PDF/X From North America to Ghent

Publishing has been evolving to better suit the diverse market requirements of cross-media, and the PDF format has a distinct advantage in meeting these needs by maintaining both the integrity of the content as well as the intended context of a document. This advantage has helped drive PDF adoption as the de facto standard across a broad range of publishing needs.

However, while the PDF format can and is used to address a fairly large assortment of document requirements, the specific needs of the print publishing process, the virtual instant turnaround needs in the marketplace, have driven the need for a more specific global standard. As a result, the PDF format has been tuned into a global PDF/X standard.

The PDF/X standard ensures the compliant file meets certain specific requirements. In all cases, it ensures that there are no non-printable elements like animations, movies or comments included. It also ensures the file includes all fonts, specific information about the printable page area and the identification of any included trapping information.

The PDF/X standard currently comes in three different variations: PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-2 and PDF/X-3. Each variation addresses certain additional production requirements. PDF/X-1a supports CMYK plus spot colours. PDF/X-2 supports the use of referenced but not included images (OPI). PDF/X-3 supports the use of device-independent colour spaces like RGB, LAB and colour managed workflows.

PDF/X file creation is supported by most of the current graphic arts and design applications. Processing of PDF/X is supported by most of the current RIP versions available in the market, although full PDF/X-3 support has only recently been added to most of the RIPs. You are encouraged to check with your output vendor or RIP manufacturer to ensure this support is available in your current workflow.

If you are interested you can test your individual workflows PDF/X-3 compliance with the Altona Suite developed by the ECI (European Color Initiative). This series of three PDF/X-3 pages test a full range of process instructions including the proper handling of colour instructions, colour management and overprints. These files are available with no cost at www.eci.org.

Using PDF/X as a document exchange format for print publishing ensures that the files meet certain common conditions to minimize the problems associated with non-compliant - bad - files that are entering the production process. However even with the use of the PDF/X standards, there are many additional process requirements that are specific to process applications like magazine publishing, newspaper publishing, commercial printing, packaging, etc. that are not addressed.

Enter PDF/X-Plus. Developed by the Ghent PDF Workgroup, an international community comprised of users groups and interested software vendors, these specific profiles and application specific settings takeover where the PDF/X standards leave off. These profiles and setup instruction sets were developed to ensure that a file prepared in New York, Toronto, Paris, Bonn or anywhere else will be compliant with production in any plant around the world for that specific profile's intended application.

Currently there are nine different process application scenarios that are supported by PDF/X Plus. Support for PDF/X Plus is increasingly available through many PDF creation and preflight applications. More detailed information on PDF/X, and PDF/X Plus profiles and instruction sets can be found at www.pdf-x.com and www.ghentpdfworkgroup.org.

Copyright Youngblood Communications Co., Ltd. Feb 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved