pass4press Brochure

Production & technology
Promoting magazines & professional media
Version 8
2007/2008
Introduction
The eighth iteration of PPA’s pass4press brochure contains best
practice guidelines for creating industry-standard PDF files for printing
in the magazines sector. There are three messages this year: firstly
a reinforcement of the importance of due process in the workflow to
ensure PDFs are created to a high standard; secondly an outline of the
major changes that are on the horizon with regards to PDF technology;
and finally a summary of the new colour characterisation data that
should improve the consistency of the printed magazine. It’s crucial
to get things right up front to prevent expensive mistakes further
down the production line. Pass4press version 8 contains application
settings for all the latest software packages from Quark and Adobe.
But it also covers the page-creation process right from the beginning,
with guidelines on setting up pages and – in tandem with the pic4press
version 3 initiative – dealing with digital images. Get this phase right and
the PDF creation settings in the brochure mean you to create a problemfree PDF.
There are new versions of the PDF/X format due to be released that
introduce exciting new creative opportunities but will also present
new challenges in how to deal with this new technology. Effective
communication across the supply chain will be more important than
ever. Pass4press version 8 introduces the new formats and explains the
potential impact. Adherence to international standards allows publishers
to be more flexible with their print-buying, whilst better managing
expectations and improving printing consistency. Specifying a standard
colour profile allows you to manage colour from the moment an image is
taken to when it is printed on the page, meaning no surprises on press.
Jonathan Moore
Pass4press committee chairman
PASS4PRESS COMMITTEE
Jonathan Moore (Chairman)
Rose Benjamin
Robert Banbury
Jack Bisset
Chris Burn
Raidel Chao-Batlle
Paul Gillott
Chris Glynne
Lorna Graham
Nick Grote
Joanne Izatt
Marcus Kirby
Savio Luis
Marcus Lynch
Mark Maguire
Bob Marchant
Nick Martin
Laurie Pate
Andy Psarianos
Alan Rainford
Pamela Raftery
Debbie Read
Christopher Reed
Jamie Rose
Mark Tamsett
The Condé Nast Publications
PPA executive
The Economist
Polestar Group
Agfa-Gevaert
The National Magazine Company
Reed Business Information
IPC Media
Incisive Media
Du Pont
The Condé Nast Publications
Pre-press consultant
Savvis
Adobe Systems
TAG
Colour Therapy
Quark Systems
Kodak Graphic Communications
Group R&D
FE Burman
News Magazines
St Ives Web Division
Emap
William Reed Publishing
Colour Systems
Emap
PRODUCTION & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
Doreen Loughrey (co-chairman)
Andrew Watley (co-chairman)
Rose Benjamin
Alice Beattie
Hamish Dickie
Louise Flockhart
Paul Gillott
Catherine Harding-Wiltshire
Jennifer Jeffrey
Sarah Jenson
Chris King
Michael Mann
Richard Mason
Jonathan Moore
Debbie Read
Christopher Reed
Jasper Scott
Mal Skelton
2
CMP Information
Progressive Media Markets
PPA executive
The National Magazine Company
Riviera Maritime Media
Hachette Filipacchi UK
Reed Business Information
BMJ Publishing Group
Redwood
The Condé Nast Publications
Haymarket Group
The Economist Group
Future Publishing
The Condé Nast Publications
Emap
William Reed Publishing
IPC Media
BBC Magazines
Creating a pass4press PDF
Follow the guidelines in this brochure to ensure you create a PDF that conforms to the PDF/X standard.
