Canterbury Educational Printing Services: Working With PDF
Canterbury Educational Printing Services: Working With PDF
Canterbury Educational Printing Services: Working With PDF
08
Creating a PDF file
What makes a PDF file print-perfect? Ideally, the application used to create • If compression is used for images, it is lossless (zip) or
the original layout should be true design software, such as InDesign or highest-quality JPEG.
QuarkXPress. All too often, content creators use a product like Microsoft
• Illustrations are encoded as vector data: no erroneous conversion to
Word as a layout application. This is like baking a “mock” apple pie with
bitmaps.
Ritz Crackers and expecting it to taste exactly like a pie made with real
apples. Word is not a graphic design application; it is a word processor! As • Colors are specified in the correct color space (as intended to print).
anyone who has submitted (or received) a Word document for print output
• Physical dimensions of page size are correct and sufficient to include
knows, the text in the document has a good chance of reflowing once the
bleed objects.
document is opened.
• There is a plan for how, when and where to flatten live transparent objects.
Microsoft Word obtains font metrics from the operating system based on
the resolution/characteristics of the target output device, not from the
device- and resolution-independent font metrics. So when you create a Don’t forget the fonts!
Word document with your desktop printer set up as the default, the text Because a font must reside on the computer from which the file is being
in the file is set up to output at that printer’s resolution, usually 600 dpi. printed, most output providers ask content creators to send fonts along
If you change the target output device to another printer with a different with a job for print output. While font foundries have different rules for the
resolution (like your 2,400-dpi CTP engine), or even to the Adobe PDF/ exchange of their products (based on the license agreement that we usually
Distiller virtual printer, and the text flow is very likely to change, as well. glibly “agree” to so we can install the font), the typical agreement allows
fonts to be sent along with a job for print output, but the output provider
Content creators can avoid this problem simply by setting Distiller/Adobe also must have a license to use that font. This can be a problem if the
PDF as the default printer on their computers. Every subsequent new Word designer uses an obscure font. In PDF this shouldn’t be an issue, because
document will be set up to Distiller’s metrics. When a PDF file is created, the most foundries, Adobe included, allow font embedding for the purpose of
text will not change. “Won’t the text reflow when I try to print the file to my print and preview, and the printer does not have to own a license for the
printer?” you might wonder. Not if you open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat font to print the job.
or Reader and print to the target printer from there! When it ships, Word 12
will allow users to directly export PDF files without going through a printer So why are there still so many font-related problems? While most default
driver — a feature that should eventually alleviate some current headaches. PDF creation methods are set to embed fonts, it still is easy to inadvertently
omit a font from the final PDF file. Consider Distiller, Adobe’s flagship PDF
What every PDF should have creation tool. Distiller ships with several canned “PDF settings” (a.k.a. job
options), but it is easy to create or edit new settings. At the application
Simply using the proper design-oriented software doesn’t guarantee print-
level, fonts can be included in the PostScript that is sent to Distiller or not,
perfect PDF files. Bad PDF files have been created from every application
depending on the user-selected print settings. On the Windows platform,
that can write PostScript or export PDF.
when a PDF file is created through an Adobe PostScript printer driver,
Although there is no such thing as a typical print project, there are TrueType fonts can be handled in one of five different ways, depending on
characteristics common to a print-viable PDF file. These include: the option selected in the “send fonts as” or “TrueType download” dialog
(where this dialog can be found varies depending on the version of Windows
• All fonts used are embedded (fully or subset to include only glyphs used).
used.) A TrueType font can be converted to the Type 1 equivalent, sent as
• All included bitmap images are of sufficient resolution for the final Type 42 (native TrueType), converted to outlines, converted to bitmaps, or
print method.
not included at all. If Distiller can’t access the fonts through the PostScript be correct when the file is viewed on screen, but substituted with another
file, it will look at the available fonts on the system. If it cannot find them glyph in the output file. How does this happen?
there, and the font settings are set to something other than “cancel” the
Typically this results from differences in font types and font encoding,
job if fonts cannot be embedded, then the PDF file will be created without
combined with differences in computer platforms. PDF files can contain
them. Font embedding is user selectable from the print or PDF export
three of the most common type of font formats: PostScript Type 1, TrueType
settings in QuarkXPress, but InDesign and Illustrator force inclusion of fonts
and OpenType. When it comes to Latin-based languages (i.e., English) there
for PDF export.
