PDF/X Files and Adobe Creative Suite 3

Customizing PDF/X settings

The default PDF/X settings files assume you are preparing a PDF/X file for SWOP that is to be printed on a web offset press on coated stock. If you are preparing a file for different press conditions, you’ll need to create a custom PDF/X settings (preset) file. You can create a single custom settings file for use in all the Creative Suite 3 components, including Acrobat Distiller 8.0. For information on permitted and prohibited contents in PDF/X files, see About PDF/X file contents.

Because the PDF/X format doesn’t require a minimum image resolution, it’s useful to set up a preflight profile to check for resolution.

The default PDF/X settings files are locked and cannot be edited, but you can use them as the basis for a custom PDF/X settings file. Use caution when creating a custom PDF/X settings file. Change only the settings you need to for your output conditions. Consider the PDF/X standard requirements as you edit the settings. If the PDF/X standard remains visible in the General panel when you edit settings in an Adobe Creative Suite component, the settings are PDF/X-compliant.

Because only a few options typically need to be altered, Adobe recommends that you open the PDF/X settings file, make the necessary changes, and then save the file with a name and custom description that identify the PDF/X standard and the press conditions (such as PDFX-1aUSWebUncoated).

Customizing and installing settings files

You can customize your settings file in Acrobat Distiller, InDesign CS3, Illustrator CS3, or Photoshop CS3. Acrobat Distiller settings files (with the .joboptions extension) are the same files as Adobe PDF presets in the other components. The settings files are stored in the Settings folder, which has shared PDF presets for use by all CS3 components, located as follows:

Windows: Documents and Settings/All Users/Documents/Adobe PDF/Settings.
Mac OS: Library/Application Support/Adobe PDF/Settings.

You can easily install custom settings files, such as those sent to you through email, for access by all CS3 applications.

To customize a PDF preset file in InDesign CS3, Illustrator CS3, or Photoshop CS3:

In the Export Adobe PDF dialog box (InDesign CS3; Figure 5) or the Save Adobe PDF dialog box (Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3), choose the PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, or PDF/X-4 preset.

Figure 5. Export Adobe PDF dialog box in InDesign CS3
Select options in each panel, as appropriate.
Click Save Preset.
Name the preset and update the description as needed. The component adds a .joboptions extension to the preset and saves the file to the common location so that it will be available in other CS3 components, including Distiller.

To customize the file in Acrobat Distiller 8.0:

Choose the original settings file (such as PDF/X-1a:2002) from the Default Settings menu in Distiller.
Choose Settings > Edit Adobe PDF Settings.
Select options in each panel (see Figure 6), as appropriate for your output conditions. Click General to update the description of the settings file.

Figure 6. Standards panel of the Adobe PDF Settings dialog box
Click Save As, and name the file.
Choose where to save the file:
- To make the settings file available to other CS3 components, accept the default location.
- To email the PDF preset or distribute it to others, save a copy to the desktop.

To install a custom settings file:

Choose from the following options:

Double-click the .joboptions or PDF custom settings file. Distiller starts automatically and saves the file in the Settings folder, accessible to all the CS3 components.
Open Distiller and choose Settings > Add Adobe PDF Settings, select the settings file you want to add, and click Open.
Choose File > Adobe PDF Presets (InDesign CS3) or Edit > Adobe PDF Presets (Illustrator CS3 and Photoshop CS3) to open the Adobe PDF Presets dialog box (Figure 7). Click Load, and select the preset you want to add. Then click Done.

Adobe PDF Presets dialog box

Figure 7. In InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop, load presets in the Adobe PDF Presets dialog box.

Selecting options for the settings file

Options in Acrobat Distiller 8.0 differ slightly from those in other Adobe Creative Suite 3 components. Adobe recommends that you create the custom settings file and select its options in the component you use most often to create PDF files. Make sure that any options you choose conform to the PDF/X standard.

Table 2: Selecting options for the settings (.joboptions) file

Options	Acrobat Distiller	InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop	Recommendations
Standard	Standards panel	All panels	Choose a PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, or PDF/X-4 standard.
Compatibility	General panel	All panels	Choose Acrobat 4.0 (PDF 1.3) for most uses. The 2003 PDF/X versions support Acrobat 5.0 (PDF 1.4). (Use PDF 1.4 only if there is no transparency; otherwise, use PDF 1.6 for PDF/X-4.)
PDF/X-3 (All PDF/X-1a files meet the requirements for PDF/X-3 files.)	CMYK, spot, calibrated RGB and Lab colors, ICC-based color.	ICC color-managed workflows. ICC color profiles are included in PDF/X file. Allows RGB images that include enough information to be treated as device-independent.	Select Embed All Fonts to meet the requirements of the PDF/X standard.
Embed fonts	Fonts panel	Automatic	Select Embed All Fonts to meet the requirements of the PDF/X standard.
Subset embedded fonts	Fonts panel	Advanced panel	Subset fonts when the percent of characters used is less than 100% to reduce the file size and avoid potential name conflicts with similar fonts.
Color settings	Color panel	Output panel	For PDF/X-1a files, convert all colors to CMYK. In Distiller, choose Convert All Colors To CMYK; in other CS3 components, choose Convert To Destination and specify a CMYK destination profile. Because the PDF/X-3 and PDF/X-4 formats support color management, you can choose different color modes when you’re preparing a PDF/X-3 or PDF/X-4 file.
TrimBox or ArtBox	Standards panel	N/A	Choose what happens if the required TrimBox or ArtBox is not specified. By default, the TrimBox uses the MediaBox values. Note: When you print from InDesign, Distiller recognizes the trim and bleed boxes based on the page size and artwork.
BleedBox	Standards panel	N/A	Choose what happens if the required BleedBox is not specified. By default, the MediaBox values are used.
Output intent	Standards panel	Output panel	Choose an output intent profile and, if applicable, an output condition and an output condition identifier and the registry where it’s listed. The output intent conveys the printing condition for which the file was prepared, such as a sheetfed press printing coated paper or a web offset press printing newsprint. You can use an ICC profile or a characterized printing condition for the output intent. The default setting uses the U.S. Web Coated SWOP v2 output profile and the CGATS TR 001 characterized printing condition. Ask your printer or publisher what you should choose for the output intent.
Trapping status	Standards panel	Output panel	In Distiller, choose Insert False or Insert True; in other CS3 components, select the Trapped option if the entire document is trapped. PDF/X standards require trapping status, but the data does not affect the contents of the file. A Trapped value set to Insert True (or selected, in the Adobe PDF Options dialog box) assumes that every component in the file is trapped. Because most native applications do not trap every component in a file, Adobe recommends that you use the default Insert False setting.
Overprint	Advanced panel	Advanced panel	Although overprinting is not a requirement of the PDF/X standard, preserve overprint settings when distilling the file. Select Preserve Overprint Settings in Distiller; choose Preserve from the Overprints menu in other components. Additionally, Adobe recommends that you enable Overprint Preview (Advanced > Overprint Preview) when you view the file in Acrobat 8.0 Professional.