Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[John Culleton]

At least two commercial printers that I use prefer or insist on the 
format PDF X/1-a:2001 output. The only way I have found to 
produce such in TeX without a pass through Adobe Acrobat 
Distiller or the shareware program Pstill is via the package 
pdfx.sty 
authored by  CV Radhakrishnan  and  Han The Thanh. This in turn 
uses some other files such as xmpincl.sty.

I wonder if this setup could be incorporated into some flavor of 
Context?  Or even pdftex? I prefer not to live within the strictures 
of pdflatex. 
-- 
John Culleton
"Create Book Covers with Scribus"
http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html
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Re: Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[Hans Hagen]

John Culleton wrote:
> At least two commercial printers that I use prefer or insist on the 
> format PDF X/1-a:2001 output. The only way I have found to 
> produce such in TeX without a pass through Adobe Acrobat 
> Distiller or the shareware program Pstill is via the package 
> pdfx.sty 
> authored by  CV Radhakrishnan  and  Han The Thanh. This in turn 
> uses some other files such as xmpincl.sty.
> 
> I wonder if this setup could be incorporated into some flavor of 
> Context?  Or even pdftex? I prefer not to live within the strictures 
> of pdflatex. 

what exactly needs to be added then? if you can figure that out it's no 
bug deal to implement it (at least in mkiv as i don't want to touch mkii)

Hans


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                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
      tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
                                              | www.pragma-pod.nl
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Re: Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[luigi scarso]

On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 4:48 PM, John Culleton <john@wexfordpress.com> wrote:
> At least two commercial printers that I use prefer or insist on the
> format PDF X/1-a:2001 output. The only way I have found to
> produce such in TeX without a pass through Adobe Acrobat
> Distiller or the shareware program Pstill is via the package
> pdfx.sty
> authored by  CV Radhakrishnan  and  Han The Thanh. This in turn
> uses some other files such as xmpincl.sty.
>
> I wonder if this setup could be incorporated into some flavor of
> Context?  Or even pdftex? I prefer not to live within the strictures
> of pdflatex.

is not Ghostscript  OK ?
(I have seen http://www.ghostscript.com/pipermail/gs-devel/2009-September/008566.html)
-- 
luigi
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Re: Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[luigi scarso]

On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 4:48 PM, John Culleton <john@wexfordpress.com> wrote:
> At least two commercial printers that I use prefer or insist on the
> format PDF X/1-a:2001 output
""
We recommend using the `print' menu and choosing Adobe PDF
as the print driver (instructional PDF on our website). The default
conversion setting should be
changed from `Standard' to `PDF/X-1a:2001' (recommended) or the `High
Quality Print'
setting. This will help to ensure that ALL fonts are embedded
including Base 14 fonts.
It is also important to change the PDF page size from 8.5"x 11" to the
correct trim size you are using
to print. If left at the default size of `Letter', your text block
will center from left to right, but not top to
bottom­ causing your proof to print incorrectly and produce delays in
receiving a correct proof.
""

`High Quality Print' is also ammissible
https://www.lightningsource.com/ops/files/pod/LSI_FileCreationGuide.pdf
-- 
luigi
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Re: Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[John Culleton]

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On Friday 30 October 2009 12:03:33 luigi scarso wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 4:48 PM, John Culleton 
<john@wexfordpress.com> wrote:
> > At least two commercial printers that I use prefer or insist on 
the
> > format PDF X/1-a:2001 output. The only way I have found to
> > produce such in TeX without a pass through Adobe Acrobat
> > Distiller or the shareware program Pstill is via the package
> > pdfx.sty
> > authored by  CV Radhakrishnan  and  Han The Thanh. This in 
turn
> > uses some other files such as xmpincl.sty.
> >
> > I wonder if this setup could be incorporated into some flavor 
of
> > Context?  Or even pdftex? I prefer not to live within the 
strictures
> > of pdflatex.
>
> is not Ghostscript  OK ?
> (I have seen
> http://www.ghostscript.com/pipermail/gs-devel/2009-
September/008566.html)
Yes, I started that thread also.  It seems that the spec can be met 
via Ghostscript. What is also needed is the internal labeling of the 
file as pdf X/1-a:2001, and some xml add-ins. 

The prepress staff will look at the file and if it is not labeled 
correctly run it through Distiller, which can degrade text and 
barcodes  by converting them to bitmaps.  LSI  handles hundreds 
of pdf cover files each week, many of which are out of spec. If it 
does not look  like X/1-a:2001 they will bitmap it, and in the 
process mess it up to a degree, or so I am told.  So getting the file 
within spec is necessary but it also has to look like it is in spec.  
Their Customer Service Rep specifically mentioned Ghostscript as 
producing non-acceptable pdf files. 

This is not the only hoop to be leapt through in dealing with LSI.
they have a limit on total ink coverage that is more restrictive 
than the usual formulation for CMYK rich black. They want only 
%240 total coverage so I cobbled up  CMYK 60,40,40,100 which 
adds up to 240%.  In brief, they are a royal pain. But they have a 
near-monopoly on POD printing for bookstores in the US and their 
pricing for Amazon beats anyone including Amazon's own subsidy 
Createspace.

