PDF Association Cheat Sheet – Blend Modes

Blend Modes in RGB Blend Modes in CMYK

Separable Blend Modes (12) Non-separable Blend Modes (4)

Normal (or Compatible, deprecated in PDF 2.0), Multiply, Screen,
Overlay, Darken, Lighten, ColorDodge, ColorBurn, Hue, Saturation, Color, Luminosity
HardLight, SoftLight, Difference, Exclusion
Only Difference and Exclusion separable Blend Modes are
-
not white-preserving and thus cannot be used for blending spot colors.

© 2024 PDF Association, https://pdfa.org Date:

2024.10.27
11:56:29 Z
PDF Association Cheat Sheet – PDF Color Processing
PDF Color Processing Approximating sRGB with CalRGB
[ /CalRGB

Anyn device
colorant(s)

Any single
Devices

colorants
<<

process

colorant
device
/Matrix [ 0.412384 0.212646 0.0193176
0.35759 0.715164 0.119171
0.180496 0.0721893 0.950546 ]
/WhitePoint [ 0.950455 1.0 1.08905 ]

component)
Halftones
/BlackPoint [ 0 0 0 ]

(per
/Gamma [ 2.2 2.2 2.2 ]

HT
>>
Device color values

]
(depending on

conversion)
results of

See Annex A.8 in ISO 23504-1:2020 (PDF/R)

component)
Transfer
functions
(per

TR, HT
Fragment Identifiers
C, M, Y, K

Component(s)
R, G, B

color model
of devices
process
gray

https://labs.pdfa.org/FragmentTest.pdf#page=2&comment=abc&zoom=200
(not specified by PDF)
from CIE-based

process color
Conversion
color space

device color
Conversion

from input
to device

space to
devices

model Object identifiers

UCR, BG
page=pagenum Open to specified page (≥ 1).
nameddest=name Open to specified named destination.
structelem=structID Open to specified ID within StructElem dictionary, or first page.
C, M, Y, K

components
R, G, B
X, Y, Z

comment=commentID
gray

tint Open to specified annotation defined by NM key.

n
Must be after any other object identifier parameters.
ef=name Open the specified file from the EmbeddedFiles name tree.
(3-component)

(4-component)

(1-component)
colour space

colour space

colour space
Another

Another

Another

Open parameters – processed after object identifiers

zoom=scale Open with specified zoom scale (where 100 = 100%). left
colour space

colour space

colour space

colour space
zoom=scale,left,top
DefaultCMYK

and top are optional coordinates from top left corner of page.
DefaultRGB

DefaultGray

Another

Another

Another

Another

view=XYZ,left,top,scale Open specified destination as the view, where coordinates are

view=Fit from top left corner of page.
view=FitH,top
Conversion

Alternative
Alternative

transform
transform

dictionary

view=FitV,left
to internal
X, Y, Z
values

Pattern
lookup
Table
color
color

view=FitR,left,bottom,right,top
view=FitB
view=FitBH,top
components

components
C, M, Y, K
Colour values

See Figures 20 and 21 in ISO 32000-2:2020

R, G, B
A, B, C

A, B, C

view=FitBV,left
pattern
index
gray

tint
A

viewrect=left,top,width,height Open with specified window view rectangle, where coordinates

BI, Do (image XObject)

BI, Do (image XObject)

BI, Do (image XObject)

BI, Do (image XObject)

BI, Do (image XObject)

BI, Do (image XObject)

BI, Do (image XObject)

BI, Do (image XObject)

BI, Do (image XObject)

BI, Do (image XObject)

are from top left corner of page.

rg, RG, sc, SC, sh,

highlight=left,right,top,bottom Open with specified rectangle highlighted, where coordinates

g, G, sc, SC, sh,
k, K, sc, SC, sh,
colour values

scn, SCN, sh,

scn, SCN, sh,

scn, SCN, sh,

Sources of

from top left corner of page.

sc, SC, sh,

sc, SC, sh,

sc, SC, sh,

sc, SC, sh,

search= "wordlist " Select first matching word in SPACE (%20) separated
wordlist. Quotes are required around wordlist.
fdf=uri
Colour spaces

DeviceCMYK

Import FDF or XFDF. uri is relative or absolute. Must be last.

DeviceRGB

DeviceGray

Separation
ICCBased

DeviceN
CalRGB

CalGray

Indexed

See Annex 0 in ISO 32000-2:2020 or RFC 8118.

