TechNote (Archived)

Images Are Fuzzy in PDF Files Created from FrameMaker for Windows

Issue

Images are fuzzy in a PDF file saved from Adobe FrameMaker for Windows.

Solutions

Do either or both of the following:

Solution 1

Change the compression options for images in Acrobat Distiller:

1. Open Acrobat Distiller.

2. Choose Distiller > Job Options.

3. Click the Compression tab.

4. Deselect Downsampling, Automatic Compression, and Manual Compression in the Color Bitmap Images section and in the Grayscale Bitmap Images section. Deselect Downsampling and Manual Compression in the Monochrome Bitmap Images section. Click OK.

5. In FrameMaker, resave your document as PDF (or in Distiller, redistill your PostScript file).

Note: If the images improve, but you want a PDF file with a smaller filesize, try adjusting the downsampling options. Adjusting them may produce acceptable images while reducing the filesize of the PDF file. Try different settings until you produce an acceptable PDF file. Each downsampling setting should be evenly divisible into the printer's dpi (dots per inch) setting. For example, if you print at 600 dpi, try downsampling to 75 or 150 dpi. If you print at 144 dpi, try downsampling to 72 or 144 dpi.

Solution 2

Make each image's dpi setting in FrameMaker evenly divisible into the printer's dpi:

1. From the Start menu, choose Settings > Printers.

2. Right-click the printer you are using, and choose Properties.

3. Click the Graphics tab.

4. Note the dpi listed in the Resolution field.

5. In FrameMaker, select an image that is fuzzy in the PDF file.

6. Choose Graphics > Object Properties.

7. Note the dpi listed in the Scaling section of the dialog box.

8. Change that dpi setting to be evenly divisible into the printer's dpi (which you noted in Step 4). For example, if your printer outputs 600 dpi, set the image's dpi to 75, 150, 300, or 600. If your printer outputs 144 dpi, set the image's dpi to 72 or 144.

9. Repeat Steps 5 to 8 for other images that are fuzzy in the PDF file.

10. Resave the file as PDF (or print as PostScript and distill it).

Note: If you scale or manually resize an image after completing these steps, the dpi settings will change, and you must complete these steps again.

Additional Information

To prevent fuzzy images (especially screen shots) in PDF files saved from FrameMaker, the dpi settings of your images, printer, and Acrobat must be in accord; the image's dpi setting in Acrobat Distiller or FrameMaker must be divisible into the printer's resolution.