There are five key steps in the workflow that need to be addressed
01
CONTENT
PREPARATION
Prepare all incoming material for the page. Make sure
your commissioning policy is clear and concise. Check
that your computers are set up for colour and fonts
PIC4PRESS V3
02
DOCUMENT
CREATION
Check all your print specifications: size, colour and
resolutions appropriate to the printing process. Take
time setting up your documents and templates
PAGES 04-05 >
PREFLIGHT
Take advantage of the powerful tools inside the latest
applications to preview your files and check for issues
such as overprints, colour shifts and transparency
PAGE 06 >
PDF CREATION
Use the guidelines in this brochure or the presets
available at www.pass4press.com to configure your
applications to output pass4press-compliant PDFs
PAGES 07-10 >
FLIGHTCHECK
Run all your PDFs through a flightcheck system to
guarantee that they are ready to print. Make sure your
proofing system is appropriate and accurate
PAGE 11 >
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
International standards are helping improve consistency
and accuracy. New versions of PDF/X will bring more
creative opportunities – but challenges as well
03
C MYK
C MYK
C MYK
C MYK
04
05
PAGES 12-19 >
Document preparation
Spending time planning and preparing your pages and the content to go on them will pay dividends, saving
time and reducing expensive corrections further down the production line
Introduction
It’s vitally important to properly prepare
your documents and their contents to
ensure that the final PDF has the best
chance of being correctly output. These
pages list the main issues to watch out for
when using the major imaging and desktop
publishing applications. First of all, ensure
your applications are correctly configured
for handling colour – you will then be
able to take advantage of in-application
soft-proofing features and gain a more
accurate view of how your pages will print.
This involves choosing the correct input (ie,
RGB) and output (ie, CMYK) colour spaces.
The CMYK profile you choose will depend
on the combination of printing conditions
and paper types. Communication between
agency, publisher and printer is key. The
screen grabs in this brochure contain
ISO Coated V2 300% as the output profile
purely as an example: this profile is
relevant for glossier papers that conform
to Paper Types 1 and 2 and FOGRA 39
characterisation data under the ISO 12647
standard. For off-white papers or different
printing conditions, specific profiles will be
required. Make sure you use the correct
CMYK profile for your job. See pages 12-15
for more information.
QuarkXPress 7.0 In QuarkXPress 7
colour management is always on. You can
create colour output setups that describe
the colours that can be reproduced by a
particular output device and determines
how colours are handled in various output
scenarios. Specifically, an Output setup
determines the output mode (composite
or separations), the output colour space
(such as RGB, CMYK, Composite CMYK, or
Spot) and an output profile. QuarkXPress
7 uses these output setups to tune colours
for display simulation (proofing) and
output. To create a colour output setup go
to Edit>Colour Setups>Output.
Adobe Creative Suite 3 set up your
colour management using Edit>Colour
Settings in any CS3 application, then use
Adobe Bridge to synchronise it across all
the Suite’s packages (Edit>Creative Suite
Colour Settings).
Digital image specifications
The pic4press Version 3 brochure outlines
the issues associated with digital images,
and contains best practice guidelines for
their preparation and supply. Here is a list
of the main issues to be aware of.
4
Resolution and size Colour or
greyscale continuous-tone images should
be saved at 300dpi and bitmaps at 2400dpi,
at a proportional print size relevant to
its final size on a page. Images too low
resolution for their final use will have to be
resupplied to prevent quality loss.
Proofs A CMYK proof from ripped
data should be supplied with digital
images using the proof4press and RIP
Standardisation guidelines (see pages
12-15), from an appropriate device and
utilising a recognised certification strip.
Format Ideally files should be saved
Files originated in Adobe Illustrator
or Macromedia Freehand should have
all fonts embedded or outlined. Their
colour space should be set to CMYK and
in Illustrator all transparent elements
must be flattened. In Illustrator use
Edit>Transparency Flattener Presets set as
per the example screen grab opposite –
note that some publications may require
lower values. This flattener setting will
be accessible in InDesign CS3 as well.
Freehand ‘fakes’ its vector transparency
effects by calculating overlapping
colours, so does not need to have its files
flattened. Any bitmaps contained within a
vector file should be embedded to avoid
problems with missing links, otherwise
when it comes to output the images’ lowresolution thumbnails will be used. In
Illustrator the rasterisation must be set
in Effects>Document Raster Effect Settings
set to CMYK and 300dpi. Freehand uses
the native resolution of placed images and
relies on their resolution being of sufficient
quality, so does not need to be configured.
as TIFFs, but JPEG compression can be
used as a transmission format to speed
up delivery times by reducing the file
size – see note below. It is recommended
that RAW files from digital cameras or
Adobe Photoshop .PSD files are not used,
as these working formats can produce
unexpected results if not properly handled.
