PDF/X-4 PDF Preset in InDesign CS3
When you start using InDesign CS3 (and the other CS3 applications) and export your first PDF file, you may notice an addition to the Adobe PDF Preset menu: You’ll see a new entry called PDF/X-4. To explain what it is and why it’s there, I need to give you a little background.
I’ve written about exporting PDF before in blogs about Choosing the Right PDF Preset, Exporting or Using Distiller, and Customizing PDF Presets. The PDF/X standards were first developed in the mid 1990s to eliminate errors in a print workflow by defining some minimum standards for PDF files intended for print production?for example, ensuring that fonts are always embedded and also excluding certain kinds of objects that can derail a print workflow (multimedia content, for example).
There are several different PDF/X standards. In my previous blogs, I wrote about the two that are built into InDesign and the Creative Suite applications: PDF/X-1a supports CMYK and spot colors only. PDF/X-3 also supports those color spaces, but also supports color management and embedded color profiles for images. Both of these PDF/X standards require that any InDesign transparency be flattened.
Because many RIPs (raster image processors?the processor that controls a printer) can’t handle live transparency, InDesign CS3 uses a technology called flattening. Flattening converts layered or stacked objects with transparency into a single, flat opaque layer that the RIP can understand, but it tries to maintain the quality of vector objects and type as much as possible. InDesign controls the process by using transparency flattener presets. For high quality printing, a print service provider would usually choose the High Resolution setting when printing or creating a PDF file.
However, having to do flattening is a workaround necessary because the RIPs most print service providers now use must convert everything in a PDF file to PostScript. The PostScript language that controls printers was developed before transparency existed. This is now changing! In 2006, Adobe announced a new printing technology for natively processing PDF files through a RIP that doesn’t involve conversion to PostScript. It’s called the Adobe PDF Print Engine.
The Adobe PDF Print Engine isn’t something you can go out and buy off the shelf. It’s software that Adobe licenses to its printing partners like Agfa, Screen, Heidelberg, Fuji, and so on to build into their next generation PDF RIPs and print workflow systems. These partners will be bringing out the first of these RIPs this year.
So where does PDF/X-4 come in? It’s a draft standard which is about to be approved as an ISO PDF/X standard. If you look at its settings in InDesign CS3, you’ll see that it is similar to PDF/X-3 in respect to color handling. It doesn’t convert colors to CMYK and spot colors like PDF/X-1a does, but supports a color managed workflow. It supports all the requirements for embedding fonts and images, and so on, that the other PDF/X standards do.
Primarily how it’s different is that PDF/X-4 supports including live transparency in the PDF file! Objects with transparency no longer will have to be flattened because it supports a workflow like in the Adobe PDF Print Engine RIPs where PDF stays PDF throughout the entire workflow. This will eliminate many of the tedious workarounds we now have to use (for example, turning on overprinting when there is an interaction between spot colors and transparency). It will maintain your artwork at the highest quality until the final printing process.
So you may not be able to use the PDF/X-4 PDF preset yet, at least until your print service provider has a RIP that supports it. But this is truly the way that PDF and print workflows are moving in this decade so you will be using it in the future.
In a second blog, I’ll tell you a bit more about PDF/X-4, and another exciting feature it supports: Carrying layers from InDesign into a PDF file for output.
A true RGB workflow, at last. All the way from the picture (or scan) to the layout, the pdf and now the RIP.
My main concern is Pitstop certification, is there any idea when the ISO x4 standard will be added to the certified pdf workflow resources?
W.M.,
That I have no idea about. You’d have to talk to the folks at Enfocus, who make Pitstop Professional and related products.
This will be of most use when PSPs have the RIPs that will use the PDF/X-4 preset.
Woz,
PDF/X-4 will be virtually the same as PDF/X-1a (CMYK, Grey and Spot [separation space])but with live transparency and OCG (Layers).
