Viewing Content Created On 4K Systems

[Dolphins1972]

Hello,
Am I wrong in thinking a PDF created on a 4K system will be downgraded when viewing on non-4K systems?

I am currently the head of the committee on my local environmental commission to compile an Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI) for the Borough. We are in the final stages before printing a book and hosting a PDF version online. The ERI is being compiled by Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). Several other commissioners along with myself and the mayor have noticed issues with the ERI draft PDF. Map colors appear washed, the bottom of text is cut off on some pages and a few other issues, (see attachment). I recently installed a 4K monitor and a 4K capable GPU and now when opening the PDF all the issues are cleared.

Anyone have experience with this issue?

Edit: Added the same PDF page from 4K monitor for comparison.

 

[wonderings]

A PDF is viewing in the resolution of your screen, it is different then video. The text will be basically vector which means there is no resolution, it could be blown up to be the size of the moon with no pixelization, and vice versa to the size of an ant, if you were to zoom in it would be as sharp. The quality of your screen makes a difference certainly when sewing thing text and fonts when zoomed out, but there is no other way of saving the PDF. If the file has not been turned into something like a jpeg, and then a PDF, the text will be razor sharp and the clarity will be monitor dependant, nothing you can do about that.

 

[Dolphins1972]

A PDF is viewing in the resolution of your screen, it is different then video. The text will be basically vector which means there is no resolution, it could be blown up to be the size of the moon with no pixelization, and vice versa to the size of an ant, if you were to zoom in it would be as sharp. The quality of your screen makes a difference certainly when sewing thing text and fonts when zoomed out, but there is no other way of saving the PDF. If the file has not been turned into something like a jpeg, and then a PDF, the text will be razor sharp and the clarity will be monitor dependant, nothing you can do about that.

After posting this I did some research but still have not figured why text would be cut off on non-4K monitors. Out of 8 other people the file was sent to, I'm the only one able to view the PDF without issue. I understand PDF is vector and is a universal format so it should appear the same when viewing at different resolutions. I understand that color variations are monitor dependent but the text being cut off has me baffled. I'm not worried about the print version because that will be done in-house by DVRPC which is not experiencing any of the issues mentioned but I'm not so sure about the online version.

 

[Herbert123]

It would be useful to share an actual PDF with an offending page here for closer scrutiny and testing.

Images are not very helpful in this particular case.

 

[Dolphins1972]

It would be useful to share an actual PDF with an offending page here for closer scrutiny and testing.

Images are not very helpful in this particular case.

I can't do that, it's an unpublished ERI under government grant that has not been proof read yet.

 

[wonderings]

After posting this I did some research but still have not figured why text would be cut off on non-4K monitors. Out of 8 other people the file was sent to, I'm the only one able to view the PDF without issue. I understand PDF is vector and is a universal format so it should appear the same when viewing at different resolutions. I understand that color variations are monitor dependent but the text being cut off has me baffled. I'm not worried about the print version because that will be done in-house by DVRPC which is not experiencing any of the issues mentioned but I'm not so sure about the online version.

Was the PDF made with an Adobe program? Unless whoever is creating the PDF is going out of their way to make these types of issues, the issues are on the user and not the PDF itself.

On the first image where you have part of the words cut off at the bottom, if you zoom in does it render the whole word properly? I am going to assume you do.

A common issue I come up with with clients having issues viewing a proof, again all on the end user and not the creator:

- Not using Adobe Acrobat to view PDF's. This really should be used for the most accurate viewing of a properly made PDF. Viewers in browsers, PDF previewers, dropbox, all can have issues displaying a PDF accurately.

 

[Dolphins1972]

Was the PDF made with an Adobe program? Unless whoever is creating the PDF is going out of their way to make these types of issues, the issues are on the user and not the PDF itself.

On the first image where you have part of the words cut off at the bottom, if you zoom in does it render the whole word properly? I am going to assume you do.

A common issue I come up with with clients having issues viewing a proof, again all on the end user and not the creator:

- Not using Adobe Acrobat to view PDF's. This really should be used for the most accurate viewing of a properly made PDF. Viewers in browsers, PDF previewers, dropbox, all can have issues displaying a PDF accurately.

I don't know what everyone is using to view the PDF, I'm using PDF Reader Pro for MacOS. I believe the original PDF was being done in Adobe Illustrator, then the original planner for DVRPC left for another job. So one of the managers had to take over and I believe he said he is using something other than Illustrator. The manager had mentioned that he is lacking in graphic design skills but would be working with the help of the graphics department.

It's a large file, over 50MB filled with graphs, photos, maps, illustrations, etc., so it's being shared via Google Drive. I'm wondering if Google Docs is converting the file before it reaches us?

 

[Herbert123]

Without access to a PDF sample, the original source files, and neither knowing which software is used for the to produce the latest version, AND on top of that unknown PDF print/export settings... And not testing and checking the actual produced PDFs in Acrobat Pro for issues...

🤷‍♀️ <<shrug>>

Not much we can do or say at this point.

Ask them to send the PDF over as a zipped file. That way you made sure the original file isn't tampered with.

But really. Open the PDF in Acrobat Pro and have it check for issues. It sounds like this is an important document that must be pre-flighted / checked before general publication. That's the very least we ought to do in cases such as these: check for issues in Acrobat Pro or an alternative such as PDF Exchange Editor.

 

[Dolphins1972]

Spoke to the manager and he assured me there are no issues on his end. This has been a 2 year project and it's nearing completion. I've put a of lot time into this project, I may know more about my town now than I do about myself. A little anxiety on my part, maybe so? I'm going to leave it to the proof readers and the graphics department to sort all this out. If I were still a drinking man, I would say it's time for cold one.

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.

 

[wonderings]

I don't know what everyone is using to view the PDF, I'm using PDF Reader Pro for MacOS. I believe the original PDF was being done in Adobe Illustrator, then the original planner for DVRPC left for another job. So one of the managers had to take over and I believe he said he is using something other than Illustrator. The manager had mentioned that he is lacking in graphic design skills but would be working with the help of the graphics department.

It's a large file, over 50MB filled with graphs, photos, maps, illustrations, etc., so it's being shared via Google Drive. I'm wondering if Google Docs is converting the file before it reaches us?

Google is not converting a PDF, if it was it would no longer be a PDF. The only program to trust for consistent viewing of PDF's is Adobe Acrobat. the PDF itself was made by Adobe. Other programs and viewers can have issues viewing the PDF correctly. There is no way with a PDF that you can ensure every person sees it the same way if they are all using different viewers. You can put a notice that this PDF is best viewed in Adobe Acrobat, I have had clients do that before.

If you are serious about it viewing the same for everyone the only way I could think of, and I don't recommend doing this, is converting every single page to a JPEG, then making a PDF from the JPEG. This is not a good idea, but the only way you would have consistent viewing across any viewer as you have stripped out in the PDF and rasterized it.

Spoke to the manager and he assured me there are no issues on his end. This has been a 2 year project and it's nearing completion. I've put a of lot time into this project, I may know more about my town now than I do about myself. A little anxiety on my part, maybe so? I'm going to leave it to the proof readers and the graphics department to sort all this out. If I were still a drinking man, I would say it's time for cold one.

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.

There is nothing for the graphics department to sort out as mentioned above, all you can do is specify that the file is best viewed in Adobe Acrobat.