ImageEngine

If you're looking for a reliable plug-in that allows you to export images from PDF documents in prepress quality, then you should definitely check out Adobe Acrobat's ImageEngine. What sets this plug-in apart from Acrobat's built-in function is that ImageEngine maintains the original color space of your images instead of changing them into the RGB color space. It's compatible with Mac OS 9.2 and Mac OS X 10.2, and works seamlessly with Acrobat 5 as well as with Acrobat 6 Professional and Standard. Moreover, it's Tiger Compatible, which means it can support the latest version of Mac OS.

One of the best things about ImageEngine is that it comes with a range of features that allow you to inspect, extract, render, render pages, render selection, and import images with ease. With the inspect feature, you can create a PDF containing information about the images of a source PDF, while the extract feature lets you create a PDF containing only the images from a source PDF. The render feature uses Acrobat render method to save the images of a source PDF either as Macintosh Pictures or in the format of a QuickTime Exporter. On the other hand, the render pages feature allows you to save views of pages of a source PDF either as Mac Pictures or in the format of a QuickTime Exporter. Finally, the render selection feature saves the current graphics selection either as Mac Picture or in the format of a QuickTime Exporter.

However, there are some limitations to the software. While you can use its entire function range in demo mode, with some functions, the resulting images will be marked by a framed cross and the sign "DEMO". But the good news is that ImageEngine offers a possibility to be included into a workflow starting with version 2.0.

The Standard-Edition ImageEngine 2.0 Std offers up to 3 Watched Folders, with individual settings for each. The following functions are applicable: Inspect, Extract, Export, Render, Render PDF, and Render Pages. You can activate or deactivate watching for any or all of the Watched Folders. Moreover, version 2.0 brings in a fix for a resource conflict which could cause Acrobat 5.05 (under Mac OS 9 as well as Mac OS X) to crash when using the "Safe As" menu.

There is also a Pro-Edition ImageEngine 2.0 Pro available. This version offers unlimited Watched Folders, which distinguishes it from the Standard-Edition. The Standard-Edition ImageEngine 2.0 Std is available for registered users of version 1.xx as a free update. Registered users of version 1.xx are eligible to upgrade to ImageEngine 2.0 Pro.