PDF/X-5 will be virtually the same as PDF/X-3 but with live transparency and OCG (layers).
In your case, you will indeed love PDF/X-5 for native RGB and colour managed workflows.
Remember to check with your printer provider though.
Great article Steve !
Jon
W.m.
As Steve mentioned, this is indeed in the court of Enfocus.
However, you could start by taking an existing PDF/X PDF Profile and allowing for native transparency and OCG Layers – save out as your version of PDF/X-4, send the profile to the receiver and bingo.
It does mean there is no CGATS flag but in the short-term between you wishing to use this specification and Enfocus updating, you have a workaround for Certified® PDFs.
Jon
Jon,
Are you sure about PDF/X-4 being like PDF/X-1a? The information I got from Adobe (Lonn Lorenz, Dov Isaacs) and from Stephan Jaeggi was that it supports color management.
If you select the Output panel, you’ll see the same color policies as for PDF/X-3, NOT PDF/X-1a. Color Conversion is set to No Color Conversion. It’s not converted to destination like PDF/X-1a.
Steve
I did a little more research. According to a paper by Dave Kauffman, principal engineer at Kodak presented at the PDF Conference in Miami, February 2006:
* PDF/X-4 is derived from PDF/X-3 but supports transparency and layers.
* PDF/X-5 (also in draft I believe) is derived from PDF/X-4 and will allow external images and print profiles.
Steve,
Indeed, an oversight on my part – here is pasted content from a CGAT meeting:
A new conformance level, to be known as PDF/X-4, which
will allow for colour-managed workflows with optional
content and transparency. This will be defined in ISO
15930-7.
? A second new conformance level, to be known as PDF/X-
5. A PDF/X-5 reader must read all files that a PDF/X-4
reader must read, and must be able to accept files where
one or more of the three categories of fonts, ICC profiles
and XObjects are supplied externally to the main exchanged
file. This will be defined in ISO 15930-8
Thanks for taking the time to query,
Cheers,
Jon
w.m.
You would also need to deselect the ICC category and the RGB object check in the Process Color category to get your unofficial PDF/X-4 Certified PDF status working …
I’m sure Enfocus will release template profiles very shortly – at least you can use these with Enfocus applications which do not support profile editing such as Instant PDF …
Cheers!
Jon
Thanks Steve, but can anyone tell me when is the case that its important to include RGB spaces in my PDF. Thank you
There is no reason you have to keep images in RGB but it has some advantages:
* RGB color has a larger gamut than CMYK, giving a creative pro more flexibility. It keeps file sizes smaller, and it’s easier ot color balance when doing retouching
* It makes more sense to work in RGB when images will be used both in print as well as for the web and perhaps motion graphics
* Prematurely converting to CMYK when you don’t know the final output conditions can reduce quality, and it can preclude using a high-gamut inkjet printer for proofing
Many thanks Steve, I’ve been a fan since I was learning Adobe products back in Iraq, but two more questions to be more anoying
1. is it sometimes necessary to send a pdf to a PSPs in pdfx-3 format with RGB images embeded because everytime the magazines ask me for cmyk only format.
2. I’m really tired of which software to use checking my pdfs, can’t I relly only on Acrobat 8.
Thanks for your wonderful blogs
Steve’s right. And, we must not forget JDF support. The certified pdf (industry standard) we use today relies on pdf 1.3 created in 1997. What Adobe’s trying to do is to step away from postscript all together. We want to live in a Post-Postscript world…
Edit: that’s 1999 for pdf 1.3 (sorry)
Mamoon,
I’ll answer your questions in Steve’s absence in an attempt to provide some solid advice this time (smile)!
