Quark 7.31 and PDF X-4

kaiserwilhelm

Well-known member
Can I make a PDF X-4 (Unflattened PDF 1.7 like INDD CS3) out of Quark 7.31?
I am assuming that since I have googled my butt off and found nothing that this concept must not exist?
If this is correct, then how does one deal with Quark files and Adobe Print Engine rips?
Please go easy on my as I am just getting into this whole paradigm shift of APPE...
 
Re: Quark 7.31 and PDF X-4

By definition, PDF/X-4 is for PDFs that maintain content at the highest level of abstraction including live transparency and ICC color management. Although you can conceivably create a PDF/X-4 file from content that has its transparency already ruined by flattening and all color in one colorspace, that is not the intent of the standard. You cannot get live transparency and color management (and for that matter JPEG 2000 compression and layer support) by creating PDF via distillation of PostScript which is exactly what happens when you create PDF from QuarkXpress 7.x (whether via Acrobat Distiller or the built-in PostScript to PDF converter that comes with QuarkXPress under the guise of "PDF export").

If by +APPE+ you are referring to the Adobe PDF Print Engine, you are not going to see transparency improvements with that technology with any PDF from QuarkXPress simply because the transparency is ruined and color management is gone long before the RIP with the Adobe PDF Print Engine sees the PDF file. Too bad. Maybe Quark will get it right for QuarkXPress 8 and really directly export PDF with live transparency and color management instead of hacking around with PostScript.

- Dov
 
Re: Quark 7.31 and PDF X-4

I guess that is my hope as well (Quark 8)
Does anyone have a timetable on that? Is it Beta yet?
 
Re: Quark 7.31 and PDF X-4

Quark 8 is slated from what I have seen as a summer release. I don't know how "factual" that is, but that's what I've seen.

As far as real PDF/X-4 support from Quark I have no idea. Based on past performance by Quark I would say that no, it will not support exporting live transparency and color management. They still have to fix their existing color management mis-implementation. Not to mention their lack of PDF support for importing PDF's. I don't know how Quark would handle the direct to PDF process. They seem to be stuck on PostScript only still.

I said it when Quark 5 was released; Quark is dead...
 
Re: Quark 7.31 and PDF X-4

Matt Beals said: "Quark is dead".

But even Freddie kept coming back. I would throw a party and send out a beer (domestic) to everyone on this thread when that days finally occurs.
OK, I am lying. I cannot drink domestic. (Swill I tell you...) Guinness for everyone.
 
Re: Quark 7.31 and PDF X-4

+PDF/X Plus+ is actually +PDF/X Minus+, the specifications from the Ghent PDF Workgroup based on PDF/X-1a subsets for particular print environments that don't support live transparency or color management. That's not very difficult to support via the Quark PostScript to PDF path. Nothing really new there!

- Dov
 

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