How to Save Custom Screening and Line Screen Settings in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user needs to save custom screening and line screen settings for printing in Acrobat, as the software currently resets the screening value to default upon next use, despite properly retaining separation settings.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro XI
- Device & OS
- Mac OS X 10.11.6
- Scenario
- Configuring specific line screen values and separations in the advanced print setup for professional prepress output.
- Observed behavior
- A custom print setting retains the Separations configuration but unexpectedly resets the Screening (line screen) value to the application default on subsequent uses.
Verify your printer's compatibility with custom PostScript settings and ensure you have administrative access to save new .joboptions files on your Mac.
Create and Use a Custom Job-Options File
Since standard print presets in Acrobat Pro XI may not retain specific screening values, saving a dedicated custom job-options file ensures your settings are locked in for professional printing.
Acrobat has known limitations with saving specific line screen values directly within the basic print dialog's preset saving feature. Bypassing this by creating a dedicated Adobe PDF or PostScript job-options file guarantees your precise line screen and separation parameters are consistently applied without manual resetting.
Navigate to the Settings menu and select 'Edit Adobe PDF Settings' within Acrobat Distiller or your advanced print production tools.
Navigate to the relevant output and pre-press tabs to input your specific line screen (LPI) and separation values required by your workflow.
Click 'Save As' to store these specific configurations as a new .joboptions file. Give it a highly identifiable name related to your printing press.
When initiating a print or export job, select your newly created custom job-options file from the Adobe PDF Settings dropdown menu to apply the retained screening values.
Manually Recheck Line Screen Before Output
If you prefer using standard saved print settings directly in the print dialog, you must perform a manual adjustment of the line screen before initiating each individual print job.
Manage PDFs Effortlessly with WPS Office
While specialized commercial prepress setups like custom line screening might require dedicated PostScript software, WPS Office provides a highly capable, lightweight, and free alternative for everyday PDF viewing, editing, and document management.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and follow the easy installation prompts on your device.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch the WPS PDF tool and drag-and-drop your PDF document into the workspace.
- 3. Edit and Print: Use the intuitive ribbon menu to edit content or press Cmd+P (or Ctrl+P) to securely print your document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat reset my screening settings but keep separations?
Acrobat Pro XI has a known structural behavior on older Mac OS versions where specific output parameters, like precise line screen values, are not permanently written into the standard print preset file, whereas broader settings like Separations are correctly saved.
What is a line screen in PDF printing?
Line screen, often referred to as screen ruling and measured in lines per inch (LPI), dictates the grid resolution of halftone dots used by commercial printing presses to reproduce gradients and continuous tone images accurately.
Where are custom job-options files stored on Mac OS?
On Mac OS X systems, custom Adobe job-options files are typically stored in the user directory under Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings.
Will updating my operating system fix the Acrobat preset bug?
While updating Mac OS might improve overall system stability, Adobe Acrobat Pro XI is legacy software and no longer receives active bug patches for print preset handling. Relying on custom job-options remains the most stable workaround.