1. The key to sending PDFs with either CMYK / RGB colour space really does depend upon your knowledge of using these different standards and your printers acceptance. In other words, CMYK files are effectively flat and no colour transformations need to be made. However, RGB (even ICC tagged) would require the printer to colour manage to their end. Therefore, sending an RGB content PDF (such as PDF/X-4) to your print provider might cause them problems. As and when the OEM suppliers do have the embedded Adobe PDF Print Engine this will become second nature (references Steve’s great article)
2. Adobe Acrobat 6, 7 and 8 Professional use the preflight engine from Callas software in Berlin. Their embedded PDF-Inspektor preflight plug-in has high respect in both the prepress and ISO markets (supports PDF/X and PDF/A). With version 8 of Acrobat there is a major change – fix-ups. In other words, you can not only run a PDF/X compliant profile but include fixes to enable (virtually) automatic detect and fix properties. Another great feature (for the PDF/X-1a world) is the ability to flatten transparency and even remove OCG (layers) from a PDF file. This automatic detect and repair of the aforementioned is not available within Enfocus Pitstop Professional for instance. However, if you want more page oriented features such as the ones Pitstop provides, there’s nothing wrong with using both as such.
Hope this helps?
Jon
woz,
Same again – with Steve away I’m attempting to hide my mistake with PDF/X-4 by responding to your remark (it was a long weekend!)
The Certified PDF phrase can be quite misleading.
Firstly, in Acrobat you can save a PDF file as a Certified document in respect of security. In other words, apply your digital signature and also certify to the permissions for access.
Secondly, Enfocus has an (Enfocus) Certified PDF technology within their products. This is completely different to the Adobe Certified status since it can validate the PDF producer, edit logs, history, embedded PDF profile and preflight report.
=======
I see you love the thought of killing-off postscript and Distiller, that is indeed the way forward and the only way to support more intelligent content such as layers, transparency, bookmarks, links and other rich media content
Cheers!
Jon
Thanks alot Jon :)
Jep. Inst PDF made my job (checking the outgoing files of our agency) a lot easier.
Hi woz,
(just saw your web site)
Do you know Menno Mooij and maybe Marriam Van Der Have across in the Netherlands? They both work in the Grahpic Arts …
Just curious?
Jon
Hello John, actually I do. I know Menno from his work on getting instant PDF to become a standard. Today, everything we produce goes to the printer as a certified PDF. (Enfocus their ‘certified’. I don’t know anybody using Adobe’s ‘certified’ technique and I know a lot of people ;-)
You could say I became a cPDF/InDesign evangelist ;-)
In fact I’m thinking about translating my pdf/indd articles.
Hi woz,
Well, we might have rubbed shoulders in the past without realising? I’ve spent a lot of time with AGFA, Enfocus, Gradual etc over in Ghent and have been know to been at the Seybold Seminars in Amsterdam in the past also.
You should sign-up for the Enfocus usergroup – some great info on that list …
Cheers,
Jon
;-) I’m already on it (with my real-email address). In fact I’ve mailed a bit with Matt and joined his Enfocus forum as well. https://forums.mattbeals.com/
Will you be at the Adobe Event in Amsterdam? I’ll be visiting the 30th https://www.adobe.com/nl/events/adobelive2007/
Not the Amsterdam one, exhibiting at the London Adobe Live Event but have fond memories of the Rai Centre
The Adobe Live events are a good opportunity to get acquanted with the CS3 series – comes at a good time this year !
Take care,
Jon
Ah, okay I would love to go there as well but one can’t have it all… (I will be visiting Great Britain this summer as a tourist though).
Not to change the subject, but I wanted to make a comment about PDF/X-4. The adoption may leave Quark in the dust even more, since (as far as I know) they continue to use a PostScript to PDF workflow. Not that you couldn’t create a PDF/X-4 compliant file from Distiller, but many of the benefits would be lost and it might as well be PDF/X-1a.
Mark
Mark: Actually, I believe (but have not tested) that QX7.2 has an option to create non-flattened PDF files with transparency intact. Anyone test it yet?
David,
That doesn’t appear to be true.
