Acrobat 4.0 support information

Important note

Adobe have now announced Acrobat 6.0. Quite's support information on Acrobat 6.0 can be found here.

What is Acrobat 4.0?

Acrobat 4.0 is the latest version of Adobe's Acrobat software. It first shipped in April 1999.

Like Acrobat 3.0, it still comprises a free Reader, and a commercial package including Exchange, Distiller, and other products. However, Exchange is now simply called Acrobat 4.0. There will continue to be many references to the name "Exchange" for some time to come, however.

Full details are available on Adobe's web site http://www.adobe.com/acrobat/

Will Quite plug-ins work with Acrobat 4.0?

Yes, if you download the latest versions. These are a free update for existing customers.

Quite Imposing and Quite Imposing Plus: Version 1.2 now released with full Acrobat 4.0 support, and available for download. (Note: hardcopy versons expected mid-June).

Quite A Box Of Tricks: Version 1.2 now released with full Acrobat 4.0 support, and available for download. (Note: hardcopy versons expected mid-June).

If you discover any problems with these plug-ins, please let us know immediately (mail help@quite.com) so that problems can be corrected. We will be glad to help. Please do not assume someone else has already reported the problem.

Will Acrobat 4.0 pick up my existing plug-ins?

In general the answer is no. Acrobat 4.0 will install to a different folder to Acrobat 3.0. You should not install 4.0 into the same place as 3.0, this could cause unexpected failures.

However, you can copy the Quite plug-ins from the Acrobat 3.0 plug-ins folder to the new Acrobat 4.0 plug-ins folder and they will be used.

The following additional files may be useful.

1. For each plug-in there is a corresponding user guide with the a similar name. For instance Quite Imposing on Windows is called qi32.api and the guide is called qi32.pdf. On the Macintosh the plug-in is called Quite Imposing and the guide is called Quite Imposing Guide. Copy the guide with the plug-in. If you download the new plug-ins this is not necessary.
2. Within the plug-ins folder you will also find a folder called Quite. This contains preferences and settings from Quite plug-ins, and also all remembered commands from Quite Imposing and Quite Imposing Plus. Copy the folder to the new plug-ins folder. Note that the end result must be a folder called Quite in the new plug-ins folder; do not copy the contents separately. You can do this even if you download the new plug-ins.

What about my software licenses?

If you have previously licensed any Quite plug-in, the license will be carried across to the new plug-ins, and to Acrobat 4. No further action is necessary.

Remember, though, that you must keep your serial number and private code safe, in case you have to install on a new computer, or after a disk failure. Please register your software (here is the registration form); that way we will be able to tell you your license information if you are unlucky enough to lose it.

Where do the new plug-ins go?

Acrobat 4 names its plug-ins folders in the same way as Acrobat 3, but the default location where Acrobat installs has changed. On Windows it is now unfortunately a long name. Notice that acrobat replaces exchange in the name, as well as moving into the Program Files folder.

Old default, Windows	c:\acrobat3\exchange\plug_ins
New default, Windows	c:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\Acrobat\plug_ins
Old default, Macintosh	Adobe Acrobat 3.0:Plug-Ins
New default, Macintosh	Adobe Acrobat 4.0:Plug-Ins

What's new?

The plug-ins look very similar, even though they have been changed internally to support the new features of Acrobat 4. Highlights include:

• Quite Imposing has enhancements based on user feedback in the area of booklet making ("cut sheet" imposition, control over page alignment); shuffling pages (preview mode); and Trim & Shift (new function to set all pages to a uniform size, control over image placement in PS export and whether elements can be uncovered when a page grows).
• A major new feature in Acrobat 4.0 is support for page sizes up to 200 x 200 inches (5080 x 5080 mm), up from 45 x 45 inches (1143 x 1143 mm). Quite Imposing will define its Maximum size according to the version of Acrobat in use. Acrobat also allows page sizes to be stored more accurately, instead of rounding to the nearest 1/72 inch; Quite Imposing supports this when used in Acrobat 4.
• Adobe now have a standard for bleeds (allowing oversize pages for trimming). Quite Imposing Plus fully supports this standard, so should be compatible with other new applications using the standard. In addition bleeds will no longer overlap, making impositions easier to plan.
• PDF files can now include ICC profiles for colour management. Quite A Box Of Tricks can convert ICC colour to CMYK or greyscale (profiles are ignored, but converted in Windows 95 and NT4).
• In PDF files, annotations such as note icons (but not the contents of notes) may print, as may the new mark-up features like text highlighting. This is not always desirable. Quite A Box Of Tricks extends its form field handling so that printable annotations can also be deleted, or made a part of the document.

Other enhancements are being considered, and you can read about some of them in our press release on Acrobat 4. Suggestions are always welcome, though of course we cannot act on all of them.