checklist for a perfect PDF for printing
- Thread starter mulneil
- Start date
Colorblind
Well-known member
It really depends on the PDF receiver... If you want to have a quick idea, go to the preflight pane in Acrobat 9 Pro, select one of the preflight profiles under "Prepress" (choose the appropriate situation), click on "Options" at the top right of the Preflight pane and select "Create Profile Summary...". It will make a PDF of everything that preflight profile checks, it should give you an idea.
Last edited:
davidmwe
Well-known member
FlightCheck for PDF
FlightCheck for PDF
Similar advice with a twist; download a 30-day, full-working demo of FlightCheck v6.75, which is a stand-alone preflight app for PDF files, but also Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, QuarkXPress, etc layouts here:
Preflight Tool for Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress and more - FlightCheck
Drop a PDF on the icon (So that the settings will "auto" switch to the PDF checks) Then, open the "Ground Controls" and you will see a host of preflight profiles for PDF-Print-Jobs. Choose the PDF/X-1a and that is more or less what you want, depending on specifics of your extended print workflow.
Just remember, a perfect PDF stems from the source DTP layout, where FlightCheck can also assist:
Preflight Checklist Lists for Preparing DTP Files for Print
Have a great day,
David
Markzware
"The makers of FlightCheck"
FlightCheck for PDF
Similar advice with a twist; download a 30-day, full-working demo of FlightCheck v6.75, which is a stand-alone preflight app for PDF files, but also Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, QuarkXPress, etc layouts here:
Preflight Tool for Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress and more - FlightCheck
Drop a PDF on the icon (So that the settings will "auto" switch to the PDF checks) Then, open the "Ground Controls" and you will see a host of preflight profiles for PDF-Print-Jobs. Choose the PDF/X-1a and that is more or less what you want, depending on specifics of your extended print workflow.
Just remember, a perfect PDF stems from the source DTP layout, where FlightCheck can also assist:
Preflight Checklist Lists for Preparing DTP Files for Print
Have a great day,
David
Markzware
"The makers of FlightCheck"
Dov Isaacs
Well-known member
Consider PDF/X-4!
Consider PDF/X-4!
From our experience with both designers and print service providers, you really should take a look at PDF/X-4 as opposed to PDF/X-1a. PDF/X-4 provide support for live transparency and color management. PDF/X-1a assumes that you know exactly what the device characteristics are of the device and/or press that your content will be output with. You are much more likely to avoid transparency rendering artifacts and color problems with PDF/X-4 than with PDF/X-1a. As always, though, check with your print service provider before choosing to use one standard or another. (A good number of print service providers are still trying to get past the 1990s!)
- Dov
Consider PDF/X-4!
From our experience with both designers and print service providers, you really should take a look at PDF/X-4 as opposed to PDF/X-1a. PDF/X-4 provide support for live transparency and color management. PDF/X-1a assumes that you know exactly what the device characteristics are of the device and/or press that your content will be output with. You are much more likely to avoid transparency rendering artifacts and color problems with PDF/X-4 than with PDF/X-1a. As always, though, check with your print service provider before choosing to use one standard or another. (A good number of print service providers are still trying to get past the 1990s!)
- Dov
chevalier
Well-known member
Dov nailed it.
PDF/X4 and the native files is what I ask for every time. If there is anything that needs correction I can adjust the native files and make a new PDF/X4. PDF/X4 is pretty much a golden standard to anyone using the Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE) workflow.
PDF/X1a is my preference when working outside of an APPE workflow. There are still a number of proofing RIPs that do not utilize the APPE and issues will certainly come up if you have live transparency in the PDF.
I now work with folding cartons but when I worked in commercial litho getting PDFs in spreads or pre-imposed was always a nightmare. Please provide to size in single pages with bleed and slug settings utilized. Most designers have no idea how nightmarish imposition can be when given no bleed setting, no slug setting and in spreads.
PDF/X4 and the native files is what I ask for every time. If there is anything that needs correction I can adjust the native files and make a new PDF/X4. PDF/X4 is pretty much a golden standard to anyone using the Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE) workflow.
PDF/X1a is my preference when working outside of an APPE workflow. There are still a number of proofing RIPs that do not utilize the APPE and issues will certainly come up if you have live transparency in the PDF.
I now work with folding cartons but when I worked in commercial litho getting PDFs in spreads or pre-imposed was always a nightmare. Please provide to size in single pages with bleed and slug settings utilized. Most designers have no idea how nightmarish imposition can be when given no bleed setting, no slug setting and in spreads.
David Ingram
Active member
Ugh - So Unnecessary!
Ugh - So Unnecessary!
From Quark or indesign or Illustrator - and GENERAL web/offset conditions SWOP CMYK etc-
Select "Press Quality"
Select 0.125" Bleeds - IF your document has bleeds.
Select "Spreads" IF your document spans multiple pages-
Use Rich Blacks in areas of heavy solid black.
