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Subject:Re: PDF Markups >> Hard Copy From:Kathleen MacDowell <kathleen -dot- eamd -at- gmail -dot- com> To:William Sherman <bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com> Date:Wed, 4 Jan 2017 23:22:42 -0600
I didn't realize this was a thread started before xmas, but given what I'm
seeing in all your comments Chris, I'd like to suggest some old tactics
that might help resolve some of your problems:
Print out the most recent version. Do not waste time commenting it, unless
it helps you keep track of things (obviously in this case you need to make
a copy aside from the original).
Put your comments on the hard copy, make a copy for everyone and hold your
breath. Ideally, you could suggest that they meet for 10 min or so to go
over the changes (in a group) that they'd like. Yes, sounds unlikely.
Another tactic I've used in the past with crazy projects, managers, etc.,
is to direct specific sets of questions to people who are the SME for any
particular area of a doc. I've often found it possible to email people with
a set of questions, with/without a current pdf, and keep bugging them (or
someone) till I had a response.
At the end of these approaches, I usually had somewhat enough information
to make up a draft to send out with a deadline for comments. The draft
would have been based on my reading between the lines (guesses), research,
responses, etc. Along with pleas, smiles, and remonstrations about
responsibility. CYA of course, but ...
These are all old approaches most of us know well but have probably put
aside after using more recent software. Some version might help you out
though, along with pleading with some boss or other to help you set up a
hierarchy of people to approach for info and feedback.
Those angels are clueless.
Best of luck
Kathleen
On Wed, Jan 4, 2017 at 10:20 PM, William Sherman <bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com>
wrote:
> Being they are that far behind the times, I'd do this:
>
> 1. Print the PDF.(Or maybe only the pages that changed.)
> 2. Mark up the PDF paper by hand (highlighter, red pen, etc.)
> 3. Scan it back to PDF.
>
> When they print it out, all markups would be right there in the printing.
> Of course, if they use a B&W printer, they will discover it is a mess, so
> they will have to spring for a color printer.
>
> Their reason for paper could be an old requirement or regulation or it
> could be due to an old lawsuit to keep a paper trail.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Morton" <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>
> To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2016 12:12 PM
> Subject: PDF Markups >> Hard Copy
>
>
> One of my clients is a medical device manufacturer.
>>
>> I'm faced with is marking up their PDFs, most coming from InDesign IFUs
>> (user manuals). Here I'm accustomed to using the variety of markup options
>> Adobe offers, without regard for resultant hard copy.
>>
>> But from my client's POV, they don't use any of those because when they
>> print a "redline," none of those items appear on the hard copy. (They use
>> a
>> 100% paper-based doc control system.) Their solution is to only use the
>> Acrobat *Comment* drawing tools, making almost exclusive use of the *Text
>> Callout* item.
>>
>> I'm afraid that when I get done marking up the IFU I'm working on that
>> there will be so many of these callouts that it'll be nothing but a huge
>> mess.
>>
>> I'm proceeding per my marching orders, but am wondering if any of you have
>> a better methodology that would satisfy all parties (esp. doc control and
>> all of the other reviewers, of which there are apparently many).
>>
>> Chris Morton
>>
>>
>>
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--
Kathleen MacDowell
kathleen -dot- eamd -at- gmail -dot- com
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