Compression File sizes can be reduced
by using lossy or loss-less formats.
Lossy formats, such as JPEG, throw pixel
information away to reduce file sizes and
rely on algorithms to rebuild the discarded
data when decompressing (ie, opening) the
file (see Glossary entry, p18). Loss-less
formats such as Stuffit or Zip archives look
for repeating code in a file, remove it and
then tag that area so it can replace that
part when the file is decompressed. The
file therefore contains all the information
from the original.
Adobe Photoshop 7 and above allow you
to apply LZW, Zip and JPEG compression
within the TIFF format whilst retaining the
.TIF file extension: only use the former two
loss-less methods to avoid accidental lossy
compression. If you wish to specifically use
JPEG compression, it is better to use the
overt .JPG format instead.
Colour spaces Files can be in
DeviceGrey, DeviceCMYK, DeviceN or
Separation colour spaces, but must
only include cyan, magenta, yellow and
black separations. Any objects in Device
RGB, Calibrated RGB or LAB must be
converted before being imported into a
layout application. DeviceCMYK should be
in an appropriate CMYK colour space (see
the pic4press Version 3 brochure, pages
14-17, for an explanation of profiles).
Total Area Coverage Combined colour
values of the four process colours should
not exceed 310 per cent. Note that some
publishers may require a lower or higher
figure depending on the substrate used.
Vector illustration software
Bitmaps placed in ostensibly vector-based
documents must be treated the same
way as placed images in QuarkXPress or
Adobe InDesign: they must be at 300dpi
at their final printed size, so care must
be taken when resizing the resulting file.
You can also output pass4press Version 8
compatible PDFs directly from Illustrator
CS3. Downloadable settings are available
from www.pass4press.com.
Page layout applications
01: Page Size
Your document size must be the same as
your required final trimmed dimensions.
In your Page Setup, create a custom paper
size which is the size of your document
plus 20mm to allow for registration marks
to be added on the PDF. In this brochure
a standard A4 page size is used as an
example: make sure you enter dimensions
relevant to your publication.
02: Colours
Delete any non-CMYK Process colours.
• Creating an example Output Setup under
QuarkXPress 7 Colour Setups options
QuarkXPress 7 Select Edit> Colours
to display all colours used. Use the popup box to isolate non-Process colours –
convert these to CMYK.
Adobe InDesign CS3 Select
Window>Swatches. Colour spaces are
shown as a small icon on the right. Use
this in conjunction with the Ink Manager
in the Print dialogue to convert Spots
to CMYK and to check for RGB colours.
Note that if colour management is turned
on in InDesign, all elements imported in
the document which are pof a different
colour space than the output destination
space may be transformed into the final
document’s working colour space when
printed or exported directly to PDF.
All content should be prepared to the
destination CMYK space and flattened
before being placed on page.
03: Fonts
• Adobe CS3 Colour Settings synchronised using
Adobe Bridge
Check that all the fonts are installed.
Delete any instances of fonts that are
present in the document but not being
used. Check with your supply chain before
using TrueType or OpenType font formats
to ensure they will output correctly.
QuarkXPress 7 Select Utilities>Usage...
and select the Fonts pane. Make sure no
fonts are using any pseudo text effects
such as bolds or italics – only use styles
present in the original typeface family.
Click the More Information box to display
format and location information.
Adobe InDesign CS3 Select Type>
Find Font. This palette shows which font
formats are in use and displays a warning
triangle next to any problem fonts.
