PDFs in 27.4

[mmike]

Installed the whole new 27.4 program from my account page. It seems that all PDFs are now created via Microsoft: Print to PDF, regardless if done from File> Export, Print Menu or Graphics Export Pages. But nowhere do I see thiss upposedly new button for RGB/true black, etc. In addition it has now disabled the external Print to PDF (I have been using PDF Creator for a long time without problems, which has also more features, such as choosing which/how many pages you want to print, as well as choosing a location, file name, etc. and opening automatically it after conversion. It no longer works now. Has anyone had this experience with any of the other external Printers (Cute PDF etc.)?

[BuonTempi]

But nowhere do I see this supposedly new button for RGB/true black, etc.

That's listed as a "Mac only" bug fix.

[motet]

I can confirm that print to CutePDF no longer works and that the PDF file that's created instead is not readable by anybody on my system. A major screw-up.

[motet]

Exporting a PDF with the Graphics tool does create a readable file, but an ordinary letter-sized document is turned into a 10" x 13" PDF. I do use that page size, but I'm not sure where it's remembering it from.

[mmike]

all PDFs are now created via Microsoft: Print to PDF, regardless if done from File> Export, Print Menu or Graphics Export Pages

and they all work (for me) and are exactly the same quality, but you have to set the correct page size first in File > Print > Setup. Have you checked that?
But none of the Print to CutePDF etc. work.

[motet]

I didn't think to try that. It used to complain if there was a mismatch between that setting and the page format.

Are you saying Graphics->Export Page uses a setting in the Print dialog?

[mmike]

apparently it does ...

furthermore:

Thanks for contacting MakeMusic Customer Support. With the recent release of Finale Version 27.4, we have improved a long-standing issue in which exporting as PDF resulted in multiple save prompts when printing multiple parts. This behavior has now been fixed with the use of Microsoft Print to PDF.

Unfortunately, this affects users like yourself that utilize third-party PDF programs (i.e. CutePDF) in that these programs no longer work when printing from Finale. Please know that this is an unintended byproduct of the maintenance update and that our team is actively working on a solution.

Currently, the only workaround is to utilize the built-in Microsoft Print to PDF feature by following these instructions:

Open the file in Finale.
Choose File > Print. The Print dialog box appears.
Click Setup. The Print Setup dialog box is displayed.
From the Printer Name drop-down menu, choose Microsoft Print to PDF


Since we are attempting to gather as much information possible regarding this issue, would you be able to elaborate on your reasoning on using other PDF programs? Is this simply a personal preference or do you have a specific reason? This helps us understand the urgency of the matter!

All best,

Edison

Edison S. | Customer Support Representative | MakeMusic, Inc.

[mmike]

Here my response:

Thanks for your reply. I know that I can work with the Microsoft Print to PDF feature, but it's really too bad that your "improvements" have ruined a widely used feature. After all, creating PDFs is, after inputting and laying out the music, perhaps the most important element to actually provide conductors and musicians with useful performance material.

As for my preference to use exterior PDF writers - they are simpler to use, and easier and quicker to control by being able to on one screen set the file name, its directory placing, size adjustments, plus the immediate automatic opening of the created file to check it (without having to navigate around in the file manager to find it, open it, etc.)

It's good to hear that your are actively working on resolving the problem. I think it's of great importance to the community in general.

[kevindoman]

After upgrading, I can no longer print to PDF. Before this, I was able to print to PDF using either Adobe PDF or Nitro Pro Pdf. After upgraded, print using Adobe PDF completed, and I get a "pdf" file, but this file cannot be opened by any PDF application!

Super weird if I use my favorite Nitro PDF Creator, normally, when I print, I get a dialog box on where to save the newly created PDF file. Today, it asks, but when I selected a directory to save, it asks again without creating anything. NOW, on the second prompt, I would select the folder to save and get a PDF file, but the newly created PDF file is a random Finale song. I have a directory with a few hundred songs, and each time I go through this procedure, a new, random PDF file from that directory get created.

I rebooted my Window PC a few times, not able to resolve. I even uninstalled and downloaded and installed Finale again, and the issue is still here.

At this point, the only way I can get a PDF file is using Finale's export PDF function.

Finale - please help!

[motet]

Read this topic.

[Baroque Fiend]

After reading the thread, I printed a series of PDFs using the built-in Microsoft printer. I then combined them using Adobe Acrobat. I use a third party Figured Bass font and one problem I had when using Adobe Acrobat was that unless I unchecked the Use system fonts only box, the figured bass printed as symbols. This does not happen when using the Microsoft printer. So far so good, but I have found that the files created using the Microsoft printer are huge. I usually expect the PDF of a 200 page full score to be about 3 MB; the PDF of a 130 page score printed in Finale 27.4 exceeds 15 MB. Does anyone know any way of reducing the file size while printing without affecting the quality of the print?

[motet]

You might try opening them and then saving them with a Ghostscript-based program like CutePDF.

[Gilberto Rey]

This PDF thingy is definitely a deal breaker for me. I have updated to every version since v. 3.7 but this one is not an option for me.
I have a plugin in my e-commerce store, where I sell PDF's, that only works with Acrobat 1.4 version (or below). If I can't save/print the musx file in this format, and as I understand it, I can't in Microsoft print to PDF where the settings are very limited, I'm out.
Sad, because all the other fixes and changes sounds really useful.
I'm just grateful to you guys for informing this before I installed 27.4. Saved me lots of work and regrets.

Q: In Adobe Acrobat Pro you can save preferences in the driver to what PDF version all your files should be printed with.
Can anyone tell me if this is possible in, for instance, CutePDF?

Let's hope MakeMusic will fix this back to how it works in 27.3.

[Baroque Fiend]

Thanks for the suggestion about CutePDF. I'll give it a try. The huge file size is a problem when sending them by email as they soon exceed the limits on attachments. I can use WeTransfer, but it was so much easier just sending an email.

[motet]

Gilberto, I couldn't find any way in CutePDF to set the PDF version. It uses Gnu Ghostscript, so perhaps one can control the PDF version there by installing the one you want. I seem to have PDF-1.4.

I compared the size of a 13-page flute part between CutePDF and MS-print-to-PDF. CutePDF made a 245K file; MS made a 1,459K file. A factor of 6!

Interestingly, Adobe Acrobat renders them slighly differently on the screen--slightly different stroke widths--but they seem to print the same. MS-print-to-PDF is PDF-1.7, so that may be it.

[motet]

...I did find this line in CutePDF's parameters file

-dCompatibilityLevel=1.4

[BuonTempi]

PDF versions are a superset of functions. In other words, if you use particular features that were introduced in that version, that's the version of the file.

For example, if your file has transparency, then it has to be PDF 1.4 or later. If you use AES encryption, it will be v1.6.

The data is usually compressed internally, so any file size is down to different object models and data representation of the PDF creators. It may be possible to process the PDF afterwards to reduce file size.

Acrobat's on-screen display thickens the thinnest lines - there are some prefs for it.

[Gilberto Rey]

Thanks for the replies motet and BuonTempi! Appreciated.

It's good to know CutePDF might be compatible with v. 1.4! It makes it an alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro in the future.

Alas, it doesn't solve the fact the Finale 27.4 isn't going to be installed on my system for the moment. And probably not Finale 28.? either. I can't for my life understand why MakeMusic made this changes to the printing options in the first place.

Thanks to all in this amazing forum.

[michelp]

...maybe a good reason to keep Finale 26 installed (27 and 26 can coexist).
Loading a 27.4 file into 26 should allow you to create pdfs without losing too much time.

[Gilberto Rey]

...maybe a good reason to keep Finale 26 installed (27 and 26 can coexist).
Loading a 27 file into 26 should allow you to create pdfs without losing too much time.

hmmmm... perhaps a good idea. I still have 26 installed but I never use it since 27.3 works perfectly for my type of work. I'll definitely will consider your idea though.

[Koen Pletinckx]

Same problem over here. CutePDF does not work anymore...
Sad to see how they create new problems by solving an old one ;o)
Sure, it's a workaround for me to use the print to pdf option of Microsoft but third party PDF writers often offer more options. I just don't understand why they want to force everybody to use the Microsoft solution.

Beside, I have seen another litle problem : when printing a part he doesn't display the part name in the box (where you put your file name), he only shows the name of your file (so let's say title of your piece). However, once saved/printed he has added the part name to the file name. Very confusing ... Before I saw the complete file name in the box (so title - part name).

[phrederica]

Darn darn darn. Same problem here. I normally use Nitro Pro, which I love.
I am very unhappy with Microsoft Print to PDF. I see a reduction in quality.

Is there any way to undo the latest update?

[motet]

I used Windows system restore, but it left newer versions of the default templates, so I get warning messages whenever I open one. You might be better of reinstalling 27.3.

[kevindoman]

So, maybe this is the "official" respond from MM on this issue...
https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... 4-Windows-

Please know that this is an unintended byproduct of the maintenance update and that our team is actively working on a solution.

[bkinmonth]

Same thing has happened to me. I use PDFCreator to make my PDF files. Microsoft Print to PDF has an extremely limited set of page sizes that it will make. Most of the documents I make use the "concert" page size (9x12). That size is not an option with MS Print to PDF. I have also noticed, as many others have, that the MS files are 6 to 7 times the size of the files created by PDFCreator and CutePDF. I have also noticed reduced quality with the MS files.

I am almost dead in the water, but not quite. I can scale my 9x12 pages down to 8.5x11 which is one of the (few) page sizes that MS can create. Then I can read it into Adobe, where PDFCreator still works fine, and print as 9x12 with a custom scale of 110%, which gets it back to the 9x12 size I wanted. But what a roundabout pain in the butt that is.