are less than 128 commonly-used characters, which neatly fit into seven of
Even if the PDF creation tool is set to embed them, OpenType and TrueType the eight bits available in an ASCII format file. Most operating systems use
fonts can be restricted to disallow embedding of any kind. While very the same character set for these 128 “low ASCII” characters, so any common
few modern font foundries would offer such fonts, fonts acquired in the character (a lower case “a,” for example) will be the same no matter which
late 1990s, such as those packaged with CorelDraw, might include this application or OS writes out the file. The remaining 128 characters (that
restriction. Some applications will not allow the user to place restricted eighth bit), which generally are less common characters, are not necessarily
fonts in a layout (the Mac version of QuarkXpress 6.5 and 7, for example). encoded the same way on the Mac and Windows platform, and might be
Others (such as InDesign CS) will warn that the font cannot be embedded different depending upon the application writing or printing the file.
in a PDF file. Still others will offer no warning at all that a restricted font is This is the cause of much substitution of nonstandard characters like
being used. ligatures and fractions.
Using the “Document Properties” option available in Adobe Acrobat or When a font is embedded in a PDF file, it should not matter that the file is
Reader lets users confirm a font is embedded in a PDF file. If a font is listed printed from a computer running a different operating system than the one
as “embedded,” all of the glyphs that are part of that particular font are on which the PDF file was created; the embedded font is to be used for both
included in the PDF file. If it is listed as “embedded subset,” only the glyphs preview and print. Font substitution at the RIP can happen, however, if a
used in the document are included. If fonts are not embedded, there are font of the same name but with different characteristics is resident at the
two options for font preview and print. Acrobat or Reader can use the Adobe RIP. (Adobe representatives have been heard to claim this will not happen
Multiple Master font that installs with the application to simulate the on Adobe-based RIPs, though many in-the-trenches users report glyph
missing font for preview and print. This substituted font seldom matches substitution on output.) Subsetting fonts, in addition to making a PDF
the original, but at least it allows the viewer to read the text. If the called-for file smaller by only including the glyphs actually used in the layout, also
font is available on the local computer, it will be used for preview and print renames fonts in the PDF file. So, if Helvetica is used in a document and the
from Acrobat products. This doesn’t help if the PDF file is not being printed PDF file is created with font inclusion set to subset embedding, Helvetica
directly from Acrobat, however. In this case, the local font can be embedded will be included as something like EFGWXK+Helvetica. Theoretically, this
into the PDF file using the touch-up text tool or with a third-party editing means the RIP will not recognize that font and, therefore, will not use the
tool like Enfocus Pitstop Professional. RIP resident version of it for print. In prepress environments, fonts never
should be resident on the RIP, especially for general commercial printers.
Glyph glitches to avoid. Subset fonts in PDF files are not without problems, either. Merging multiple
The only thing worse than a missing font is a missing or substituted PDF files with subset fonts can, on rare occasions, result in missing
individual character. Have you ever seen a character replaced by a characters in the merged PDF file. Subsetting a font will rename it, as
rectangular box or an entirely different glyph than the one called for in a shown above, with a random generation of six alpha characters plus the
PDF file, even when the font is embedded? Even worse, the glyph might base font name.
Unfortunately, Acrobat will use the first version of a particular font name offset print job. Tools that can be used to repurpose PDF files, such as the
that it detects, creating a problem when two PDF files that happen to have optimizer built into Acrobat 6 or 7, also can be set to down sample image
the same six-character prefix are merged within Acrobat — only the glyphs data, which is fine for making soft proof versions of PDF files but not so
used in the first merged file will be available for all of the other sections of good if those files with lower resolution images then are used for high-
the file. So if a new glyph is used in the subsequent PDF file merged into the resolution printing. Photoshop and other applications (like Genuine Fractals)
first, it will not display or print, and a blank space will appear instead. that offer sampling algorithms notwithstanding, once you strip pixels out
of an image and make it a lower resolution file, there is no way to make it
When it comes to editing text in a PDF file, Acrobat’s built-in touch-up text
look as good as it did originally.
tool is rudimentary, at best. The font must be loaded and available on the
computer where the editing is taking place, making editing of a PDF file
created on the Mac OS via a Windows PC virtually impossible. Conversely,
DCS + .qxd = Arghh!