04: Placed Images
• Transparency Flattening in Illustrator CS3 – use
the same settings for InDesign CS3
• Use the Info
palette in InDesign
to check the
effective resolution
of placed images
Check resolutions and colour spaces; try
to carry out any major resizing in Adobe
Photoshop rather than in your page layout
application as this adds to potential output
problems. Remember that digital images
will proportionally increase or decrease
in effective resolution if made smaller or
enlarged on a page. For example, a placed
300dpi image reduced by 50 per cent will
have an effective resolution of 600dpi; the
same image enlarged to double its size
would effectively be 150dpi. This does not
apply to pure vector artwork.
QuarkXPress 7 Verify your images in
Utilities>Usage in the Pictures pane. Click
More Information for details such as
colour space and original resolution.
Adobe InDesign CS3 Choose
Window>Links. Modified or missing links
display warning icons next to the relevant
image. To display image data in InDesign
(colour space, resolution etc), select the
image and go to Window>Info. This palette
displays the position, the format (ie, TIFF),
the actual and effective ppi – the resolution
of the original image and the resolution at
its current placed size – the colour space
and any ICC profile information.
05: Transparency Flattenning
Adobe InDesign CS3 InDesign’s
creative effects, such as drop shadows and
transparency, rely on effective flattening
of the file before output, otherwise the
final output will often encounter problems.
Work with text and graphics on separate
layers and set Edit>Transparency Flattener
Presets in the same manner as for
Illustrator on page 4. Set Edit>Transparency
Flattener Blend Space to CMYK.
QuarkXPress 7 automatically flattens
objects that incorporate transparency
relationships. For objects that must be
rasterised, the resolution can be specified
in the output dialogues (Print, PDF etc).
Whilst we have suggested some specific
settings to use, it is always worth checking
the final PDF to make sure that the results
are satisfactory. In some cases you may
need to increase the resolution values.
Proofing and file delivery
All PDFs sent should be given a relevant
name that includes basic information,
such as title, publication name and issue
date, ie: title_pubname_jan05.pdf. The
file name should be no more than 27
characters and should not include any
non-standard characters, eg: \:/*®©.
A file naming convention cannot be
implemented without consultation with
your supply chain. An email confirming the
transmission of any digital file should be
sent to the relevant production contact at
the destination. Recordable media must
be write-protected and contain only the
files relevant to the job. Disks must be
clearly labelled with a booking reference
supplied by the publisher. Proofs should
be produced in accordance with the
proof4press guidelines (see pages 12-15).
It is important to flightcheck PDFs before
transmission, either using standalone
software or a server solution (see page 11).
5
Preflighting documents
Before printing or creating a PDF, you must perform a quality check on the document to verify fonts, colour and print
settings. Preflight is the industry-standard term for this process
Preflight checks in Adobe InDesign CS3
The preflight utility in Adobe InDesign CS3 (File>Preflight) checks
fonts, image links, colour and print settings. The utility ignores
pasteboard items, though fonts applied to text on the pasteboard
are included in the summary.
Use the Summary panel in the Preflight dialogue box to see an
overview of a document’s state. An alert icon indicates possible
problem areas. The Summary panel also displays the page
number of any transparent object in a document.
To show information for all layers, select Show Data for Hidden
Layers on the Summary panel. To list only missing or out-ofdate fonts, links and RGB graphics, select Show Problems Only
on either the Fonts panel or the Links and Images panel. Click
Report to save the current information on each of the preflight
sections in a text file, which you can open in a text editor for
review.
Watch out for external plug-ins, especially if you are passing
InDesign documents on – a missing custom plug-in can often
cause problems.
