File Creation
"PDF" is a file format developed by Adobe Corporation for the creation of documents that are self contained and portable (hence the letters Portable Document Format). The PDF format is becoming a common file type in the printing industry because of its ability to eliminate variables and errors in file preparation prior to high resolution imaging, when created correctly. To properly create PDF files for output, a few guidelines need to be followed. These guidelines will help to ensure the quickest, most error free print job possible.Print a copy of the file to a local printer, double check how everything on the page(s) look. Create the PDF file and compare the printed sample to eh PDF. With a few possible exceptions, the PDF file will look like the printed sample.
The Exceptions could be any or all of the following:
1. The PDF file will carry all of the color information that the originating (x. QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, ect...) document has been built with. Be sure that all of the elements in the document are color broken the way they are to print (including placed graphics such as Adobe Illustrator EPS files). Verify that all colors are either Spot or Process (CMYK) colors with the proper names and color values.
2. Check all images to be sure that they are color broken correctly (Grayscale, CMYK, Monotone, Duotone, ect... ***NO RGB or INDEX***) with no color management (Adobe, ICC, SWP, ect...) or transfer curves applied. Check the resolution of each image, take into account any scaling which has been applied in the page layout application. The settings are usually found in a photo editing application (ex. Adobe Photoshop) when opening or saving an image.
3. Embed ALL fonts. Some fonts cannot be embedded because of licensing restrictions (ex. Apple Chancery). Sometimes this can be overridden and the font can be manually embedded using programs such as Enfocus Pitstop (Apple Chancery is one font that cannot be embedded under any circumstances). If a font is used in PDF document that cannot be embedded, the PDF file will output incorrectly, if at all. The best way to fix this restriction is to avoid using any fonts that cannot be embedded in the PDF file during its creation.
In general, PDF file to be usable to a commercial printer such as Printex Same-Day Printing. The errors, omissions and oversights that add time to the output of QuarkXPress, InDesign, PageMaker or any other document, will cause even greater problems with PDF document, usually to the point of stopping production completely until new files are created and sent from the clients.
As always, the staff at Printex Same-Day Printing is ready and willing to answer any questions you may have about PDF files. Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have any question, problems or comments.