Lo-Res Images when Composing

I am having an issue with variable images composing as lo-res.

I have the job set up using the Insert Picture rule with the path to the folder containing the .jpg images. Sometimes when I go to compose the file, the images come out as lo-res in the PDF. The only work around I have come up with is to quit out of Acrobat and FusionPro, restart them and re-compose the file using a different file name and saving to a different folder, but that doesn't always work either.

 

I am using Mac OS 10.8.5, FusionPro 9.2.31 and Acrobat 10.1.7.

Any help with this would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Dave

dhealy,

First thing to check is the setting you have on the Graphics tab in the composition menu. There is an option to "Down sample all graphics to 72 dpi...", if that is checked that would explain it. You would want to use "Preserve Annotations". If the, "Preserve Annotations" is checked the composition should not alter the image in any way.

 

I would inquire about how you are gauging the resolution. If this is a large record composition, often times the PDF will display the images as low res until each page of the PDF is rendered. For example, if you have 1000 records with 2 pages in the template. When you open the PDF, it shows you the first page of a 2000 page document. That first page may display the composed images pixelated until Acrobat opens/renders all of the records/pages. Once complete, the images should display properly. If you have numerous variable images and a large record count, this time frame could be significant. Not sure if this is the culprit, just a guess.

 

One thing you may try is to use a different output format that is optimized for the equipment that will print the output. These different format manage the components for the output in ways that are most efficient for the device.

 

Hope this helps

The "Down Sample" option is unchecked and the "Preserve Annotations" is checked.

 

I am using sample data for the job at this point and there are only 75 records and only about 10 of the records have the variable images in them. I can see how it would take a while for them to render with a large data file, but this one is relatively small and I don't open the PDF until it has processed as complete.

 

The thing is, sometimes the file will compose with the images coming out as lo-res and sometimes it will compose with hi-res and I haven't changed any settings. I have had this issue with other files as well.

 

I could compose the file as VPS instead of PDF, which I will probably do when we go to print the job, but for proofing purposes, I am composing PDFs. Our customer isn't going to want to see their PDF proofs with lo-res bitmapped images.

The Preserve Annotations setting has nothing to do with graphics. That's about whether form fields from the template PDF are carried over to the output PDF. Unless you actually do want to carry over form fields, you probably want to uncheck that.

 

It sounds like this is an intermittent problem, where FusionPro is somehow forgetting that "Down Sample" setting. But I haven't noticed that here. Perhaps there's something specific to your job, or the graphics you're using. Can you post a collected job which demonstrates the problem?

Here's the collected files. There should be about 10 .jpg images in there.

 

Thanks!

24075 Turning-65 Postcard_FP.zip

I noticed this happening to me occasionally under 9.2, but have yet to see it under 9.3. What seemed to work for me is to click on the graphics tab and verify the settings, then immediately compose the file. If I did this, it composed hi-res every time. If I didn't, it was about 50-50 on hi-res composition. Hope this experience helps.

 

Mac OS 10.9

Acrobat XI

FP Creator 9.3.6

Thanks for the tip. I was having this issue about 6 months ago before I updated to 9.2, then the problem seemed to be solved. Now just recently it started doing the same thing with 9.2.

By the way, I notice you are using FusionPro 9.3.6 with Acrobat XI. So I assume you are using InDesign CC 2014 as well? Have you had any issues with FusionPro since the upgrade?

Yes, I am using FP with InDesign CC14. The only issue I have had is with installation. Once installed, I opened ID CC14 and was told the FP extension was not valid. So I quit, manually copied the plug-in from the plug-ins folder and deleted the original (authenticating of course). I then opened and quit ID CC14, then manually copied the FP plug-in back into the plug-ins folder (again authenticating), opened ID CC14 again, and it has been working ever since.

Thanks for the tip. I was having this issue about 6 months ago before I updated to 9.2, then the problem seemed to be solved. Now just recently it started doing the same thing with 9.2.

I assume you mean, "it started doing the same thing with 9.3."

I noticed this happening to me occasionally under 9.2, but have yet to see it under 9.3. What seemed to work for me is to click on the graphics tab and verify the settings, then immediately compose the file. If I did this, it composed hi-res every time. If I didn't, it was about 50-50 on hi-res composition. Hope this experience helps.

Thanks for that extra info. So it's probably a GUI issue, with getting that setting properly from the check box. Can you send the CFG file that gets generated in both cases (the one where it works properly and the one where it improperly composes)? I'll bet that the DownSample setting in the two CFG files are different. I'll also investigate this further on my end. Thanks again.

Here are the .cfg files. One of the files came out with lo-res images in it and one of the files came out with high-res images. Thanks!

23982 GBL Turning 65 PC_PROOF2.cfg

23982 GBL CN Only PC_PROOF.cfg

I am still using FusionPro 9.2.31. I was saying that previous to me updating FusionPro to 9.2.31, I was having the lo-res image problem. Then when I updated to 9.2.31 the problem seemed to be fixed, but then it started happening again after a while… if that's possible.

Good to know. Thanks for the info!

I can confirm that this problem is fixed in the current FusionPro VDP 9.3 Mac release.

Ok. Thanks.