Too much parts in ISO 15930

[narco]

Hi there,

I have a question about PDF/x standard. There are servral parts in ISO 15930, from ISO 15930-1 to ISO 15930-8, If I would like to standarize the input data, which part of ISO 15930 should I comply with?

Anybody can give me some suggestion? Thank you in advance!

Narco

 

[Printservedigital]

PDF/X is formalized in ISO Standard 15929 and 15930:
ISO 15929 (which was withdrawn in March 2008 and no longer is an official standard) specifies the guidelines and principles for the development of PDF/X standards.
ISO 15930 defines the specific implementations:
ISO 15930-1:2001: PDF/X-1a:2001, Blind exchange in CMYK + Spot Colors, based on PDF 1.3
ISO 15930-2: PDF/X-2, was never published.
ISO 15930-3:2002: PDF/X-3:2002, Allows CMYK, Spot, Calibrated (managed) RGB, CIELAB, with ICC Profile, based on PDF 1.3.
ISO 15930-4:2003: PDF/X-1a:2003, revision of PDF/X-1a:2001 based on PDF 1.4
ISO 15930-5: PDF/X-2, An extension of PDF/X-3 which allows for OPI-like (external linked) data to be included
ISO 15930-6:2003: PDF/X-3:2003, revision of PDF/X-3:2002 based on PDF 1.4
ISO 15930-7:2008: PDF/X-4, Colour-managed, CMYK, gray, RGB or spot colour data are supported, as are PDF transparency and optional content. A second conformance level named PDF/X-4p may be used when the ICC Profile in the output intent is externally supplied.


ISO 15930-8:2008 PDF/X-5,a collection of three conformance levels:
PDF/X-5g: An extension of PDF/X-4 that enables the use of OPI-like workflows.
PDF/X-5pg: An extension of PDF/X-4p that enables the use of OPI-like workflows in conjunction with a reference to an external ICC Profile for the output intent.
PDF/X-5n: An extension of PDF/X-4p that allows the externally supplied ICC Profile for the output intent to use a color space other than Grayscale, RGB and CMYK.


Which one are you using?

Go for the ones/ one which relates more closely to what you do if you need to do all three then that's what you do!

 

[pkleinheider]

To make a long answer short:

Legacy files should be delivered to PDF/X-1a standard (no matter if 2001 or 2003) - best follow the GWG guidelines to be found at Ghent PDF Workgroup | Home | Free Tools For Print & Production Workflows Built For You

If you have up to date equipment including a native PDF renderer, PDF/X-4 is the way to go. Transparencies do not need to get flattened (eliminating all the troubles and downsides when flatting transparency) and it allows for tagged RGB images (it also allows other objects to be tagged with ICC profiles like line art or CMYK elements, but I'd not recommend to make use of these possibilities for right now). At GWG we are working on a new specification based on X-4. But no deliverables yet. Hence this should not prevent you from taking in PDF/X-4 files.

Regards,

Peter Kleinheider
callas software
Co-Chair GWG Specifications SC