A presentation on PDF workflows, the key components, useful tools, ...

1. A 'realistic'
understanding of PDF
production workflows
Didier Haazen
Chair Compliancy Testing Subcomittee

2. Topics
• A compliant flow?
• Key components for a realistic and
predictable workflow
• Where to begin
• Other useful tools
• Info and links

3. Intro: compliant wf’s

4. Intro: compliant wf’s
• The sometimes inconceivable approach
− Take EPS
− Place in Illustrator
− Save as PDF/X-1a
− Import in QXPress
− Print to PS (HQ settings or PDF/X-4)
− Re-render using Distiller
− Place in Imposition tool
− Send to RIP

5. Intro: compliant wf’s
• The sometimes inconceivable approach
− And what… text goes missing???

6. Intro: compliant wf’s
• The sometimes inconceivable approach
− And what… font problems occur???

7. Intro: compliant wf’s
• It may seem unrealistically
• But we’ve seen situations that came
pretty near…

8. Key components
for a good PDF workflow

9. Key components
• What needs to be in place
• What are the areas where things
mostly go wrong, and that could have
been avoided would they have been
addressed upfront

10. Key components
• Tools
• Settings
• Awareness
• Guts

11. Tools
• Microsoft Word ≠ Adobe InDesign
• But also Mac OSX Preview ≠ Adobe
Acrobat

12. Comparison
Mac OSX Preview (5.0.3) Adobe Acrobat X (10.1.4)

13. Comparison
Mac OSX Preview (5.0.3) Adobe Acrobat X (10.1.4)

14. Comparison
Mac OSX Preview (5.0.3) Adobe Acrobat X (10.1.4)

15. Comparison
Mac OSX Preview (5.0.3) Adobe Acrobat X (10.1.4)

16. Tools
• And the Adobe Reader mobile app ≠
the Adobe Reader desktop version

19. Tools
• But also other workflow components
are equally important
Original PDF PDF after imposition

20. Tools
• The effect of missing an important
software update

21. Settings
• ‘High Quality Print’ is not the same as
‘PDF/X-1a’ or ‘PDF/X-4’

22. PDF/X-4 presets

23. High Quality Print presets

24. Settings
• Be careful when reviewing pages in
layout tools or PDF…

25. Overprint Preview ON Overprint Preview OFF

26. Settings
• Will these colors print well on e.g.
a Newspaper printing press?

28. Awareness
• Can you visually see the eight major
problems in this PDF?

29. Guts
• New technology (often) means new
opportunities
• Stagnation can lead to decay
− I work with IDCS3, can I also use Live Preflight
in that version?
− Can I also use the GWG 2012 preflight profiles
in Enfocus PitStop Professional 6.5?

30. Where to begin…

31. Where to begin…
• GWG joboptions and preflight profiles
− A set of settings files for many applications
to properly create and preflight PDF-files
− Tested with more than 200 different
compliancy test files
− Provided with documentation on how to
install and use
− Completely free and downloadable from the
GWG website

32. Where to begin…
• Sc

33. Where to begin…
• Sc

34. Where to begin…
• GWG joboptions and preflight
profiles
− Developed and maintained by Publishers
and Printers from the industry
− Ensure proper and predictable PDF
output

35. E.g. Current GWG v4 PDF presets (PDF creation)

36. E.g. Example of (future) GWG 2012 preflight check

37. Where to begin…
• Ghent Output Suite
− Free test suite from GWG
− Based on current standards and proven
technology (PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-4)
− Separated in individual categories, important
areas to check
• Those areas that often cause problems in live situations

38. Where to begin…
• Ghent Output Suite
− Created by real people, with real software and
containing real issues
• Not hand crafted laboratory conditions
− Used by many companies (including vendors!)
− Goes beyond RIP, but also layout, imposition,
PDF-rendering, etc

39. Ghent Output Suite v3

40. Ghent Output Suite v3

41. Ghent Output Suite v3

42. Ghent Output Suite v3

43. Ghent Output Suite v3

44. Ghent Output Suite v4
• Shall contain new challenging aspects
− Live Transparency
− Optional Content (groups)
− JPEG2000 patches
− 16 bits image support
− OpentType fonts
• Proposal that is developed by now
(amalgamated page)

47. Why important?
• And the moment you think “This will
never happen to us…”

48. Other useful tools

49. Other useful tools
• VIGC PDF viewer check
− A ‘quick and dirty tool’ to check if the proper
PDF viewer / PDF viewer settings are used

51. Other useful tools
• VIGC Output Essentials
− A key tool to simplify and check the entire
layout process
• Custom panel for both Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop
(CS5/CS6)
• Including link to VIGC Live Preflight profiles for Adobe
InDesign (CS4 and up)

53. Other useful tools
• And don’t forget to check the VIGC RIP
audit ‘Passed’ and ‘Perfect’ labels
during your stay at Graph Expo

54. Other useful tools
• Perfect (Graph Expo)
− EFI Fiery, version FS100 Pro

56. Other useful tools
• Passed (Graph Expo)
− Agfa :Apogee Prepress v8 (AP 8.0.0b3)
− Océ PRISMAsync Color Controller Version 13

57. Other useful tools
• Passed (drupa 2012)
− EFI - XF v4.5.5
− Esko - Esko Suite 12
− FujiFilm - XMF v4.1.0.6
− GMG - ColorProof v5.3.1.97
− Heidelberg - Prinect 2011 SR1
− Kodak - Prinergy 5.2.2.2
− Xeikon - X800 Digital Frontend
• No Perfect scores at that time!

58. Info & links

59. Info & links
• GWG joboptions and preflight profiles
− http://www.gwg.org/applicationsettings.phtml
• GWG output test suite (v3)
− http://www.gwg.org/ghentoutputsuite.phtml
• Stay informed (GWG)
− http://www.gwg.org/future_specifications.phtm

60. Info & links
• VIGC PDF viewer check
− http://www.vigc.org/vigc-pdf-viewer-check/
• VIGC output essentials
− http://www.vigc.org/vigc-output-essentials/
• VIGC PDF RIP audit
− http://www.vigc.org/vigc-pdfx-4-audit/

61. Thank You!