Mac OS X offers the ability to load and use Windows TrueType as well as Some PDF creation methods can convert a perfectly well made vector-based
OpenType fonts. This is not to say it’s easier to work with fonts on the Mac Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) graphic into a low-resolution bitmap image in
platform. In Windows 2000 and XP, fonts are found in only one location. On the resultant PDF file. The PDFWriter printer driver, a tool no longer bundled
the Mac, as any user knows, fonts can be found just about anywhere and with Adobe Acrobat products but still in circulation, writes PDF files in
it’s very easy to have duplicate fonts. which EPS graphics are converted into low-res bitmaps. The best solution is
to not use PDFWriter at all, especially if any EPS graphics are included in the
To make matters worse, OS X includes Apple’s new dfonts, which are simply original layout.
the Mac version of the most commonly used fonts, like Helvetica and Times.
When it comes to PDF creation, this variability can result in the wrong The Quartz-based “save as PDF” option that is available from every print
version of a font being embedded in a PDF file with the possible outcome dialog window in Mac OS X does the same thing to placed EPS graphics. In
of different spacing, kerning or even inclusion of a glyph that is entirely addition to converting vector-based EPS graphics to low-resolution bitmaps,
different from the one originally set in the page layout. the “save as PDF” option also converts the color space of those graphics
to RGB. It is possible to tweak a Quartz filter through the ColorSync Utility
Put down those pixels to control some aspects of PDF creation via the “save as PDF” method,
including converting RGB color back into CMYK. Duotones (Device N) and
When creating a high-resolution graphic for print output, the rule of thumb
spot colors, however, will be lost and included only as RGB (or converted to
is to allow two image pixels per halftone dot on the press. So, for a project
the CMYK) colors — not as the original specified spot colors. While the “save
that is to print on an offset press at 150 lines per inch (lpi), a pixel-based
as PDF” method is easy, once again, it is not a good way to create PDF files
image optimally should contain 300 pixels per linear inch (ppi) (a.k.a.
for print production.
dots per inch or dpi) of effective resolution. More resolution than that
is unnecessary and only will slow the RIP process. For that reason, most A PDF file also can lose high-resolution image data when a Desktop Color
PDF creation tools include a down sampling option. Unfortunately, in an Separation (DCS) file is placed into certain layout applications. DCS files
attempt to make the file smaller, a user might toss out too much pixel data. are preseparated and include a channel for each color, process and/or spot,
along with a low-resolution placeholder image. The high-res data from DCS
Sometimes this down sampling happens unintentionally, as when the
image files placed in QuarkXPress (any version) will not be included in a
“standard” Distiller job option setting supplied with the base Distiller
resultant PDF file; rather, the low-resolution display image will be included.
application is used. This standard setting, by default, sets image down
The same is true of Illustrator CS(2). From Word, we’ve seen just the
sampling to 150 dpi, roughly half of the optimal amount for the average
additional channel’s data included in a PDF file, and not the process color
channels at all. PDF files exported from InDesign CS(2), on the other hand, whether color management has been enabled, this can result in terrible or
will include the high-resolution data from placed DCS images. So if you not-quite-terrible conversion of RGB images to CMYK. Device N colors also
must use the DCS format, build the page in InDesign. can be converted to a process equivalent during the PDF creation process,
especially in PDF files created from QuarkXPress 6.x or lower. Device N colors
EPS can prevent Word RGB woes include objects that are a mix of colors from more than one color space, like
Here’s another common PDF woe: Bitmap and vector objects aren’t in the a spot-to-spot blend or a grayscale TIFF image assigned a spot color to make
proper color space for output — specifically, color is in the RGB space, rather a “fake duotone.” Prior to QuarkXPress 6, you had to have a special Xtension
than process CMYK or spot. For color-managed workflows, this might be from Agfa, Creo or another vendor to prevent spot-colorized TIFF images
intentional, as ICC-tagged RGB images can be converted to CMYK in the RIP. from converting to process (although placed duotones saved in the EPS
Conversion to RGB, however, is a side effect of any number of PDF creation format pass through unchanged). QuarkXPress 6.x includes the Device
methods. As we already mentioned, using the “save as PDF” option from N Print Color option, rendering those Xtensions unnecessary. In
any print dialog on Mac OS X will result in all color converting to RGB, unless QuarkXPress 7, the Device N moniker was discarded in favor of the more
a special Quartz filter is used to convert color back to CMYK. comprehensive “process CMYK and spot” color option setup. When you
export PDF files or print PostScript to Distiller, use Device N instead of
Microsoft Word is the most well-known RGB converting culprit. Color in “composite CMYK,” and colorized TIFF images or spot blends will come
Word is based on the RGB-based graphics model of the operating system, through into the PDF file as expected.
