Editing of PDF files in photoshop

M
Posted By
Meraj
May 8, 2007
Views
572
Replies
15
Status
Closed
Hello.

I have bit of a unique problem. I am trying to edit some PDF catalogs. These PDF files have many pages. I have managed to open the pdf in photoshop, only problem with that is, it opens each page individually. Is there a way to open the entire file (all the pages at once?) Because when I make the change to one page, photoshop saves that one page as a separate PDF. Which is quite annoying because then I would have to go back and combine all the separate files into one.

Another problem I am having is the fact that when I save the revised file, I am not able to retain the same clarity as the original. I have tried all the different quality profiles which photoshop offers, but still no luck.

Can anyone give me some pointers?
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AC
Art Campbell
May 8, 2007
Well, you’re unlikely to like the answer, but PDFs have always been considered a type of "final form" document. So although you _can_ edit them, they’re not designed to be edited. Because of that desigh intention, you’re hitting the limits of what you can do — each page’s flow is intentionally separated from its neighbors.

The best solution is to go back to the source files and edit those. If you don’t have them, you can use Acrobat or a third party tool to save the multi page PDFs our to RTF or another format that can be edited.

If you don’t at some point revert to editable source files, you’re just going to prolong the problem.

Art
BL
Bob Levine
May 8, 2007
Photoshop is not a PDF editor unless it was used to create the PDF. As already pointed out PDF is intended to be an end product.

Some minor edits are possible using the full version of Acrobat and added functionality is available using third party plugins with it, but you really need to find the original documents and edit them using the application that created them.

Bob
JO
Jim_Oblak
May 8, 2007
Open the PDF files in Acrobat or Reader. Open the document info window and see what app and what user made the file. Contact that user and ask for the original design files.
M
Meraj
May 8, 2007
Well I do not have access to the original files. But i have managed to edit the PDF files, to the way i want them using photoshop.

IF you would like to view what I am talking about here is the link: <http://www.carampandspeaker.com/pioneer2007.pdf>

Thanks to everyone and their input.

Just one more question, anyone have any design ideas on how to display the PDF catalogs on my site? IF you can provide some examples that would be great!
JO
Jim_Oblak
May 8, 2007
You’ve managed to make the files mush and insanely large (21 MB).

Check out the spec sheet. It is now useless.

Should we guess that all you did was place the vendor name on the top red bar? You should be using a page layout app like InDesign. InDesign will let you add that vendor name while maintaining the quality (and smaller size) of the original PDF file.
AC
Art Campbell
May 8, 2007
There’s the potential issue of Pioneer’s copyright on the back cover too, but I won’t mention that. They probably wouldn’t care if a vendor "improved" their files. ;- )

Art
BL
Bob Levine
May 8, 2007
If that’s your idea of success, I’d hate see what failure looks like. The text is unreadable and the file is about 25 time larger than it should be.

If you want this done right I suggest buying the proper tools. Using Photoshop for this is like using a screwdriver to hammer nails.

Bob
M
Meraj
May 8, 2007
lol Your funny. I know the file size is just crazy! And the text is terrible. But that is why i am here! To get some help. Thank for your input.

I will look into getting InDesign.
M
Meraj
May 8, 2007
Yes you are right. I will look into the getting InDesign right away. ANd by the way the original file is around 12.7 MB and that is from pioneer.

Thanks again!
M
Meraj
May 8, 2007
Hey Art thanks for your input. But I am my company is an authorized distruitor for pioneer, so dont have to worry about the copyright issue.
AC
Art Campbell
May 9, 2007
Meraj,
You’d get much faster downloads if you do what Photoshop wanted to do — treat each page as a discrete file. Then just link them together online.

Art
M
Meraj
May 9, 2007
You mean keep each page individual? And just create a link "Next page".
VV
Viviano_Villarreal
May 9, 2007
How did you manage to open the PDF file in photoshop?
AC
Art Campbell
May 9, 2007
Yup. Why not? Your readers are likely to browse it online and they’ll only look at one page at a time.

You could still keep the huge single catalog file there for people to download if they wanted it, but it’s really too large and clunky for surfing.

You can also cut the size down a lot if you have or download the full version of Acrobat and optimize it.

Art
JO
Jim_Oblak
May 9, 2007
I would take Art’s comments for editing in InDesign. His comments should not apply to using Photoshop to modify this PDF file.

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