A simple string of "PDF/X" doesn't make a file a PDF/X compliant file.
What does make a PDF compliant could be a lengthy discussion because of the technical detail involved, but suffice to say, it's generally the PDF configuration settings applied by the utility creating the PDF, in Scribus's case, the PDF exporter tool. Most PDF creation utilities will give you as part of the export or print properties screen, a drop-down box that let's you choose a PDF Profile to export the PDF as. These profiles are equivalent to Adobe Distiller settings files that define certain attributes that the exported or printed PDF will have. It's these attributes that make a PDF a PDF/X-1a or /X-3 PDF. Some of the required attributes are: Required Fonts embedded, images are a certain resolution, OPI comments removed, color intent is set, color profile is specified, etc... However setting these attributes do not guarantee that the resulting PDF will meet the requested profile. It's up to the PDF printer/exporter utility to enforce the requested settings and "fix up" those attributes that can be modified, or fail completely on missing fonts or low resolution graphics. This is where a preflight tool comes in handy if you are generating PDFs from a tool that you are unsure how to configure correctly. -Tim -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:scribus-bounces at kirsche.altmuehlnet.de] On Behalf Of John Culleton Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 7:54 PM To: scribus at kirsche.altmuehlnet.de Subject: Re: [Scribus] pdf standards On Thursday 28 February 2008 03:20:09 pm Timothy Boyden wrote: > PDF/X-1a:2001 is actually equivalent to Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3) version > files (according to the InDesign export feature anyways). > > If you use the Scribus PDF export tool I believe it defaults to X-1a > or > X-3 (which is the same PDF version, but with a more definitive color > profile description) which should be acceptable to your printer. > > If you want a tool to verify it, you'll need a preflight tool like > what is included in Acrobat or another 3rd party product like > FlightCheck from Markzware. There's freeware preflight software > available, but I have not had a chance to compare those with > commercial tools for accuracy. One of the advantages of a commercial > preflight tool is that it can make adjustments that would make a PDF > compliant with the X-1a or > X-3 specification. > > -Tim Thanks for the reply. My source on such things tells me that if the string "PDF/X" does not appear in the pdf file then it won't be accepted for running on the OCE printer by LSI. No pdf files that I have looked at, Scribus, TeX, whatever, have that exact string. I can of course patch that in with an editor but I doubt that it would pass the preflight review. Does the presence/absence of graphics have an impact on how Scribus annotates the file? For some time now the Scribus site has bragged about X/3 qualification. Shouldn't some indication of that occur in the file also? -- John Culleton Resources for every author and publisher: http://wexfordpress.com/tex/shortlist.pdf http://wexfordpress.com/tex/packagers.pdf http://www.creativemindspress.com/newbiefaq.htm http://www.gropenassoc.com/TopLevelPages/reference%20desk.htm _______________________________________________ Scribus mailing list Scribus at nashi.altmuehlnet.de http://nashi.altmuehlnet.de/mailman/listinfo/scribus
