For print service providers

As a print service provider, you must meet the expectations and demands of your customers to ensure that the best quality output is delivered. The following resources have been gathered to assist you with some of the common issues that come up in day-to-day prepress and print functions.

Color and color management
Job Definition Format (JDF)
Masks and transparency
PDF file creation
PDF/X

Prepress and proofing
Scripting
Trapping
Variable Data Publishing (VDP)

Resources

Color and color management

Adobe ICC profiles

Build consistent, high-quality color workflows with freely downloadable Adobe ICC profiles for Macintosh and Windows®.

Color workflows for Adobe Creative Suite 2 (PDF: 4.6M)

Color management terminology (PDF: 52K)

Pantone color chart (PDF: 1.3M)

International Color Consortium

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Discuss color management in the user forums

Job Definition Format (JDF)

Creating reliable JDF with Acrobat 7 (PDF: 1.7M)

Learn more about how Job Definition Format (JDF) links together and automates the diverse systems and processes required to produce a printed piece.

The JDF revolution: An educational guide to JDF (PDF: 452K)

JDF workflow diagram

JDF on the desktop: Softly, softly, catch a monkey (PDF: 931K)

More information about JDF at CIP4

Masks and transparency

Transparency in Adobe applications: A print production guide (PDF: 5.1M)

Designed for prepress professionals, this document describes how the use of transparency will affect your workflow. It also explains how to optimize the Adobe Creative Suite application transparency settings for your production environment.

Getting started with transparency (PDF: 4.3M)

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PDF file creation

Apply custom settings in Acrobat Distiller

If you use Adobe® Acrobat® to create PDF files, then you've probably made custom Distiller® settings. A little-known feature of Acrobat Distiller will add efficiency and accuracy to your PDF file production.

Sign up for a free tryout of Create Adobe PDF Online

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Discuss PDF workflow in the user forums

PDF/X

PDF/X files and Adobe Creative Suite 2 (PDF: )

Discover how Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium gives you the tools you need to create and verify PDF/X-compliant files.

PDF/X and Acrobat 6.0 Professional: A reliable way to deliver print-ready documents (PDF: 1.96M)

PDF/X FAQ (PDF: )

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Prepress and proofing

Adobe Acrobat 7.0 printing guide (PDF: 3.78 MB)

This printing guide, designed for print service providers, gives you detailed information about achieving professional results when printing from Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional.

Adobe InDesign CS2 printing guide for prepress service providers (PDF: )

Adobe Illustrator CS printing guide for service providers (PDF: 2.3M)

Printing terms (PDF: 68K)

Print industry glossary

Color proofing (PDF: 103K)

Types of proofs (PDF: 161K)

Checking proofs (PDF: 111K)

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Scripting

Adobe Creative Suite 2 Bridge JavaScript reference guide (PDF: )

Learn how to batch process image files and automate key workflow steps with this technical guide detailing how to manipulate and extend Adobe Bridge via JavaScipt.

InDesign CS2 scripting guide (PDF: )

Photoshop CS2 Visual Basic scripting reference guide (PDF: 1.3M)

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Trapping

How to trap using Adobe trapping technologies (PDF: 3.9M)

Get an essential overview of registration and trapping issues and how Adobe tools can help.

Adobe trapping technology white paper (PDF: 825K)

Adobe PostScript 3 (PDF: 697K)

Adobe In-RIP trapping workflow (PDF: 415K)

Variable Data Publishing (VDP)

Variable Data Publishing for service providers

The growing number of flexible, reliable Variable Data Publishing (VDP) output systems is making it easier than ever for print service providers to enter the area of one-to-one marketing and personalized print.

Adobe VDP solutions (PDF: 278K)

Glossary of VDP terms

VDP solutions providers

Featured

Events

Adobe On-Demand eSeminar series for Print Professionals

Learn how to ensure reliable print output from Adobe Creative Suite 2 and find out what printers need to know to greatly improve their efficiency, workflow, and bottom line. Register now.

Creative Suite 2 Print Professional eSeminar series

Attend this free eSeminar series and learn the essentials for enhancing your workflow efficiency and your customers' creativity. Register now.

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For print service providers

Color and color management

Job Definition Format (JDF)

Masks and transparency

PDF file creation

PDF/X

Prepress and proofing

Scripting

Trapping

Variable Data Publishing (VDP)

Events

Industry resources