Finished documents fall roughly into two categories:
1. Printed documents - brochures, catalogs...anything printed...desktop
publishing
2. Electronic documents - web pages and PDFs (see below)
The Importance of Planning
Although finished images for both media are prepared
very differently, the same software is used for both. Because of
this you have an opportunity to utilize the same artwork - if you
plan ahead.
For example you might design a logo and prepare stationery and business
cards for a client. You may be able to get away with a bitmap version
of the logo, but you may have to redraw it as a vector image later
when the client asks you to build a web page or create a sales brochure.
Once you've got your client's attention do him a favor and point
out all the ways he can utilize the artwork you'll be preparing
for him. Then you can better plan the project before you start.
Explain that by using this "open ended" approach he'll
have more options in the future. Most clients will appreciate your
pointing out these facts at the beginning.
Adobe® Portable Document
Format (PDF)
The Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) is used
for publishing electronic documents to be distributed over the Internet
and other online services. The advantages to PDF files are:
1. Their compact size...making them ideal for distributing product
brochures and technical manuals over the Internet.
2. They are platform independent - they work with both Mac®
and PC computers.
3. The software used to read and print them is free.
4. They display and print using the PostScript® page-description
language. That means if line art is embedded as vector objects,
it will display and print perfectly at any size or resolution. Plus
it can be extracted and placed into illustration documents or bitmap
images.
5. Fonts are embedded within them so the target computer does not
have to have the fonts installed to view them.
6. They are fully searchable.
7. They can contain hyperlinks to pages within the PDF document
itself or to a web page on the Internet - or to movie clips.
8. They contain PostScript® data and can be imported into both
image editors and illustration programs just like EPS files.
9. Vector art contained in the PDF file will make PERFECT printed
output at any resolution - just as if the output were being printed
from a job saved as a PostScript .PS or .PRN file. If there are
embedded bitmaps they will usually be downsampled to 72 pixels per
inch for viewing on a monitor or for transporting over the Internet.
This is to keep their file size small. However, bitmaps can be embedded
at high resolution for high-end output.
1. First download and install the free Adobe Acrobat®
Reader
2. If you wish to view the PDF file only, simply
click on the link below 3. To download in Windows®: Place
mouse pointer on the link, then right click the mouse.
For Internet Explorer®:
"Save Target As..." For Netscape®: "Save Link as..."
then save it to disk
4. To download in Mac®: Hold the mouse
button down for a second or Control + Click and a pop
up window will appear.
For Internet Explorer: "Download Link to Disk" For Netscape: "Save this Link as..." then save it to disk.
If your client wants to build a web site, the PDF
file format is ideal for distributing online brochures and technical
documents. Let's say a customer calls up and requests a technical
manual for one of your client's products. It's simple. Just have
the customer dial up and download! He can simply print it out on
a laser printer if he wants hard copy. The customer will be happy
because he gets a manual immediately, and your client will be happy
because there was virtually no cost for distribution - no printing
cost, postage or handling! There's no difference to you because
you lay it out exactly the same as if it were being printed. Even
if you print it, you use the same files for making the PDFs.