Press Quality PDF to size, with bleeds pulled, set to the CORRECT page size, so the trim marks actually define the trim. NOT just throwing art on any size board and throwing crop marks ON it - Looking at YOU Illustrator PPL!
I mean the actual crop marks DEFINE the actual trim correctly - If the Geometry is CORRECT, it goes thru prepress a lot faster and easier. That is ALL you EVER need - UNLESS you're imaging to some HUGE line screen frequency - like over 300 LPI or other UNCOMMON things.
ALSO IF using QXP thru Ver 8 - AND you are using PMS or require Spot colors, you need to take it off of composite CMYK, and put it to Composite CMYK + Spot.
THAT IS ALL PRESS QUALITY, with CROPS,BLEED to 1/8 inch, With correct Geometry
very very simple
Ugh - So Unnecessary!
From Quark or indesign or Illustrator - and GENERAL web/offset conditions SWOP CMYK etc-
Select "Press Quality"
Select 0.125" Bleeds - IF your document has bleeds.
Select "Spreads" IF your document spans multiple pages-
Use Rich Blacks in areas of heavy solid black.
Press Quality PDF to size, with bleeds pulled, set to the CORRECT page size, so the trim marks actually define the trim. NOT just throwing art on any size board and throwing crop marks ON it - Looking at YOU Illustrator PPL!
I mean the actual crop marks DEFINE the actual trim correctly - If the Geometry is CORRECT, it goes thru prepress a lot faster and easier. That is ALL you EVER need - UNLESS you're imaging to some HUGE line screen frequency - like over 300 LPI or other UNCOMMON things.ALSO IF using QXP thru Ver 8 - AND you are using PMS or require Spot colors, you need to take it off of composite CMYK, and put it to Composite CMYK + Spot.
THAT IS ALL PRESS QUALITY, with CROPS,BLEED to 1/8 inch, With correct Geometry
very very simple
Lukas Engqvist
Well-known member
@david The press quality settings has many weaknesses eg gives you no clue as to the colour settings of the PDF creator. I would not want spreads!
But one thing you all are forgetting is to mention that if you have color settings configured badly you will get inconsistent results. If your colour settings are not under control you will never get good RGB -> CMYK, because that is where you define how to tag untagged colours, if certain profiles are ignored, what method of conversion etc.
Creating a PDF is like serving a meal. You can make it look like it was made ok, but Photoshop and Illustrator is where you have your pots n pans. A perfect PDF needs perfect art.
But one thing you all are forgetting is to mention that if you have color settings configured badly you will get inconsistent results. If your colour settings are not under control you will never get good RGB -> CMYK, because that is where you define how to tag untagged colours, if certain profiles are ignored, what method of conversion etc.
Creating a PDF is like serving a meal. You can make it look like it was made ok, but Photoshop and Illustrator is where you have your pots n pans. A perfect PDF needs perfect art.
davidmwe
Well-known member
Preflighting color
Preflighting color
Yes, very good points. Color is an area we often dive into on the preflight side, especially recommended to check at the native stage in or on the source files before the press-PDF is generated:
FlightCheck- preflighting color; a prepress operators overview
I love the cooking analogies (for more reasons than one!). "Proof is in the pudding" we say (It may look great, but does it taste delicious.)
Preflighting color
Yes, very good points. Color is an area we often dive into on the preflight side, especially recommended to check at the native stage in or on the source files before the press-PDF is generated:
FlightCheck- preflighting color; a prepress operators overview
I love the cooking analogies (for more reasons than one!). "Proof is in the pudding" we say (It may look great, but does it taste delicious.)
Since I have upgraded to Google Chrome I can not get access to the browser settings such as File, View, Options, Bookmarks, etc. that I am used to seeing at the top of my home page. I now only see an abbreviated menu at the top of each page - go forward, back, reload, a home icon, bookmark Create Star, my URL, Full page icon, and wrench.
This is probably a dumb question, but how do the page back up to display the name of the settings, like file, view, etc.?
This is probably a dumb question, but how do the page back up to display the name of the settings, like file, view, etc.?
David Ingram
Active member
Disagree! (wholeheartedly!)
Disagree! (wholeheartedly!)
Your client/customer has worked hard to give you a document with the color just the way THEY like it. Yes, If im doing a 25.5 x11" piece Id rather have 2 spreads than 6 letter size pages. Re: color, having used these systems since photoshop 1.0, the one thing i can tell you is changing source profiles is not satisfactory. However it comes in, thats how it goes into the workflow with no conversion from the native source.
You DO have complete control OF PROFILES when generating your press quality PDF yourself - NOTE the OUTPUT TAB! More than likeley, you have a workflow system optimized for your press conditions, calibrated and optimized to your proofing system.
requireing your client to, check all kinds of extra boxes to give you "perfect art" is kinda a PITA - your workflow will use its own internal color management anyway. If your image suffers a horrible color shift from RGB>CMYK, profiles will not help much.