which is GDI under Windows. When a file is printed from Word (or any Office
application), it uses the PostScript driver to generate color, which will be in Device RGB color can be converted to process easily using the “convert
the RGB color space, including text that should be black. colors” option in Acrobat 7 Professional. Found on the prepress production
toolbar, the option will convert color based on an ICC profile-based
To avoid this RGB conversion from Word, include all graphics saved in the color space, and it can be set to convert “RGB black” text to a solid black
EPS format. The driver will not convert any color in EPS graphics to RGB. instead of a process build. There are a number of third-party plug-ins that
Rather, it will pass through unaltered — so process and spot color will offer more extensive color conversion options, including Enfocus Pitstop
remain as intended in a PDF file. To prevent black text from being included Professional ( http://www.enfocus.com), callas Software’s pdfColorConvert
in a PDF file in the RGB color space, use the Adobe PDF driver that is installed ( http://www.callassoftware.com), Quite Software’s Quite a Box of Tricks
along with Adobe Acrobat or Reader. (http://www.quite.com), and ARTS PDF’s Crackerjack
Commonly, graphics applications convert color as a part of the printing (http://www.artspdf.com).
or PDF creation process. InDesign and QuarkXPress can convert RGB to
CMYK on output, depending upon the selected output settings. Adobe CS2 Bleed and page size issues
includes what the company refers to as a “safe CMYK workflow.” This allows Most graphics applications include an option to set a bleed amount in
RGB objects to convert to CMYK while leaving placed CMYK objects alone, the PDF Export or Print dialog boxes. This is one area where the Export PDF
preventing any additional color alteration of CMYK objects. When selecting method trumps the PostScript via Print Dialog method, as this is the only
options for CMYK conversion in the print or export PDF dialog boxes, select setting required to ensure that the PDF is created at the correct page size,
“preserve CMYK numbers” to cause RGB images to convert to CMYK based including bleed.
on the profile selected while leaving CMYK data untouched.
In QuarkXPress, conversion of RGB images to CMYK happens automatically
when the print colors option is set to “composite CMYK.” Depending on
Creating a PDF by printing PostScript through the Print dialog requires the In Adobe CS2 applications, a graphic object is a source of transparency if any
second step of selecting the correct printer driver and entering a physical of the following applies:
page size that is large enough to accommodate the trim, bleed, and
• It has an opacity of less than 100 percent or an opacity mask (Illustrator).
registration or slug information. This will set the media box for the resulting
PDF file. • It has any blending mode other than Normal.
If the media box is set too small and bleed is cut off of the PDF file, it can • It has a drop shadow or feather.
be enlarged to accommodate bleed by changing the custom page size in
• It has a inner glow or outer glow effect (Illustrator).
Acrobat 7’s “crop pages” dialog box, or with an Enfocus Pitstop Pro option.
If there are bleed objects on the page, expanding the media box will reveal • Its fill or stroke has a style, brush, pattern or filter effect that has any of
them. If no bleed amount was set within the original application, however, the previous properties.
there will be nothing in the PDF to work with, so the bleed objects will
• It is a placed Photoshop file (native, PDF or TIFF) with a
have to be cloned or edited to fill the expanded page size — a daunting, but
transparent background.
doable, task.
• It is a placed Illustrator file (native or PDF) that contains one or more
Bake someone happy objects with any of the previous properties.
If only content creators could simply follow a single recipe from an all- QuarkXPress 7 also includes the ability to create drop shadows or otherwise
purpose PDF cookbook to crank out batch after batch of perfect PDF files. add transparency to objects, but because all output from Quark is
Unfortunately, we’re dealing with too many different ingredients — but PostScript-based (even PDF export), transparent objects have to be flattened
some simple rules apply to just about every process: to a specific bitmap resolution or removed when the PDF file is created. In
• Ensure there is sufficient image resolution in the original images and don’t Adobe CS2 and Acrobat 7, the transparency flattener will rasterize or outline
remove too much through down sampling. objects, based on the types of objects being flattened, the file’s complexity
and the settings that are in effect when the flattening takes place. Three
• Use fonts that can be embedded and don’t forget to embed them. default settings are provided by Adobe, “high resolution” being the best
• Don’t use a PDF-creation method that converts color unnecessarily, and option to maintain as much vector data as possible, although it is easy
have a plan for transparency flattening. to create custom flattener settings to do things like convert everything to
bitmaps or convert all text to outlines.