I opened up my copy of QuarkXPress 7.2 and created a page with transparency. When you choose File > Export Layout as PDF > Options > Transparency, you can now set the resolution for Vector Images, Blends and Drop Shadows. (That is new, there was no control for this before.) There is a checkbox called Ignore Transparency Flattening, but this strips out all transparency from the objects.
I can see no way to retain transparency in the PDF. Mark is correct, as far as I can tell.
The RGB workflow can spell trouble for going to press. It has been my experience that when black goes through an RGB filter, black separates to C;75 M:68 Y:67 K:90. That’s a bit heavy for a supported or rich black.
Suppose the document is supposed to print K+300 as a two color newsletter. Black isn’t at 100%, most likely, the customer will reject the file if it gets printed. What happens if the designer is not available to correct this? The file was sent in and he took off for Christmas vacation.
Been there done that, and tricked the file into printing black + spot color seps, after an hour of thought and an hour of trial and error.
I documented the process, because I’ve had to use it more than once since then.
This may not be a big deal for large printers with all the newest equipment, but it will be for the quick printer around the corner.
PJ,
There’s nothing in using the PDF/X-4 PDF preset that requires the use of an RGB workflow. Like PDF/X-3, it supports both CMYK and RGB workflows.
With that said, I’m not sure you’re up-to-date on how the CS2 and CS3 application handle RGB and CMYK. Beginning with Creative Suite 2, color management has a “safe CMYK” workflow. The color management default in the CS2 and CS3 applications is safe for CMYK workflows because it preserves CMYK colors across the workflow. C MYK values will NOT go through an “RGB filter.”
PJ, in general when I talk about RGB workflows, I mean importing RGB images into InDesign. I do not recommend people actually spec their color swatches (such as type color) as RGB unless they’re creating for-screen-only documents.
(There is some rationale for speccing colors in Lab, but it’s not for the faint of heart.)
Hello!,
[…] Fonte: InDesign Secrets […]
thanks! that was way helpful
My name is Tja?a and I am studying at the university of Natural Sciences and Engeneering in Ljubljana (Slovenia). I am allready
writing a degree in Graphic technology about PDF/X standards and differences between them. I made my own test form to compare different PDF/X standards and different print devices. I have exported differend PDF/X standards from Adobe Indesign CS3 and then I have printed them on different printers (digital printers). Although I was looking for many answers on the internet I didn’t find out why there are differences between standards in LAB (differences between PDF/X-3 and PDF/X-4, as I traved an information which mentioned that PDF/X-3 and PDF/X-4 interpret LAB colors in the same way). I also find out that PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3 are smilar and PDF/X-4 and other presets in Adobe Indesign (such as press quality and high qualilty print) are similar too in interpreting the LAB colors. I just didn’t find out why. The same problem happened with overpint. Only PDF/X-4 and high quality preset were printed suitable. The PDF/X-3 and PDF/X-1a didn’t recognize the overprint. Similar happened with pictures (one in CMYK and the other in RGB color space).. PDF/X-3 made them really similar while PDF/X-4 made RGB printed pictures much more bright instead they have the same setting about converting colors during export.
Is it possible to explain this with differences between standards or it depends on the settings of the RIP?
I will really apreciate any answer you could give me. It wiil be very helpful.
I will be thankful if anyone forward this message to someone that could help me or give me some internet pages where I can find the answers to my questions.
Thank you.
Tja?a
Hi!
With this new interactive technology that Indesign CS6 allows us to use, What would it happen I decide to print a interactive PDF with dynamic content (slideshows, drop-downs, pop-up windows) ?
For example on the Digital interactive PDF:
Let?s say I’ve got a list of bullet points I’d like to hide/display by clicking a button. So the bullet points list expand and contract according to this interaction.
What would it happen if I print this document? would this list be hidden? or would the bullet points be shown?
Would the printing layout be compromised as there should hidden content?
A good example of expanding boxes and hidden content can be found here
I hope this make sense
cheers,
Pablo