Importing pdf into X8 without converting

Hello! Am I wrong or is it still impossible to "place" pdf file into cdr document, without converting pdf to objects? As many of us , I have to put my customer's add into leaflet, but draw change fonts and lose some objects upon import on a file, that does not need to be changed in any way. I think, "place pdf" is one of the essential DTP features since ever in whole DTP industry and Draw is unable to deal with it, at least throug straight, ordinary way. Or am I overlooking obvious?

0 Ariel over 8 years ago

Yes, you're right, it's very useful option but is still not available. With CorelDRAW X8 you and open the PDF with PhotoPaint and save as image, not the best solution but at least a workaround (of copurse, if you have Acrobat you can already save as image too).
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0 Eskimo over 8 years ago
I agree, that would be a great feature to have.

My usual approach to that sort of job uses Acrobat (full version, not just the reader) for two parts of the process.

I save the file as Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) from Acrobat. There are a number of settings to control how color is handled, whether or not a bitmap preview is included, and so on.

I "place" (not import as editable) the EPS file in my CorelDraw document. I only see the bitmap preview, but it's accurate enough for positioning the content.

I print from CorelDraw through Acrobat to produce the PDF.

This approach is capable of preserving a lot of quality (including vector) information from the original document without flattening it into a bitmap image.
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0 MikeWe over 8 years ago in reply to Eskimo

Or just use a real layout application...

Do remember that sometimes there is no advantage to jumping through the Acrobat hoop of producing an EPS file. Without jumping through further hoops, transparency is flattened (i.e., becomes a bitmap) in an EPS file. Sometimes the simplest thing is more expedient and faithful by just making the pdf into an image. If there is transparency I usually export as a transparent TIF.

Now, I would use a decent image editor to open and produce the image. I would not use Acrobat to do so as it can and does often produce garbage. It's not worth the time as when it fails to produce a good image, one still needs to use another means to do it. Easier to just use that something else to begin with.

Mike
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0 Eskimo over 8 years ago in reply to MikeWe

Mike,

Good point on the transparency. A lot of the content I work with using the process I described doesn't use transparency, and there are some advantages to retaining the "vector goodness".

I do agree with the utility, in many cases, of just creating a high quality image.

Would I be out of line in asking you what your preferred "something else" would be for turning a PDF into an image?
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0 MikeWe over 8 years ago in reply to Eskimo

For an image editor, I generally use Photoline and sometimes Photoshop. As for turning a vector pdf with transparency using a pdf editor/viewer, PDF-XCHANGE is pretty good. That said, I have only been on the receiving end of images created from it. I don't have it. I do mention it for people who cannot afford Acrobat.

I am a firm believer in Acrobat. And one can get a good image out of it, but not via the file menu save as routine all the time. If you use the Flattener Preview. Then one can adjust what gets flattened and how. Save as a new name and one is golden. However, for ads and such, it's just quicker to open the pdf in an image editor and rasterize it that way.

I get PDF ads all the time and even though I use layout applications for placing them, I'll generally just rasterize them.
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