Pattern
Lab

Special
Device
spaces

spaces

spaces
colour

colour

colour
based
CIE-

© 2024 PDF Association, https://pdfa.org

PDF Association Cheat Sheet – PDF Color Processing
PDF Function objects
m = number of input values → n = number of output values: {𝑦𝑦0 , 𝑦𝑦1 , … , 𝑦𝑦𝑛𝑛 } = 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥1 , 𝑥𝑥2 , … , 𝑥𝑥𝑚𝑚 ) Patterns and Shadings
Common Key Description PatternType Description
FunctionType integer Always required 0, 2, 3 or 4. 1 Tiling pattern Repeating pattern cell using PDF graphic operators in a content stream.
Domain array Always required 2 × m numbers, where Domain 2i ≤ Domain 2i+1 . (stream, Table 74) Key Type Value (required unless stated)
Inputs are clipped to nearest boundary. Type name Pattern
Range array Required for Type 0 and Type 4. 2 × n numbers, where Range 2i ≤ Range 2i+1 . Output PatternType Integer 1
Optional for Type 2 and Type 3. is clipped to nearest boundary when present.
PaintType integer 1 = Colored tiling pattern. In a content stream,
reference via a named Pattern resource:
Type Description
/Pattern cs
Type 0 Sampled function m-dimensional lookup table, where each entry has n components. /P1 scn
(stream, PDF 1.2, Key Type
Description 2 = Uncolored tiling pattern. Define as a
§7.10.2) ColorSpace resource such as:
Required. m positive integers. Number of
Size array [ /Pattern colorspace ]
components in each input (m) dimension.
BitsPerSample integer Required. 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, or 32. TilingType integer 1 = Constant spacing.
Order integer Optional. 1 or 3. Interpolation order. Default = 1. 2 = No distortion.
Encode array Optional. 2 × m numbers. Linear input mapping. 3 = Constant spacing and faster tiling.
Decode array Optional. 2 × n numbers. Linear output mapping. BBox rectangle Bounding box (clipped).
Overlapping tiles
are implementation XStep number Horizontal spacing in pattern space.
Type 2 Exponential function Exponential interpolation of 1 input value to n output values: YStep number Vertical spacing in pattern space.
dependent.
(dictionary, PDF 1.3, 𝑦𝑦𝑗𝑗 = 𝐂𝐂𝟎𝟎𝑗𝑗 + 𝑥𝑥 𝐍𝐍 × 𝐂𝐂𝐂𝐂𝑗𝑗 − 𝐂𝐂𝟎𝟎𝑗𝑗 for 0 ≤ j ≤ n Resources dictionary Resources needed by pattern cell content.
§7.10.3)
Key Type Description Matrix matrix Optional. Pattern matrix. Default: identity.
C0 array Optional. n numbers for 𝑦𝑦𝑗𝑗 when 𝑥𝑥= 0.0. Default = [ 0.0 ]
2 Shading pattern Smooth gradient fills painted with the sh operator.
C1 array Optional. n numbers for 𝑦𝑦𝑗𝑗 when 𝑥𝑥= 1.0. Default = [ 1.0 ] (dictionary, PDF 1.3, Key Type Value (required unless stated)
N number Required. Interpolation exponent. Table 75)
Type name Pattern
Type 3 Stitching function Stitching of subdomains of 𝑘𝑘 1-input functions to produce a single new 1-input PatternType integer 2
(dictionary, PDF 1.3, function. Since resulting stitching function is a 1-input function, the domain is Shading dictionary Shading object.
§7.10.4) [ Domain 0 Domain 1 ]. or stream
Key Type Description Matrix matrix Optional. Pattern matrix. Default: identity.
Functions array Required. 𝑘𝑘 1-input functions ExtGState dictionary Optional. Graphics state parameter dictionary.
Bounds array Required. (𝑘𝑘 – 1) numbers, ordered by increasing value.
Encode array Required. 2 × 𝑘𝑘 numbers Shading Types
Type 4 PostScript calculator Stream contains code written in a small subset of PostScriptTM. Type 1 Function-based dictionary
function Nesting depth for {…} limited to 255. Type 2 Axial dictionary
(stream, PDF 1.3, Arithmetic abs add atan ceiling cos cvi cvr div Type 3 Radial dictionary
§7.10.5) exp floor idiv ln log mod mul neg
round sin sqrt sub truncate Type 4 Free-form Gouraud-shaded triangle mesh stream

Relational, and bitshift eq false ge gt le lt ne Type 5 Lattice-form Gouraud-shaded triangle mesh stream
Boolean, bitwise not or true xor Type 6 Coons patch mesh stream
Conditional if ifelse Type 7 Tensor-product patch mesh stream
Stack copy exch dup index pop roll See §8.7.4.5 in ISO 32000-2:2020

References to ISO 32000-2:2020 including resolved errata at https://pdf-issues.pdfa.org

© 2024 PDF Association, https://pdfa.org