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TIP 52: Making a Document PDF/X Compliant
PDF-X is the print standard used in PDF and PostScript files to ensure the document meets criteria for high-resolution printing. Unless you're creating an Adobe PDF document for print production, you can ignore the PDF/X options.
Evaluating a Number of Documents
You can evaluate a number of documents for compliance at one time by using a batch process. Read about designing a batch script in Chapter 17. |
Note You can't create a PDF/X-compliant document using PDFMaker. Choose Advanced > Preflight or click the Preflight icon on the Print Production toolbar to open the Preflight dialog. If you choose one of the profiles that require PDF/X-compliance, such as Magazine Ads, the compliance status of the document is defined automatically. All the listings in the Preflight dialog's Profiles list in bold type require PDF/X-compliance. To convert the active document to a PDF/X-compliant document, click the Convert to PDF/X icon at the lower left of the Preflight dialog. The Preflight: Convert to PDF/X dialog opens (Figure 52a). Choose a proposed conversion option, either PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-3, select an output condition from the pull-down list, and specify a trapped key option. Click OK to close the dialog and start the processing.
Figure 52a. When converting a document to a PDF/X format, choose the type of conversion and output conditions.
A message dialog displays to tell you whether the conversion was successful (Figure 52b). Click OK to close the dialog and display the results in the Preflight dialog (Figure 52c). Click the (+) signs to the left of any error message to display more detailed information. You can also see the error in the Preflight: Snap View dialog.
Figure 52b. Results of the conversion are displayed in a small dialog.
Figure 52c. Information about your conversion effort is listed in the Results display in the Preflight dialog. Pinpoint specific problems using the Preflight: Snap View dialog.
Variations on the PDF/X Theme
You can choose from a number of different PDF/X standards. The one you select depends on the final processing of the document: A document destined for digital press uses a PDF/X-1a standard; this standard has versions for 2001 and 2003. You can also choose PDF/X-3 standards that are 2002- or 2003-compliant; the PDF/X-3 standard includes color usage optionsCMYK and spot colors only or calibrated color. All compliance options contain an output intent and a printing profile. Specific named standards such as Sheetfed Offset (CMYK) are based on best practice guidelines recommended by industry associations. Your printer may have custom settings, or recommend you use one of the standards.
Adobe PDF files that complied with both PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3 standards in Acrobat 6 will default to PDF/X-1a compliance in Acrobat 7. |
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