Section 20. Sharing PDF Presets

#20. Sharing PDF Presets

Every main CS2 application is able to save as a PDF file (see #19). So many options are available when creating a PDF that it usually makes sense to use one of the presets available to you and then slightly tweak it if necessary. Using a preset is all well and good, but if you find yourself having to create a PDF in another Creative Suite application, you have to remember which PDF preset you selected and what tweaks you made to it.

The good news is that Adobe has made the Adobe PDF presets dialog virtually identical in every application to make it easy for you to create, edit, and mange your presets. And if that isn't enough, all applications now share the same preset folder location. So if you create a PDF preset in one application, it will magically appear in another.

To define a new PDF preset that's shared among the applications, do the following:

1.	Open the Adobe PDF Presets dialog in a CS2 application: In Photoshop, Illustrator, and GoLive, choose Edit > Adobe PDF Presets. In InDesign, choose File > Adobe PDF Presets > Define.
2.	Select a preset that you want to base a new preset on and then click New.
3.	Adjust the compatibility level and any other settings (Figure 20a). Figure 20a. Acrobat PDFs have so many options that it's best to base your preset on an existing one.
4.	Enter a name for the preset in the Preset field and click OK. Then click Done in the main preset dialog.
5.	Switch to another CS2 application and bring up its PDF Presets dialog. Notice your newly defined preset is immediately available here as well (Figure 20b). Figure 20b. Once you save your PDF preset in one application, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find it ready to use in others.

Quickly Export from a Preset in InDesign

Once you've established your favorite PDF presets in InDesign, you can use them while skipping the usual Export PDF dialog. Choose File > Adobe PDF Presets > {your favorite presets} while holding down the Shift key. Then all you have to do is name the file and choose a destination. The subsequent Export Adobe PDF dialog is no more.