So - I have a problem that I haven’t been able to tackle. Let me start by saying I’m new to Applescript, having migrated to Mac from a PC. I work in a pre-press setting and I am trying to write a script that will, among other things that I can try and add later, print PDF’s straight from quark and then print that PDF to our local printer. The problem I’m having is I can’t seem to use our PDF settings & make Quark print the PDF. I’m so lost!
One idea is to have Applescript to tell application “Printer Setup Utility” to set your printer to “Adobe PDF 7.0” (or whatever version you have) and set the “PDF Options” to one of your saved Distiller settings ← I know this option is possible… at the moment I don’t have a solution.
You could try this script fo now and set your Distiller setting to save directly to the printer. I couldn’t find any Applescript support in the Quark dictionary for “Layout as PDF” under the “Export” menu.
Try this for now:
tell application "QuarkXPress"
activate
tell front document
set CROPS to 0
set CROPS_DIALOG to display dialog "Crops or No Crops?" buttons {"Cancel", "No Crops", "Crops"} with icon 1 default button 3
if button returned of CROPS_DIALOG is "Crops" then set CROPS to 1
set tool mode to drag mode
set DOCUMENT_WIDTH to page width as number
set DOCUMENT_HEIGHT to page height as number
set DOCUMENT_WIDTH to DOCUMENT_WIDTH + CROPS
set DOCUMENT_HEIGHT to DOCUMENT_HEIGHT + CROPS
tell print setup
-- PRINT SETUP SETTINGS
set printer type to "AdobePDF 7.0" -- change this to your Printer Description (PPD) name
set paper size to "custom"
set paper width to DOCUMENT_WIDTH
set paper height to DOCUMENT_HEIGHT
set paper offset to 0
set page gap to 0
set reduce or enlarge to "100%"
set fit in area to false
set page position to center position
set orientation to portrait
--PRINT DOCUMENT SETTINGS
set separation to false
set print spreads to false
set include blank pages to false
set print thumbnails to false
set back to front to false
set page sequence to all pages
if button returned of CROPS_DIALOG is "Crops" then
set registration marks to centered
else
set registration marks to off
end if
set bleed to ".5" -- change bleed here
set tiling to off
set data format to binary data
--PRINT OUTPUT SETTINGS
set print colors to composite CMYK
set print quality to normal
set resolution to 2540
set halftone screen to 400
end tell
end tell
set MY_NAME to (name of the front document) as text
set THE_PATH to path to the desktop as text
set PSFILE_PATH to (THE_PATH & MY_NAME & ".ps") as text
print front document PostScript file PSFILE_PATH
end tell
tell application "Finder"
set FILE_CHECK to false
repeat until FILE_CHECK is true
if exists alias PSFILE_PATH then set FILE_CHECK to true
end repeat
end tell
tell application "Acrobat Distiller 7.0" -- change this to your version
activate
open alias PSFILE_PATH
end tell
tell application "QuarkXPress"
activate
display dialog "Your PDF is on your desktop." buttons {"OK"} with icon 1 default button 1
end tell
CarbonQuark
so… i had something similar i was working on … i was getting stuck on the registration marks/crops thing… here’s the problem now… first time i try to run it, i get an error through distiller… i get all kinds of wonky symbols when it attemps to distill the file. if i cancel out, and run it again, it makes the PDF. so i quit, restarted distiller & quark, it made the pdf. deleted the pdf & postscript file … and it errored out again. its hit or miss, and i can’t figure it out.
when i open the print menu, it has all the settings & everything, which is awesome, it’s exactly what i was attempting to do, but for some reason was getting stuck.
anyhow. heres the error i get from distiller
the status says Distilling Page 1… and the percentage like -997, the -72, then 1929, 4536, 7424, 8578, 1005… catch my drift?
Acrobat Distiller 6.0.1
Started: Friday, February 3, 2006 at 2:32 PM
Adobe PostScript software version: 3015.102
CID support library initialization completed.
