Is your workflow PDF/X-4 compatible? (Ghent PDF Output Suite)

[Magnus]

Today I downloaded the free Ghent PDF Output Suite 4.0 and run it through our offset workflow.

http://www.gwg.org/download/test-suites/ghent-output-suite/

I've tried this many times before (a few years back) and didn't get a perfect result. But today the test file was processed perfectly and everything looks as it should, yey!

Have you tried to run the test in your prepress workflow? (No - why?) (Yes - how did it go?)

This is my result: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kk3xwyjhtu6n5ha/test_ghent.jpg?dl=0

 

[Magnus]

I tought this post would be on fire. Isnt there any PDF/X-4 geeks in here?

 

[Laurens]

I think all the PDF/X-4 geeks are at the beach or in the mountains. They can take time off since they spent less time struggling with transparencies and all the other hassles that come with using older file formats
Results of testing the Output Suite are only relevant if you post which workflow you used. Even then, much depends on the settings you use.

 

[arossetti]

We use a PDF-X4/VT workflow in our shop. All our output devices have passed the ghent test minus our Roland Soljet. We send tiff files to eliminate layer/transparency/overprint issues along with helping the RIP speed since Roland Versa Works sucks. We are in the process of hooking it up to a Harlequin RIP by next month.

 

[Laurens]

You can find guidelines for properly processing these files with a number of popular workflow solutions on this page: http://www.gwg.org/instructions-successful-output-ghent-pdf-output-suite-4-0/

 

[jonasukulore]

We're on the sending side of things, but are now taking steps in making PDF/X-4 our standard. Sure hope the printers we work with are up to this challenge. I think it's time to leave PDF/X-1a:2001 behind us.

 

[mattbeals]

Does anyone go through testing/verifying your print providers workflow for color management and RIP/output compatibility? We used to do this with all of our print providers.