Preflight checks in QuarkXPress 7
QuarkXPress 7 includes a completely new feature called Quark
Job Jackets. Based on the JDF specification, Quark Job Jackets
are essentially a set of digital guidelines for designers, which
ensure that files are created in accordance with the capabilities of
the particular output device (or type of output) for which they are
intended. Job Jackets contain a detailed description of a print job,
including:
• Layout specifications such as page size and count
• Output specifications such as image colour
space and resolution, trapping settings and PDF/X
compliance
• Other resources such as colour definitions and
colour management settings
For example a publisher could create a Job Jackets file
containing all of their ad specifications including page size and
production requirements. A designer can then use this file to
automatically generate a QuarkXPress layout that adheres to
those specifications straight away. They can then evaluate the
layout at any point in time during to ensure the specifications are
still being adhered to. One of the most powerful features of Job
Jackets is the ability to define custom evaluation rules. These
can include standard preflighting conditions such as overset text
or missing fonts as well as specific design conditions such as
the scaling percentage applied to pictures. What differentiates
this from traditional preflighting is that the evaluation takes
place throughout the creative process, rather than at the end
when the PDF is generated. For more information on Job Jackets
and to download some sample files visit euro.quark.com/en/
resourcecentre/jobjackets.
6
• Adobe InDesign CS3’s Preflight function: accessible via File>Preflight
Configuring applications
Once you’ve created your document you’re ready to output the final PDF. The following pages show the recommended
settings for InDesign, XPress and Distiller. Read below an introduction to the settings
Creating presets in Adobe Creative Suite 3
Adobe CS3 products share PDF export settings, but
individually-named settings files must be used for InDesign
CS3, Distiller 8 and Illustrator CS3 because of the difference
in the way the applications handle colour management and
PDF exports, amongst other issues. For example, follow the
naming conventions listed here: pass4press_v8_indesign and
pass4press_v8_distiller respectively. The relevant one must be
used – using the Distiller settings in InDesign or vice versa can
cause serious problems.
Colour management must be enabled to export a PDF/X1-a from
Adobe InDesign CS3. However, this will convert all colour data
to the specified CMYK profile, which may result in unexpected
colour shifts if you have not properly prepared your images. Print
a PostScript file if you are unsure – settings are available at www.
pass4press.com.
Note that only the Acrobat 8 Professional contains a version of
Distiller that can create PDF/X-compliant files. The Standard and
Elements versions are not able to create PDF/X files.
Exporting PDFs versus printing PostScript
You can use either method from InDesign or Illustrator to create
a valid PDF/X file, though there are minor differences due to the
process involved. Exporting a PDF directly typically means more
predictable flattening; printing a PostScript file will result in
smaller file sizes because of the way images are referenced.
QuarkXPress 7: additional notes
With previous versions of QuarkXPress the suggested method
for generating a PDF in conjunction with Adobe Acrobat was to
use the Print option and create a PostScript file which could
then be distilled. However in QuarkXPress 7 the recommended
route is to use the Export Layout as PDF option, but to specify
in your preferences that you want to create a PostScript
Soft proofs
Use the features built into XPress, InDesign and Acrobat to
preview how your page will look on press
The accuracy of the preview will rely on the inherent accuracy
your monitor can achieve, how well and how recently it has been
calibrated and the application being correctly configured – see
pages 8 and 9 of pic4press version 3 for more information.
QuarkXPress 7 has a new soft proofing feature. You can specify
which Output Setup to use to preview a layout: View > Proof Output.
You can choose from a variety of default output setups such as
Composite CMYK and Convert to Process, but you can also create
your own custom setups by going to Edit>Colour Setups>Output –
see page 4 for more details.
file for later Distilling. To do this open up your preferences
(QuarkXPress>Preferences), select the PDF option from the list on
the left and check the Create PostScript File for later Distilling
option. Once you have done this click the OK button to confirm the
setting. To create the PostScript file go to File > Export > Layout as
PDF… Set up Distiller with the settings on page 10 (or download
the presets from www.pass4press.com). You can also use these
settings to output PostScript files created in any older versions of
InDesign or XPress.
Preset settings for creating pass4press PDFs
Preconfigured settings files replicating the guidelines in this
brochure are available at www.pass4press.com. The settings
should always be double-checked and publication-specific
information such as page sizes and colour profiles entered. There
are also downloadable PDFs of this brochure, the pic4press
version 3 booklet and settings for additional applications not
included in this brochure, such as Adobe InDesign CS3 Print To
PostScript and Adobe Illustrator CS3 Export PDF.
