-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        .pdf software cheaper than Acrobat Professional
Date:   Tue, 15 May 2007 22:07:23 -0700
From:   Virginia R. Hetrick, Ph.D. <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To:       [log in to unmask]
To:     Maps-L <[log in to unmask]>



Hi, folks,

Several of you mentioned the Microtek 11x17 scanners and the fact that
they don't come with software to make .pdf files out of  .jpg files (or
other files).  For some non-mapping purposes, I've settled on these
Microtek scanners for two clients.  They're also getting HP Design Jet
printers for drafts and large format output and HP Color Laser Jet
printers for fine color detail on letter and legal sized printing.

One thing that you might want to investigate is software called PrimoPDF
(primopdf.com). As long as you can get your .jpg into some software that
will allow you to print, you should be able to make a .pdf file of the
appropriate size.  For example, I'd scan with the Microtek, define an
11x17 page size in Word (or perhaps 12x18), then print to that funky
sized paper using PrimoPDF.  Voilà,  I have a .pdf of my picture.  For
some uses, PrimoPDF is free.  For others, it's very low priced.  While I
have Acrobat Pro, I generally put PrimoPDF on any system I set up
because I can only swing two copies of Acrobat Pro and PrimoPDF gives me
the capability on my non-primary systems.

Janet's comments about the issues with color temps usually aren't so
important for the work we're doing, but we have run into a problem where
a palm tree kept coming out with a blue spiral stripe rather than the
dark brown stripe we were going for and we couldn't get the sides of an
archæological reconstruction that should look like limestone quite
right.  So, that's definitely something to consider when you're looking
at mix and match vendors. Never have figured either of those out!

HTH.

v

--
\ /     Virginia R. Hetrick, here in sunny California
0      Email:  [log in to unmask]
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