How do you handle customers that want to give you Microsoft Publisher files to print from

Are you getting some specific output problems from publisher?

I don't have publisher, and can't import publisher files into anything I do have.

Clients are generally low-tech doing their graphics work themselves and I don't know if I want to go through the time and difficulty of instructing them to export to a program-neutral format from publisher every time... as soon as I have one giving me PDFs, another comes along that wants to send me .pub files.

We joined the Micorosoft Publisher Service Provider Program a year or two ago which gave us a free copy of Publisher 2003 to accept native publisher files.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/he...772371033.aspx

The only thing is that you still have to stress to your customers that they need to embed fonts (Tools -> Commercial Printing Tools -> Fonts -> Embed) or you'll get the publisher files with font substitution if you don't have the same fonts installed.

While dealing with the publisher files is a bit slow, at least with the native file you can fix any errors quickly. Plus just dealing with the publisher files seems easier than having to have each customer download and install a PDF writer to get PDF files from them.

Hmmm... I just directed someone else to this link and relaize that now when you go to register you get an error "Microsoft is no longer accepting new registrations for the current Publisher Service Provider Program (PSPP). Registration for PSPP will open again in early Fall 2006. If you would like a reminder e-mail for when pre-registration begins, please e-mail pspp (at) microsoft (dot) com"

I don't have any insider scoop to know what the reason for the delay is, but I'd still shoot an email to pspp (at) microsoft (dot) com to inquire and see what they can do for you.

We get Publisher files occasionally - they're a PIA but if you have Publsiher and Distiller you can print a PS file using the Adobe driver, then distill to PDF after the inevitable trip to Commercial Print Tools (rgb>cmyk).

I have to say (even though I own as many PCs as Macs) that the most direct way to output from Publisher to a higher resolution RIP for plate is to either 1)distill a .pdf from either a .ps file or .prn file (Windows), or 2) print a .pdf directly (using the PDF printer installed when Acrobat is installed) making absolutely sure that the PDF settings are correct for your resolution needs.
Once you have it as a PDF file, it can be worked with significantly easier than any other way I have found.

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20+ years in Printing/Prepress-Servers, Color , Proofing, Training, and Calibration-Always looking for better, faster, easier