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Creating a PDF from another format
Jeff Lehman - 10-27-09
Most of today’s document and graphic design programs have the ability to export to PDF. For owners of Adobe Acrobat (not to be confused with Adobe Reader) the application installs an ‘export to PDF’ option to many applications that may all ready be installed on your computer as well as a PDF printer. Whether it is already included in the software or added by installing Acrobat, the options are generally the same.
By default most applications set image compression and font usage to export a smaller PDF suitable for attaching an email or publishing to the Internet. Files intended for on-screen viewing can be much smaller than files intended for print. Images intended for print are at least three times larger than those for on-screen display. In addition fonts must be embedded to ensure they appear correctly on the final print. Usually fonts are set to “subset”. This means that only the characters for that font that appear in the document are included in the PDF file itself. If any edits or adjustments are required, there might be problems with the fonts displaying properly after the change has been made. Additionally many of the processes used to take a file from the computer to paper require the fonts be embedded properly.
As this is a general reference for PDF export, there are many variances specific to certain applications will not be covered. This articled will cover basic options and guidelines to export a PDF. Export options are organized into groups below.
General settings should include all required pages from the native file, and to deselect ‘Optimize for Fast Web View’. This option is not needed for printing. Export Layers ‘Visible & Printable layers’. If possible select the PDF/X-4 standard. This helps ensure the document contains the required elements and setting to ensure optimal printing. Compatibility should be set as high as possible to ensure all elements of the document are exported correctly.
Compression settings have options for color, grayscale and monochrome images. All should be set to ‘Do Not Downsample’ and Compression set to ‘none’. This is the best way to ensure a high resolution image is created.
Marks and Bleeds settings include options for Printers Marks and Bleed and Slug. It is OK to include ‘All Printers Marks’. If your document contains a Bleed, be sure to specify the Bleed and Slug area. Please review the article about Bleeds for more information.
Output settings deal with color correction/conversion to ensure a color match is accurate from computer to final print. The ‘PDF/X’ Output Intent is more advanced color management and is not required in every situation. It is recommended to consult the Adobe website for more information regarding the use and options for this setting.
Advanced settings cover Fonts, OPI and Transparency Flattener options. Fonts should be set to subset fonts when the percent of characters used is less than 1%. This will embed the entire font in the PDF. If available, use the option to disable subset fonts altogether.
Security settings are often not advised as this may hinder the ability of the printer to set the document up properly for printing.