If you and your clients follow these general rules, soon everyone should be
cooking up great, print-ready PDF files. Flat and unhappy
Transparency flattening can lead to many problems. Any text that touches a
Flattening transparent objects transparent object can be rasterized during the flattening process. In most
The trouble with transparency is that PostScript doesn’t understand it. RIPs, text is imaged at a higher resolution than raster objects (usually at
Transparent objects have to be “flattened” prior to output to any kind of the highest resolution of the output device). Rasterized text is especially
PostScript-based printing device. Where this flattening should happen, and unsightly when just a portion of a line is converted to bitmaps, while the
by whom, is a key issue. rest of the line remains text and is imaged at a higher resolution.
Text also can be converted to outlines by the flattener, which can result in trap between the atomic regions, creating an actual gap between them.
a thickening of the stroke making up the outline of each letter. If the user While turning off InRIP trapping typically eliminates this problem, you’ve
chooses the option to outline all text, every text object on the page will be then removed all trapping from the file. Note that it might be necessary to
outlined, whether or not it touches a transparent object. Even if this option disable only “image to image” trapping, to eliminate this problem while still
is not selected, the flattener might outline the text that is involved with allowing the rest of the job to trap as it should.
transparent objects anyway, making for a possible unsightly difference
between the outlined characters and the rest of the normal text on Save the vector data
the page. Optimally, transparency settings should be set to retain as much vector
Flattening also can break all objects involved in transparency into “atomic data as possible, because rasterization converts objects into uneditable
regions.” Suppose there is a spot-colored vector object with a blend mode fixed-resolution bitmaps and makes the file larger. Opening a PDF file
of “multiply” sitting on top of a bitmap image with a drop shadow beneath with transparency into Photoshop will convert the entire file into a single,
it, on top of a background of another spot color. When the vector object large bitmap image. Conversely, using the flattener in InDesign or Acrobat
and the drop shadow are flattened, all of the objects involved likely will and setting the raster — vector slider all the way to the raster side will not
be broken into new objects or atomic regions that might be vector- or rasterize the file into a single large image. Instead, it will break it into a
bitmap-based, depending on what it takes to render the transparency into bunch of atomic regions, the size and number of which will vary depending
something a PostScript device can digest. on the page contents.
For example, the flattener might use overprinting commands (supported A brighter day is coming. In time, the transparency problem will fade
in PostScript) to create transparent effects using opaque objects, especially away as the industry gradually shifts from PostScript-based RIPs in favor
when flattening a transparency that interacts with a spot color. In fact, in of new platforms, such as Adobe’s PDF Print Engine, that can render PDF
order to print or view a PDF file containing flattened transparent objects files natively.
correctly, it is necessary to use software that supports overprinting. Without
overprinting support, overprint objects will knock out whatever is beneath Acknowledgement
them. If you’ve ever used Acrobat or Reader to preview a PDF file and instead The information contained in this booklet was written by Julie Shaffer and
of seeing a soft drop shadow behind an image, you see a white box around taken from the August edition of American Printer. Julie is the director of the
a harsh black box instead, it probably was because overprint preview wasn’t PIA/GATF Center for Imaging Excellence ( http://www.gain.org).
enabled. The same is true at print time — if the device doesn’t support Contact her at jshaffer@piagatf.org
overprinting, objects that have been flattened and require overprint
capabilities to render properly will knock out.
Some users report seeing white, hairline-like artifacts at the edges of some
atomic regions when they view a flattened PDF file in Acrobat or Reader.
Turning off the “smooth line art” and “smooth images” option in the
page display area of Acrobat’s general preferences will cause the preview
of these lines to disappear. It is important for prepress operators to see
these, however, because they can predict where similar lines can appear
in the actual printed piece when it’s output through certain systems. It
seems that, in some cases, InRIP trapping will create a “choke” or pull-back
How to contact CEPS
Administration and Accounts
Warehouse Building, Kirkwood Avenue P High Volume Digital Printing
Manager: Ext 6906
General Enquires: Ext 6908 P Digital Colour Printing
Accounts Enquires: Ext 6946
University Stationery: Ext 3098 P Wide Format Colour Printing
Fax: Ext 6560
Email: ceps@canterbury.ac.nz
P Document Scanning, Imaging and OCR
Print Room P Personalised Printing from Data bases
Warehouse Building, Kirkwood Avenue
P Course Reader Printing & Sales
Central Library Copy Centre
Level 2 Central Library P Document Management Solutions
Copy Centre Manager: Ext 6952
Email: copycentre@canterbury.ac.nz P Print Management
Course Readers P Print Procurement
Enquiries: Ext 6946
email: coursereaders@canterbury.ac.nz P Content Management
www.ceps.canterbury.ac.nz P Thesis Printing & Binding