Adobe 65023809 - Creative Suite 4 Master Collection Printing Manual page 9

Oversized Pages [available in Distiller only]
Intended for use in architectural and engineering environments, this option allows pages in
excess of 200 x 200 inches (such as CAD files) to be saved as PDFs. Most spot color content is
maintained, but areas interacting with transparency may be converted to RGB. Settings include:
• Compatibility: Acrobat 7.0 (PDF 1.6).
• Color Images: Bicubic downsampling to 150ppi; Compression = Automatic (JPEG);
Image Quality = Medium.
• Grayscale Images: Bicubic downsampling to 150ppi; Compression = Automatic
(JPEG); Image Quality = Medium.
• Output: Destination = sRGB IEC61966-2.1.
PDF/A-1b:2005 (CMYK) and PDF/A-1b:2005 (RGB) [available in Distiller only]
PDF/A is an ISO standard for long-term storage of electronic documents (the A stands for
"archival"). Audio and video content are not allowed, and the PDF may not invoke external
information sources (such as attachments, fonts, or hyperlinks). No encryption is permitted, and
JavaScript is not allowed. Settings include:
• Compatibility: Acrobat 5.0 (PDF 1.4).
• Color Images: Bicubic downsampling to 300ppi; Compression = Automatic (JPEG);
Image Quality = Maximum.
• Grayscale Images: Bicubic downsampling to 300ppi; Compression = Automatic
(JPEG); Image Quality = Maximum.
• Output: Color mode depends on the choice of the PDF/A-1b:2005 (CMYK) or
PDF/A-1b:2005 (RGB) standard.
Illustrator Default [available in Illustrator only]
A PDF created with Illustrator's Default setting is essentially an Illustrator file in a PDF wrapper:
to Illustrator, it's just a normal Illustrator file, with all layers, objects, and effects intact. To other
applications, it's a PDF with Acrobat 6.0 compatibility. Unlike other PDF files, these files can be
opened safely in Illustrator and edited, provided that the necessary fonts are active, if the option
to "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" is selected. Settings include:
• Compatibility: Acrobat 6.0 (PDF 1.5).
• Color and Grayscale Images: No downsampling; Compression = ZIP 8-bit.
• Output: No color conversion.
PDF/X: Industry standards
Tailored specifically for the printing industry, PDF/X specifications are intended to provide a
framework for creating print-ready PDFs. PDF/X is a subset of the full PDF specification, refined
to prevent the inclusion of non print-appropriate content such as movies and hyperlinks, and to
ensure that important needs—such as correct font embedding—are honored. As RIPs and other
workflow components become more sophisticated, the PDF/X standards evolve to meet the needs
and capabilities of the changing environment, hence the multiple specifications. How do you
determine which of the PDF/X standards is appropriate for your workflow? The compatibility
level (Acrobat 4 or 5) may be dictated by the capability of your RIP or other components (such
as imposition software); the output settings will be determined by whether or not you're using a
color-managed workflow.
Given the proven reliability of PDF/X formats in print workflows, it is highly recommended that
you start with the most appropriate PDF/X specification for your workflow, and make whatever
modifications you need (such as invoking bleed or adding marks).
PDF/X-1a:2001
PDF/X-1a files can contain CMYK, grayscale, and spot-color content, but no RGB content. The
ArtBox or TrimBox must be internally defined in the file; fonts must be embedded and/or subset.
Acrobat 4.0 compatibility dictates that transparency is flattened (ideally, at the high-quality
resolution Settings include:
• Compatibility: Acrobat 4.0 (PDF 1.3). Transparency will be flattened.
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Printing Guide 7