Distilling: brj022106-02-21-06.qxp-HR.ps
Start Time: Friday, February 3, 2006 at 2:33 PM
Source: /Users/Shared/Work/SaraWip/Preflight/scripts/brj022106-02-21-06.qxp-HR.ps
Destination: /Users/Shared/Work/SaraWip/Preflight/scripts/brj022106-02-21-06.qxp-HR.pdf
Adobe PDF Settings: /Users/Shared/Adobe PDF 6.0/Settings/HiRez PDF.joboptions
Distill Time: 15 seconds (00:00:15)
**** End of Job ****
Distilling: brj022106-02-21-06.qxp-HR.ps
Start Time: Friday, February 3, 2006 at 2:33 PM
Source: /Users/Shared/Work/SaraWip/Preflight/scripts/brj022106-02-21-06.qxp-HR.ps
Destination: /Users/Shared/Work/SaraWip/Preflight/scripts/brj022106-02-21-06.qxp-HR.pdf
Adobe PDF Settings: /Users/Shared/Adobe PDF 6.0/Settings/ HiRez PDF.joboptions
%%[ Error: rangecheck; OffendingCommand: colorimageDistiller ]%%
Stack:
4
true
{–currentfile-- /RunLengthDecode --filter–
(…)
–readstring-- --pop–}
{–currentfile-- /RunLengthDecode --filter–
(>??@@??>@@??>@?@??>?@???@@?>>?@@?>@??@@??@??@@??@@??@?@@>??@??@@???>>?@?@???@>>???>@??@?@??@??@??..)
–readstring-- --pop–}
{–currentfile-- /RunLengthDecode --filter–
(…)
–readstring-- --pop–}
{–currentfile-- /RunLengthDecode --filter–
(???>@>>>>@?@?>@>@??@?>??>??>@>?@@??>?>???@?>>>@??@A@>??>??@>@?>@@@@??>>?>@@???@?>@??@@@?>?@>@???>???>???@>>?@@?@?>@?@??>@???@@DHMRW[`eiotx}ÅÖäéìóõ £Ã
/RunLengthDecode
true
(…)
-save-
%%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
also - this script - along with the very very SIMPLE print scripts ive made for quark crash on my powerbook, which is running tiger. anyone know anything i can do for that?
If you are using Quark 6.5 on a Mac and calling on certain Quark Applescript commands (print) it will result in a crash. The “Script.xnt” file that ships with Quark 6.5 is the problem. Goto Quarks website and download “Output Enhancements XTensions software” in side that download there is a replacement “Script.xnt” file. This fixed a lot of the problems I was having with Quark and Applescript.
As far as your Distiller errors, it looks like one of your images might be corrupt or you are having a problem with a RGB conversion. Try eliminating elements or pages until you find the bad image. Open in Photoshop and save. This should correct the problem.
CarbonQuark
i’m just about ready to slap myself silly…i went back to make the pdf with a test quark doc… with cmyk boxes on it… no graphics… nothing. just colored boxes… it would only make the postscript… THEN… i looked at the code and the document width code was all screwed up - it says this: «class PWDT». so i moved over to my laptop, where i had the fresh script… and i get this error:
Can’t make «class PWDT» of document 1 of application “QuarkXPress Passport” into type number.
for this line of code:
set DOCUMENT_WIDTH to page width as number
and number is highlighted…
ugh!
slinkeepie,
The only way I was able to replicate your error was to run the script with no document open in Quark.
Do you have a document open when it executes this part of the script?
CarbonQuark
Ah, I just noticed something…
Do your application tells in your script reference “QuarkXPress Passport” or just “QuarkXPress”? Which do you have?
if you see this “«class PWDT»” it means it can’t find the applications Applescript library. Do you have Quark on the computer that you are running the script on? or maybe Script Editor was unable to locate it (try closing out of all applications, then launch Quark, then launch Script Editor).
CarbonQuark
I got the script up and running and totally customized to what i wanted it to do… ALL thanks to CarbonQuark - Thanks thanks thanks! round of applause!
Okay - now… I have an issue. I updated to Quark 7.0 … am i missing something? because even a simple simple script like this:
tell application “QuarkXpress”
activate
tell front document
print PostScript File alias
end tell
end tell
now… i tried to put a “to” after that to tell it where to go, but it doesn’t let me… i’m so new to this that i don’t know what i’m doing wrong and why.
nevermind.
i did something.
and it fixed it.
thanks for the help carbonQuark