Procedural question regarding PDFs

[jcallison]

Looking for comments & suggestions from large commercial offset printers. Sorry for the length, attempting to explain our situation.

We accept both sources files and PDFs for print output. Our current workflow does not allow for automation in the form of customer uploads into our RIP system. We have our preferred PDF export options and instructions on our web page for customers to use, and remain hopeful that our salespeople are encouraging customers to use them. That said, frequently we are provided with BOTH source files AND a PDF; however, we are not told by the customer if the PDF is actually “print-ready.”

Management would like us to assume that in this scenario, as long as preflight passes the PDF for print resolution, it should be used for print NOT the source files. The other point I would add is that when changes are requested from the client, they’re going to tell us to use the source files they provided (which could produce different color results if they did not use our PDF export settings). I'm wondering how other printers like us are handling these situations.

 

[DCurry]

If the PDF passes preflight (trim is correct, colors are correct or at least fixable in the RIP, bleeds are present, folding panels are correct) AND the modification date is not older than the date on the native files, I prefer to use the PDF.

Not only is it faster, but I assume less risk. If changes are required, then I go to the native file and make the edit, export PDF, and compare to original supplied PDF to make sure the edit was made and that nothing else changed.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Depending on the edits required, I would use a tool such as PitStop Pro. One may be forced to go back to the native files, however it should be easy enough to spot if the new PDF has different colours than the original.

Do you have a policy stating that unless told otherwise, if supplied with both native and PDF files that the PDF will be assumed to be the file intended for processing (if passing preflight) and that the native files are assumed to be backup for large scale edits if required?


Stephen Marsh

 

[Puch]

IMHO this is the perfect blueprint for a major disaster. You have too many things to check and consider. If that's included in the price, then go for it, otherwise accept only PDFs.

If you allow your clients uploading the source files, you also have to make sure you have the the same applications they used to create the documents. Talking about eg. Adobe InDesign, you need to have CS3 to CC on both platforms (Mac & Windows), and I'm sure the same is true for Quark setups. Alternatively you can stick with the latest (and greatest?) version of apps, and hope that the new version flows text the very same way than the older ones do (_there are_ differences, believe me). In our practice, generating a PDF with ID CC from a layout created in ID CS4 is a no-no, since we can not make absolutely sure that everything will be the same.

OR, you can perform sophisticated PDF comparisons after the edits, for which Callas pdfToolbox is perfect, just you need time and effort. Again, it's doable, if the client pays for that. Bear in mind, that this way you became the part of the creative team, and the only way to offload (most of) the responsibility is to present the altered doc on an approval platform (a costly project).

My suggestion for this problem would be to encourage the use of higher PDF versions, which allow major changes in the document itself, without going back to the stove. In a PDF/X-4, you can pretty much do anything with a good PDF editor like PackZ (http://www.packz.com).

 

[gig0]

AND the modification date is not older than the date on the native files, I prefer to use the PDF.

Dan pretty much nailed it right there, if it passes preflight! Pay attention to the modification dates. On a side note, there's nothing better than wasting time & bandwidth downloading a 3 GB .zip file only to use their 20 MB PDF.

 

[rich apollo]

A couple of ideas:

1) Enfocus ConnectALL would allow you to grant a very easy way for your clients to create PDFs to your specs. Easier than not creating PDFs to your spec. Also, the preflight can be rolled into the PDF creation process, as can the FTP/HTTP/email/ delivery of the file.

2) ConnectALL could be used on your end to standardize PDF creation and preflight in your workflow.

3) PDF creation from the clients' native file could be scripted. This ensures that all members of your team are using the same PDF export options.

4) Use PitStop Pro for edits within PDFs; have the client make the edits within the native files.

 

[seratne]

At our shop if a client supplies a PDF and native files, we assume the PDF is just for reference and use the natives. Once we export the PDF from the native files we then compare to the supplied and notify the customer if there are any inconsistencies between the two. Communicating with clients is better than assuming and getting something wrong.

 

[lynnic]

I've been in printing for 32 years - NEVER assume anything