Valerie Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Is there a way to replace my basic PDF with a new one but keep all my fields? Thanks, Valerie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valerie Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 How do I replace an exisiting PDF with a new one without losing my exisiting fields? Thanks, Valerie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSweet Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 If you're talking about needing to replace the background of your template document (because of artwork corrections, alterations, etc.) but don't want to lose any of your previous rules and or graphic or text-box programming already done in FusionPro, Printable has thought of this for us. When you re-export your document from InDesign or Quark into FusionPro you will be told that the template pdf file already exists so none of the variable element boxes will be exported from InDesign or Quark - just those elements that were not marked as variable in the first place. You will then just need to answer the question prompt as to updating the color and paragraph styles. This will update all the backgroud images and leave the rest of your document alone. If your original item was a pdf file to begin with, simply load that into either InDesign and Quark and export it overwriting the original template in the method described above. Since the FP pdf document already exists, it will still prompt you in the same manner. If you are totally unsure about this to begin with, simply resave your template with a new name and then update that new document and see what happes. You'll still have your original template to fall back on. One "cheat method" that I sometimes use is to make the background a "static-variable" element as well. I often code the background as a graphic box that loads in a pre-defined background shell that I save off as a pdf file. That way if the background needs to be changed, but none of the other items in the document will be affected by it, all I need to do is update that background image pdf file. Good Luck, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valerie Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 Thank you very much for your help. I'm gonna try this tomorrow. Valerie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMD Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 So this doesn't work for me - I'm not setting up the FusionPro stuff in InDesign - I'm setting it up in the PDF. So if I re-export the PDF out of InDesign, saving over the old PDF, it removes all FP elements. I've tried importing the FP stuff from a different file but it only imports the text boxes - none of my rules & resources. So, is there a way to update my background PDF in my case? Thanks, Shelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSweet Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Shelly, In your case where you are starting from a pdf file and not an InDesign or Quark file, you need to do this in three steps using a separate document. Step 1: If I am given a new background pdf file that has all the "variable elements" stripped out (both text and graphic), I would save this new document using the same name as the original template name but append a "_rev1" to the name. Going from "Template.pdf" to "Template_rev1.pdf". This way if I receive any further revisions to the background I can keep track of them. Step 2: I open this new _rev1 pdf file and make a FusionPro document out of it using the following menu selections...FusionPro > Data Definitions > Wizard. Then select the entry that states "Import a data source from another document" and hit next. Then point to the original template's ".def" file that I want to pull in the rules and resources from. This converts the _rev1 pdf file into a new FusionPro document but it also duplicates all rules and resources that were created in the original template and it links this new template to the same data file as the previous one. Then I save this document. I do this as a precautionary measure just incase Acrobat crashes on me during the next step. I've got the new background file; I've got the old data file, programed rules and resources copied over; now I need to pull in the text and graphic boxes from the old to the new. Step 3: Use the following menu selections to import the rest of the elements that are needed...FusionPro > Advanced > Import. This brings up a window that gives me three selections: a) Paragraph Styles, b) Variable Layout and c) Colors. This allows me to choose whether or not I want to copy over any a) defined paragraph styles or c) defined colors as well as b) all text and graphic boxes (in the exact same position) from the original template to the new one. Then I need to select the original template in the "Import File" box by selection the little button to the right of it with the three dots "...". Then I save the document again. Once again just precautionary. I will tell you that during Step 3 I have received some errors/warnings about copying over graphic boxes where the entire box was outside of the defined page (i.e. it bleeds on all four sides of your document). If I get any of these warnings and some boxes don't copy over, I simply open the original template and manually copy those boxes from one to the other and move them down in place using the "FusionPro > Layers" commands to where they need to be. After all these steps you should have an exact duplicate of your original FusionPro document placed on the new pdf file background. Good Luck. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMD Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Wow, so cool! Thanks for the step by step instructions. I am concerned that something is wrong with my version/software - when I do the import (Step 1), it doesn't see the rules in the .def file. It imported my resources, but not the rules. So then I opened up the original file & they were gone! But after closing and NOT saving anything, I re-opened the original file & the rules are there. So there's something screwy going on with the import function doing something to the .def file...but fortunately it didn't corrupt it or anything. Any ideas? sb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpaterick Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 So if I re-export the PDF out of InDesign, saving over the old PDF, it removes all FP elements. Shelly, I have found editing artwork through InDesign is A LOT easier to do than through Acrobat. Open Indesign, make change or update link, export out using the FP plugin, replace your FusionPro pdf that has all the variable done to it, when the pdf opens in Acrobat, click "NO," you do not want to replace the work that has been done. Your last settings of the "export" not "Adobe PDF Presets" determines the quality of PDF that gets exported out of InDesign. <<Just in-case you didn't know that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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