Loading presets
Adobe InDesign CS3
File>Adobe PDF Presets>Define>Load
Presets can then be chosen from the pop-up menu when
Export>Format: Adobe PDF is selected.
QuarkXPress 7
Output Styles>Import
Styles are then available for selection under the Export menu
Adobe Distiller 8
Settings>Add Adobe PDF Settings>Open
Once loaded, Job Options files can then be selected from the
pop-up menu at the top of the main Distiller window. Distiller
remembers the last-used setting as a default, so ensure the
correct options file is selected.
Adobe InDesign CS3 Choose View>Proof Setup to select which
profile to use – you can choose from the profile embedded in the
document or the application’s defaults. These may be the same
if you originated the document. Check the View>Proof Colours
option to dynamically turn on or soft proofing. You can also use
the Output options under the Window menu to open additional
palettes with advanced proofing tools. Use Separations Preview
to check separations (either by colour plate or by ink limit) and
Flattener Preview to highlight areas that may cause problems
when flattened.
Adobe Acrobat 8 Acrobat has powerful soft proofing functions
for viewing PDFs. Use Advanced>Output Preview to preview the
PDF using a specified profile. You can also check for TAC problems
(see Glossary, page 19) and colour warnings, plus check individual
separations using the Ink Manager. Use Advanced>Overprint
Preview to show how overprints may affect the print result.
7
InDesign CS3 export PDF
Recommended settings for creating a PDF/X directly from Adobe InDesign CS3.
This example was created on Mac OS X 10.4.10 using InDesign 5.0.1.
Check your Transparency Flattener
1
Preset is correctly configured (via
the Edit menu) – this will be selected in the
Select File>Export, then in Format
2
choose Adobe PDF. Name the file,
select the folder where you want to save it
In General select the single page to
3
print. Set the Compatibility to Acrobat
4 (PDF 1.3) and deselect all of the listed
The Compression tab sets the
4
options for how the PDF will handle
resolutions for placed colour, greyscale and
The Printer’s Marks should be
5
enabled as below. Set the Weight to
0.25pt, the Offset set at 3mm and the Bleed
Use the Destination and Output
6
Intent Profile Name relevant to the
publication. ISO Coated V2 300 is used here
Ensure there are only process inks
7
and no Spot colours. Converting
colours to CMYK at the PDF creation stage
Select the Transparency Flattener
8
previously created. OPI should be
disabled. Here is also where you can opt to
Make sure all the options in Security
9
are disabled. Summary lists all the
settings that will be applied: it can be saved
Advanced tab (step 6)
monochrome images
can give unpredictable results
8
and click Save
to 3mm all round
create a JDF file (see page 16)
Options and Include checkboxes
as an example only
as a text file for reference
QuarkXPress 7 Export PostScript
Recommended settings for exporting a PDF/X from QuarkXPress 7, by creating a PostScript file for later distilling.
This example was created on Mac OS X 10.4.10 using QuarkXPress 7.3.
Open QuarkXPress>Preferences
1
and choose the PDF tab: change the
setting to Create PostScript File For Later
Choose File>Export>Layout As
2
PDF. Choose a location to save the .PS
file. In PDF Style choose a relevant preset
Metadata can be entered as
3
required. Hyperlinks must be
disabled. Use the Compression options to
In Colour make sure there are only
4
the four process colour plates, with no
RGB or spot colour separations, and set the
Set all fonts to download using
5
the Select All button, unless there
are specifically fonts in the document not
In Marks set the Mode to Centred,
6
with a Width of 0.25pt (or 0.088mm), a
Length of 5mm and an Offset of 5mm
The Bleed should be Symmetric at
7
3mm distance. Using Clip At Bleed
Edge means matter outside the bleed isn’t
Make sure all relevant Layers are
8
enabled. Click on a layer to see in the
lower part of the window which colour plates
Set the Transparency options as
9
below. OPI must be disabled. JDF
information can be included. Summary
Distilling
Mode to Composite
included in the PDF, reducing its size
click Options and enter the details as shown
relevant to the specific page you are creating
are used on it
set how placed images will be handled
shows all the settings used for the PDF
9
Distiller 8 create PDF/X
Creating a PDF/X in Adobe Distiller 8 from a PostScript file.
