Why does stroke style export pixelated in pdf?

• Jun 28, 2009

• #2

apepp

Technical User

Jan 9, 2006

3,375

GB

...in acrobat check you have "smooth lineart" turned on in the preferences settings (edit > preferences), under "page display" section...

andrew

 

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• Jun 28, 2009

• #3

apepp

Technical User

Jan 9, 2006

3,375

GB

...so long as that preference is on in acrobat and they still look jagged they are in fact fine, this is the nature of indesign line styles on export to pdf...

...the only time it might be a problem is when you have vector elements below objects that have transparent effects, like drop shadows, they then become pixels on output as opposed to vector...

andrew

 

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• Jun 28, 2009

• Thread starter
• #4

SweetNSassyRobin

Technical User

Jun 28, 2009

3

US

Hi Andrew!

Thanks for your reply. That is checked in Acrobat reader and the results are the same

Any other ideas?

Robin

 

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• Jun 28, 2009

• #5

apepp

Technical User

Jan 9, 2006

3,375

GB

...as mentioned, so long as that preference is checked and they still looked jagged, they are in fact fine...

...it's just the way acrobat displays, nothing you can do about it really...

...same happens in CS4...


andrew

 

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• Jun 28, 2009

• Thread starter
• #6

SweetNSassyRobin

Technical User

Jun 28, 2009

3

US

Humm... well, ive printed and as you said it would, the dots print just fine.

Problem is, it's a digital publication which will be viewed on screen and not in print, so the jagged display in acrobat isn't ideal.

I guess I'll have to use a dotted line graphic instead of the line tool in ID for this project unless you have other ideas.

Thanks again for the reply!
Robin : )

 

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• Jun 28, 2009

• #7

apepp

Technical User

Jan 9, 2006

3,375

GB

...just be sure you don't have vector elements underneath transparent effects, like drop shadows, unless you want them to be, particularly small text...

...on output they become raster dots...

...the dotted line issue is purely a display issue, they are in fact fine on high end output, not much you can do about it really, unfortunately...

...the next best option is to use illustrator, copy and paste a set of dots into indesign, they display better in acrobat, so long as the user has "smooth lineart" turned on...

andrew

 

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• Jun 28, 2009

• #8

apepp

Technical User

Jan 9, 2006

3,375

GB

...to add to my message above...

...if your dots are all the same format throughout the artwork, you can use just one .ai linked file...

...you can copy and paste from indesign into illustrator, then save out to native .ai, then import that .ai file into indesign, that would be the better more flexible method...

andrew

 

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