Black and White PDF?

I just recently downloaded the rules, and they look very interesting. I was wondering if you make available a black and white set of rules more suitable for printing when you only have access to a black and white printer, or just want to print out the text faster and more legibly (and cheaper) to a home inkjet printer.

The colored backgrounds on every page make it hard for me to read the printouts, and it uses a lot of ink.

Thanks,

Lance K.

That's a good idea, because whilst the rules do look beautiful, they are a nightmare to print out (and they're enormous files for those with poor rural broadband)

Jim

b/w rules, I suppose with no background, so just plain text and no picture are really easy to duplicate, but this is not the main reason. The fact is that I start with a plain text, then make the layout and then I realize that something must be corrected and I do in the final file. Keep track of all changes in 2 files is the best way to produce errors (and L&S has also an Italian version and maybe soon a French and a Spanish).

The best thing to do is to copy and paste the text on word file and print that. At the end I would do this to be sure to have an updated version.

Thank you for the reply DadiePiombo.

Copying from PDF and pasting into Word is easier said then done, at least as far as I can tell, since the text on each page of the PDF is seen as a separate block of text unrelated to the pages that come before or after.

You said that you start with a Word document and then make the layout, and later you make corrections in the "final file." What program do you use for producing your layout? Is it possible to export the text from that final file?

I like your rules very much, and I like the concept of distribution via PDF, but for reference on the tabletop a printed copy of the rules is very convenient. Unfortunately, the local copy shop would charge me close to $40 to print a copy in color, and with the colored backgrounds on every page, printing in black and white makes the text difficult to read.

These rules, as published via PDF, are very beautiful but not very practical. It's a shame they are not available as a printed copy. I would love to hear how others are using them.

I use indesign, but making a paste and copy from that would be the same, all parts are somewhat interrupted. Need time.
The rules were made with in mind the use of tablet (they are A5 for that reason).

Thank you for continuing this conversation.

The real issue is with readability when the PDF document is printed on a black and white printer. The color photographs aren't really a problem, they reproduce in grayscale just fine. It is the "parchment" background image that covers every page and makes the text hard to read (and eats up ink cartridges if you are printing to a color inkjet).

If you designed your document by placing that parchment image on the InDesign master page(s) so that it displays behind every page, you could make a "black and white friendly" version of your ruleset by removing (or just hiding) that parchment image from the master page and then saving the resulting document in PDF format.

This would not require doing any tedious copying and pasting, or managing version control on a separate version of the document. It would just be a matter of a few mouse-clicks to create a second, black-and-white friendly PDF at the time you produce your final output.

Just a thought for something you may want to consider offering to your "old school" customers who prefer paper to electronics. :-)

if you tell me how to do I can try and send you the new version. I'm not very expert with indesign.

There may be differences depending on the specific version of InDesign you are using, but I think this would be the way to do it:

1. First, make sure you have a backup copy of your original document, or do this work on a new copy of your original, just in case you run into any problems.

2. In your InDesign document open the "Pages" panel or pallete. You can bring it up from the Window menu in the menu bar.

3. In the pages panel, select all your pages by clicking on the first page icon in the panel, holding down the shift key and selecting the last page icon in the panel.

4. From the flyout menu that you can open by clicking the little arrow in the upper right corner of the pages panel, select "hide master page items."

Assuming that the parchment background on all your pages IS a master page item, this should cause the parchment background to no longer display on each page. You could then export a copy of the document as a PDF. To bring back the parchment, you can select the command "Show master Items."

You may have other objects n the master pages that you DO want to continue displaying--such as automatic page numbering. In that case, you can use the Pages panel to go to your master pages, and simply delete the parchment background and then save a copy of that document.

I hope this helps. I appreciate your efforts at looking into this.

ok, as soon as I have little time I try to do that and send you a copy for a check.

Thanks!

ok, was faster for me to remove the backgroound directly in a new file.
If you contact me at losart AT libero DOT it I send you this new version with no background

Email sent. Thank you so much!

--Lance