topic Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat in AutoCAD Forum

Publish .pdf with Acrobat

Chad.millard — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:01:39 GMT

Just to lay everything out;
We have switched to using Adobe Acrobat for .pdf creation due to the OTB AutoCAD drivers being unable to create a .pdf file that doesn't need to be flattened at the time of printing. We won't be changing back. We work with .dwg's that are not always created in AutoCAD (sometimes Microstation, SolidWorks, and many others) and the .pdf files created from those drawings will sometimes require 45 minutes to flatten and process through the plotter. We have tried every solution on the forums and even worked with our Re-Seller to fix it. Adobe Acrobat flattens the drawing at the time of creation, fixing the problem. But as always, another problem arose.
How do I add Adobe Acrobat as a PDF preset in the Publish dialog box?
I'm trying to create a mult-page .pdf file, but the publish options don't have any effect unless I use the "Publish to: PDF" option which only includes the OTB AutoCAD pdf drivers.

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

maratovich — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:09:38 GMT

1. Multisheet file - AutoCAD only Publication.
2. Publication is always with the help of DWG TO PDF.
3. Print or Publish to AutoCAD - no need to deploy.
4. Print - you can select Adobe, but not a multisheet file.
There are no problems in Publishing.
Maybe you misunderstand - to deploy? Maybe this is something else?
Attach an example of pictures.

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

TheCADnoob — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:12:31 GMT

are you trying to install the PDF printer?

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2422477

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:25:12 GMT

PUBLISHCOLLATE is the variable you want. Set that to 1 and it will plot as a multi-sheet file whichever PDF driver you are using.

Help page

Note: It will plot the drawings in the order they are in the 'publish' list so make sure they're in the correct order before running the publish (you can move them up and down in the list if they're in the wrong order)

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

Chad.millard — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:29:01 GMT

Publishcollate didn't change anything. I changed it to 0, then back to 1; ran my test and it created separate .pdf files.

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

Chad.millard — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:30:32 GMT

I have already installed the printer - I can make single drawing .pdf files just fine. It's when I attempt to create a mult-sheet file that I have issues. It won't let me pick anything other than OTB AutoCAD options - which don't work for us.

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:44:40 GMT

Sorry - I thought I had managed to create multi-sheet files using a non-autocad driver before, but I must have been using "DWG to PDF" driver instead.

Here's a way that might be possible - I am using PDF XChange as a driver, not acrobat so it might not work. In the box where you choose the name & save location of the pdf, do you get these options in the dialog box?

If so, "Append to existing pdf" will add your drawing to the end of the document you select.

However, it might be quicker to publish as individual pdfs and then join them together using a pdf editor if you have access to one.

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

Chad.millard — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:46:40 GMT

Unfortunately, I don't get those options.

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

neaton — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:49:41 GMT

As far as I can tell you can't change the list of Publish to items so use "Plotter named in page setup". This will use whichever plotter you have selected in your >>Pagesetup<<. In Publish select all the sheets and change the Page Setup in the third column of the list of sheets to the Page setup that uses the Adobe printer.

Nancy

@Chad.millard wrote:

Just to lay everything out;
We have switched to using Adobe Acrobat for .pdf creation due to the OTB AutoCAD drivers being unable to create a .pdf file that doesn't need to be flattened at the time of printing. We won't be changing back. We work with .dwg's that are not always created in AutoCAD (sometimes Microstation, SolidWorks, and many others) and the .pdf files created from those drawings will sometimes require 45 minutes to flatten and process through the plotter. We have tried every solution on the forums and even worked with our Re-Seller to fix it. Adobe Acrobat flattens the drawing at the time of creation, fixing the problem. But as always, another problem arose.
How do I add Adobe Acrobat as a PDF preset in the Publish dialog box?
I'm trying to create a mult-page .pdf file, but the publish options don't have any effect unless I use the "Publish to: PDF" option which only includes the OTB AutoCAD pdf drivers.

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

Chad.millard — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 21:03:48 GMT

At first I didn't get what you were saying on this - now I do. I had the page set up in each file to be exactly what I wanted. But that didn't matter. As soon as I highlighted all drawings to be published and chose the correct page setup from the pull down - it published a multi-sheet file perfectly. Thank you.

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

lfield24DN2 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:08:16 GMT

Afternoon all,

Apologies for hijacking an old thread but I am in a similar boat by trying to publish a multi-page pdf using Adobe.

My issue is when I click on the drop down link in page setup I do not have the option to select Adobe, even though it is installed on my machine and can use it for PDF'ing single sheets? the only two options I get are Default or Import?

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

cadffm — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:22:01 GMT

Hi,

>>"when I click on the drop down link in page setup I do not have the option to select Adobe"

A pagesetup is not just a plotter, it's the whole NAMED pagesetup, stored in a dwg.

Multipage PDF option is available for 'Publish to' PDF/DWF only,

not for "Plotter named in Pagesetup"

NOTE: Perhaps it is different if you have installed the Adobe plugin, but I can't test it (I don't have a Adobe license)

Re: Publish .pdf with Acrobat

pendean — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 13:27:48 GMT

@lfield24DN2 wrote:
...My issue is when I click on the drop down link in page setup I do not have the option to select Adobe....

3rd party drivers are never EVER going to show up in this pulldown. Sorry, not sure where you heard otherwise.

@cadffm is providing you with good guidance to use pagesetups. Here is a quick tip too:

1. Start PUBLISH command from a drawing that is not part of the publish set, but is configured with all your possible sheets and plotter options.
2. Bring in all the other drawings/tabs to be published.
3. Import the pagesetup desired from the template file (in your case, one set up for exacting desired output).
4. PUBLISH.