1. PDF/X - An Overview
Frank Scott
Digital Workflow Specialist

2. Background
Independent consultant - over 25 years in
the publishing and printing industry
VP & Director Research - GATF
Director Digital Development - Time Inc.
VP Technology - AGT / Washington DC

3. Involvement
Executive Committee - Digital Distribution of
Advertising for Publication (DDAP)
Executive Committee - Digital Ad Lab (DAL)
Executive Committee - Committee for Graphic
Arts Technologies Standards (CGATS)
Board Member - Specifications for Web Offset
Publications (SWOP)

4. PDF and PDF/X
PDF - Adobe
Portable Document Format
Adobe Acrobat 5
PDF/X - International Accredited Standards

5. De-facto Vs. Accredited
De-facto standards
One vendor
Quick to market
Often private - not documented
Accredited standards
Developed through consensus process
Involvement of vendors and users
Independent testing
User demand drives process

6. Standards Background
DDAP User Requirements - 1990
ANSI CGATS
ANSI IT8.8:1993 (TIFF/IT)
ISO 12639:1998 (TIFF/IT-P1)
ANSI CGATS12.1:1999 (PDF/X-1)
ISO 15930-1:2001 (PDF/X-1a)

7. Flavors of PDF/X
PDF/X-1 & 1a
ISO 15930-1 Part 1: Complete exchange using
CMYK data
PDF/X -2
ISO 15930-2 Part 2: Guidelines for partial
exchange of printing data - in development
PDF/X -3
ISO 15930-3 Part 3: Blind exchange suitable for
color managed workflows

8. Features of PDF/X
Based on Adobe Portable Document
Format
Device & resolution independent
Structured for efficiency
Widely used in documentation and the internet
Designed for print production
All fonts have to be embedded and used
All images have to be included

9. Features of PDF/X
All print elements properly prepared for a
single intended printing condition
Trapping status has to be set
Includes bounding boxes
Media box
Art box
Bleed box
Trim box
Crop box

10. Two Types of PDF/X
Raster/raster based
TIFF/IT > PDF/X
Vector/raster based
Native Applications saved as Postscript or
PDF and converted PDF/X

11. Beyond the Standard
“PDF/X plus” workflow
Resolutions for images - CT & Linework
Font restrictions - no TrueType, MultiMaster
Spot color - allowed or not
Hairline rules
Others...

12. Advantages of PDF/X
TIFF/IT
Requires expensive hardware/ software
Large files
Not searchable
Native Application
Font issues
Image issues
Text re-flows
Others...

13. Advantages of PDF/X
PDF/X
/X for Exchange
Designed to be predictable and reliable
Cost effective solutions are available
Multi-platform support
Smaller files
Searchable
Ideal for archiving & re-purposing

14. Disadvantages of PDF/X
Requires Postscript level 3
Supports Device N
Supports Smooth shading
Potential Overprint issues
More difficult with “separated” workflows
Legacy DCS files
Does your system or printer support PDF/X
or Postscript level 3?

15. Resources
DDAP Universal PPD project
DDAP PDF/X-1 Verifier 2.0
DDAP ”Digital Delivers"
NEW INTERACTIVE CD ROM
DDAP Annual Conference
March 12 - 15, 2003
Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans
http://www.ddap.org