008, 11:34 PM
flatlander420

Hey encore I just sent you a 2/c, 4 up pdf. I tried to rebuild it but I couldn't match the header font. It should work for your printer, just don't zoom in on the text, its rough.:)

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