Disagree! (wholeheartedly!)
Your client/customer has worked hard to give you a document with the color just the way THEY like it. Yes, If im doing a 25.5 x11" piece Id rather have 2 spreads than 6 letter size pages. Re: color, having used these systems since photoshop 1.0, the one thing i can tell you is changing source profiles is not satisfactory. However it comes in, thats how it goes into the workflow with no conversion from the native source.
You DO have complete control OF PROFILES when generating your press quality PDF yourself - NOTE the OUTPUT TAB! More than likeley, you have a workflow system optimized for your press conditions, calibrated and optimized to your proofing system.
requireing your client to, check all kinds of extra boxes to give you "perfect art" is kinda a PITA - your workflow will use its own internal color management anyway. If your image suffers a horrible color shift from RGB>CMYK, profiles will not help much.
Lukas Engqvist
Well-known member
@David
Disagree (wholehartedly) with what?
Back in the old days photoshop was a gamble in RGB workflows because the RGB was the screen RGB. Personally I use up to date software and therfore can use modern technology with all that has developed in the mean time.
Your post does however make clear that workflow is hard to discuss in general terms.
The point I was making about perfect art is that just looking at the last step will not answer the question "Why is my PDF not perfect" Workflow must allways be looked at from source to final result. Fragmenting the workflow you will need to very carefully define each hand over.
Take an example:
Today I recieve a document the file contains inages in sRGB, Adobe RGB and untagged images also CMYK eps files (vector and rom Photoshop) some are tagged (with 9% ditgain others with ISO coated at 17% dotgain etc) some have no pofiles. Total ink on some CMYK images exceed the paper maximum. How do I handle the job?
If I do nothing I will spoil the job. There is no workflow that can be configured to meke all the right deceissions. I will make the decissions on a job basis, or I will inform the customers on what workflow assumptions I must make and ask the customer can you work wit these assumtions and take responsibility, or will you pay for me to be your safety net.
To say that perfect art is required to make a perfect PDF is the same as "SISO" where the customer is not accepting "SO" but is not able to deliver more than "SI". The issue who is going to be the amateurs (or the hard neck proffesional who will not listen to why his files are not working) diaper.
Disagree (wholehartedly) with what?
Back in the old days photoshop was a gamble in RGB workflows because the RGB was the screen RGB. Personally I use up to date software and therfore can use modern technology with all that has developed in the mean time.
Your post does however make clear that workflow is hard to discuss in general terms.
The point I was making about perfect art is that just looking at the last step will not answer the question "Why is my PDF not perfect" Workflow must allways be looked at from source to final result. Fragmenting the workflow you will need to very carefully define each hand over.
Take an example:
Today I recieve a document the file contains inages in sRGB, Adobe RGB and untagged images also CMYK eps files (vector and rom Photoshop) some are tagged (with 9% ditgain others with ISO coated at 17% dotgain etc) some have no pofiles. Total ink on some CMYK images exceed the paper maximum. How do I handle the job?
If I do nothing I will spoil the job. There is no workflow that can be configured to meke all the right deceissions. I will make the decissions on a job basis, or I will inform the customers on what workflow assumptions I must make and ask the customer can you work wit these assumtions and take responsibility, or will you pay for me to be your safety net.
To say that perfect art is required to make a perfect PDF is the same as "SISO" where the customer is not accepting "SO" but is not able to deliver more than "SI". The issue who is going to be the amateurs (or the hard neck proffesional who will not listen to why his files are not working) diaper.
SusanSims
Member
Very interesting and informative discussion!
I suggest you look at our PDF Automation Server, which runs on all platforms, and can verify document compliance with these standards:
The user can set separate logic to handle output documents differently, depending on whether they pass or fail pre-flighting.
For each case the user can:
I welcome feedback about our product, and whether you find this information helpful.
thanks.
Susan
I suggest you look at our PDF Automation Server, which runs on all platforms, and can verify document compliance with these standards:
- PDF/X-1a:2001 - ISO 15930-1
- PDF/X-1a:2003 - ISO 15930-4
- PDF/X-3:2002 - ISO 15930-3
- PDF/X-3:2003 - ISO 15930-6
The user can set separate logic to handle output documents differently, depending on whether they pass or fail pre-flighting.
For each case the user can:
- Attach Results - Results of preflighting can be appended as a report, added as annotations, or both.
- Print the PDF File - Use this section to print the PDF file as part of processing it.
- Change the File Name - Use this section to change the name of the PDF file before saving.
- Save the File to a Folder - Use this section to save the file to a folder after setting the permissions.
- Post the File using FTP - Use this section to send the file to an FTP server after setting the permissions.
- Send the File in an E-Mail - Use this section to send the file by e-mail after setting the permissions.
I welcome feedback about our product, and whether you find this information helpful.
thanks.
Susan
Lukas Engqvist
Well-known member
Why no compliane with PDFx4 ?
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