Hans:
The needed files and the documentation for pdfx.sty are located 
here:
http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/pdfx/

The files in the package include:

README




glyphtounicode-cmr.tex




manifest.txt




pdfa-1b.xmp




pdfx-1a.xmp




pdfx.pdf




pdfx.sty




small2e.pdf




small2e.tex




small2e.xmpdata





-- 
John Culleton
"Create Book Covers with Scribus"
http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html

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Re: Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[Hans Hagen]

John Culleton wrote:

> The needed files and the documentation for pdfx.sty are located
> here:
> http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/pdfx/
> 
> 
> The files in the package include:
> 
> 
> README				
> glyphtounicode-cmr.tex				
> manifest.txt				
> pdfa-1b.xmp				
> pdfx-1a.xmp				
> pdfx.pdf				
> pdfx.sty				
> small2e.pdf				
> small2e.tex				
> small2e.xmpdata				

hm, so you want me to reverse engineer latex code ... (which probably 
costs me more time than figuring it out from specs)

anyhow, from the filename i conclude that

- it has to do with unicode maps (is already supported)
- xmp data (this big xml blob in pdf files)

xmp is not yet supported but is probably as trivial (as it is useless); 
i'll look it up in the spec

Hans

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
      tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
                                              | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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___________________________________________________________________________________

Re: Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[John Culleton]

On Friday 30 October 2009 14:24:10 Hans Hagen wrote:
> John Culleton wrote:
> > The needed files and the documentation for pdfx.sty are 
located
> > here:
> > http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/pdfx/
> >
> >
> > The files in the package include:
> >
> >
> > README
> > glyphtounicode-cmr.tex
> > manifest.txt
> > pdfa-1b.xmp
> > pdfx-1a.xmp
> > pdfx.pdf
> > pdfx.sty
> > small2e.pdf
> > small2e.tex
> > small2e.xmpdata
>
> hm, so you want me to reverse engineer latex code ... (which 
probably
> costs me more time than figuring it out from specs)
>
> anyhow, from the filename i conclude that
>
> - it has to do with unicode maps (is already supported)
> - xmp data (this big xml blob in pdf files)
>
> xmp is not yet supported but is probably as trivial (as it is 
useless);
> i'll look it up in the spec
>
> Hans

The major thing about pdf x/1-a:2001 is that it limits what you can 
do, for example no RGB, no transparencies as such, no layers and 
file must be flattened. Fonts must be embedded but that is 
required in any case. 

The documentation for pdfx goes through the source section by 
section and discusses what each does.  

HTH
-- 
John Culleton
"Create Book Covers with Scribus"
http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html
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Re: Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[Hans Hagen]

John Culleton wrote:

> The documentation for pdfx goes through the source section by 
> section and discusses what each does.  

it's easier for me to preflight a file and see what acrobat reports

btw, things like color and fonts are easy as one can configure this; and 
there might be a few additional resources needed but that's easy

in my experience the problem is more with embedded graphics and these 
are out of our control

Hans

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
      tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
                                              | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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___________________________________________________________________________________

Re: Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[John Culleton]

On Monday 02 November 2009 08:36:41 Hans Hagen wrote:
> John Culleton wrote:
> > The documentation for pdfx goes through the source section 
by
> > section and discusses what each does.
>
> it's easier for me to preflight a file and see what acrobat reports
>
> btw, things like color and fonts are easy as one can configure 
this; and
> there might be a few additional resources needed but that's 
easy
>
> in my experience the problem is more with embedded graphics 
and these
> are out of our control
>
> Hans
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>                                            Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
>                Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
>       tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-
ade.com
>
>                                               | www.pragma-pod.nl
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
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___________________________________________________________________________
>________

There are two tasks for crating a PDF x/1-a:2001 file. First limits 
must be imposed per the standard. Second the pdf file must 
"look" like a PDF x1-a:2001 file to the printer and his software. 
The tag at the top of the file is of course trivial. But there is some
xml code embedded also. 

If a dummy file were created in e.g., pdf 1.4, and then a copy were 
made in Distiller with PDF X/1-a:2001, then a differential analysis
could show out the elements (e.g., xml code) spelled out above. 
In Linux I  would use the diff command but I don't think that is 
available to Windows users.

Scribus will soon produce PDF X/1-a:2001 documents. It is already 
a menu choice in the alpha version Scribus 1.5.0. But the code 
behind the menu choice isn't in place yet.  When it is I will do a 
diff run on two versions of the same file and see what is different.  
-- 
John Culleton
"Create Book Covers with Scribus"
http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html
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Re: Producing PDF x/1-a:2001 output.

[Hans Hagen]

John Culleton wrote:

> There are two tasks for crating a PDF x/1-a:2001 file. First limits 
> must be imposed per the standard. Second the pdf file must 
> "look" like a PDF x1-a:2001 file to the printer and his software. 
> The tag at the top of the file is of course trivial. But there is some
> xml code embedded also. 

mkiv can include the xml blob but currently the code is disabled as we 
need an uncompressed stream which currently is not possible at the lua 
end (under construction) and i'm not going to write a temporary solution

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
      tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
                                              | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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