This example was created on Mac OS X 10.4.10 using Distiller 8.1.0.
In Settings select Edit Adobe PDF
1
Settings.... In General check the
settings as below, change the Default Page
Set image Compression and
2
Sampling as shown. The settings will
reduce very high resolutions down, but will
The Policy button on the Images
3
tab allows you to set rules for how
to treat image resolutions of images in the
Fonts must be embedded to ensure
3
correct rendering. Subsetting
fonts means only characters used in the
All colour issues should be dealt
4
with in the original document.
Converting colours at the PDF creation
The Advanced settings are based
5
on Ghent Workgroup’s European
recommendations. You can also choose to
Output Intent must reflect the
6
printing space. Trapped must not be
left to Leave Undefined. See Glossary (page
Drag and drop a PostScript file
8
onto the main Distiller window – the
file will be distilled and saved to the same
Size to your publication’s plus 20mm
document are saved
19) for details on Output Intent and Trapping
10
not prevent the placement of low-res images
phase can lead to unpredictable results
location as the original PostScript file
PostScript file
create a JDF file here (page 17)
Flightchecking PDFs
It’s imperative that PDFs are verified before being passed on, to ensure they conform to the required printing specification.
It’s the final opportunity to ensure everything is correct, and will save you potentially expensive delays on press
There are many large server-based preflight systems
available in the marketplace, all capable of processing
anything from individual PDFs to entire catalogues. Evaluate
and choose the software that is right for your needs.
Adobe Acrobat 8 tools
The Print Production Toolbar (Advanced>Print Production) in
Acrobat 8 Professional contains powerful tools for checking
and correcting PDF files. Note that it is normally best practice
to correct errors on the original document rather than at the
PDF stage
01 03 05 07 09 11
02 04 06 08 10
01 Trap Presets allows you to create and apply trap settings
for later execution by a PostScript 3 RIP that licenses Adobe In-RIP
Trapping.
02 Output Preview combines separation preview, soft proofing,
colour warnings, the full Ink Manager and more in one dialog box.
03 Preflight Allows you to perform more than 400 predefined
checks for all the common output errors that can come with a
designer’s file. Preflight also checks files for PDF/X compliance,
password protection of preflight profiles, PostScript level compatibility,
and more. The Preflight tool can be set to correct all fixable errors
(depending on the profile used), but you are advised to use the report
to identify the errors correct the native original document.
04 Convert Colors converts RGB, CMYK, and Greyscale color
spaces to a target color space. Convert Colors also allows you to
embed PDFs with ICC profiles.
05 Ink Manager modifies the way inks are treated while the
current PDF is open.
06 Add Printer Marks adds standard printer marks to a PDF
page for positioning. These marks are embedded in the PDF.
07 Crop Pages allows you to define the Crop, Trim, Bleed, Art
and Media boxes on a page. The elements are important for proper
page positioning and placement of printer marks, especially for
imposition.
08 Fix Hairlines Identifies hairlines.
09 Transparency Flattening provides flattener presets to
control the amount of rasterisation that occurs during print output
or export to certain file formats, such as EPS. You can save these
settings as a preset for future use. This
tool also includes a preview for viewing
transparent objects and the effects your
settings will have on those objects.
10 PDF Optimizer provides many
settings for inspecting, analysing, and
repairing documents.
11 JDF Job Definitions allows
you to create custom job definitions. The
JDF file may also include information
necessary for the creation of PDFs,
including PDF conversion settings and
preflight profiles.
Pass4press conformity requirements
The following are required in order for a PDF file to be considered
a valid pass4press version 8 file. This list details the main issues,
but is not exhaustive. Ready-made settings for the major preflight
applications are already available on the Ghent Workgroup site,
www.gwg.org – navigate to the Magazine Ads specification page.
FLIGHTCHECK PREREQUISITES
The following are required in order for a PDF file to be considered a
valid pass4press version 8 file:
• A PDF file shall be compliant to the ISO PDF/X-1a:2001
standard as defined by ISO 15930-1.
• A PDF file shall not be created with the Adobe PDFWriter
product.
• A PDF file must either have no crop box defined or have a crop
box set to the same size as the Media Box.
• A PDF must contain a valid Trim Box.
• No object in a PDF file shall be transparent.
• A PDF file shall not use Multiple Master fonts or Multiple
Master instances.
• Embedded composite fonts which are not sub-set shall not be
used in a PDF file.
• A PDF file shall not contain white text set to overprint.
• 16-bit images shall not be used in PDF files.
• PDF files shall not use layers.
• A PDF file shall not contain annotations that are set to print.
• The number of pages in a PDF file shall be exactly one.
• Total area of coverage (TAC) of elements on a page should not
exceed 310 per cent.
• Resolution of colour and greyscale images shall not be below
150 dpi.
• Resolution of 1-bit images (either regular images or image
masks) shall not be below 550 dpi.
• 1-bit images shall not use JBIG compression.
• Images shall not use JPEG2000 compression.
FLIGHTCHECK WARNINGS
The following are not recommended in PDF files and should
generate a warning in preflight:
• A PDF file should not contain objects that are completely off
the page (as defined by the MediaBox).
• A PDF file should not contain custom UCR functions for
objects in any colour space.
• A PDF file should not contain custom BG functions for objects
in any colour space.
• A PDF file should not use black text smaller than 12 points
that is set to knockout.
• A PDF file should not contain text that is smaller than 5 points
or text that is smaller than 9 points and coloured
with more then 2 colour separations.
• Resolution of colour and greyscale images should not be
above 450 dpi.
• Resolution of 1-bit images (either regular images or image
masks) should not be above 3600 dpi.
11
Moving forward with PDF/X
The PDF/X standard is now well-established across the publishing industry. Pass4press currently
recommends PDF/X-1a, but there are other PDF/X formats also in use and under development
What is PDF/X and Why Is It Important?
PDF/X is a subset of the Portable Document Format (PDF)
specification that is specifically designed for print submission. It is
not just a file format but also an application standard as it defines
how applications creating and reading PDF/X files should behave.
PDF/X restricts the content in a PDF document that does not
directly serve the purpose of high-quality print production output,
such as annotations, Java Actions, and embedded multimedia.
By optimizing the PDF just for print purposes there are likely to
be fewer errors. To further reduce errors, a PDF/X file can have
embedded fonts and graphics with all elements encoded as either
CMYK or Spot. It is also designed to overcome various overprint
and trapping issues.
How PDF/X works
FILE
FORMAT
+
OUTPUT
INTENT
=
requirements of PDF/X-3) and all of the tools designed to read
PDF/X-3 are also able to read PDF/X-1a files. A major distinction
between the two is that a PDF/X 3 file can also contain non-CMYK
colour-managed data.
Why pass4press recommends PDF/X-1a
The pass4press committee recognizes that the existing PDF/X1a standard has significant value that will not decrease for a
considerable time. Currently and for the foreseeable future the
PDF/X-1a standard has the most momentum and acceptance.
The utilisation of PDF/X-1a is another important step in our goal
to have files and workflows within the industry that reduce errors
and cost and ultimately speeds up the process. We will continually
monitor emerging standards and implement them as soon as it
makes sense for everyone concerned.
Future PDF/X Standards
PDF/X
The output intent identifies the press condition the file is prepared
for, such as type of press and the inks and paper that will be used.
If you send PDF/X-1a compliant files, you should never again have
to worry about being asked to supply missing fonts or images.
You should never again have to be concerned about an image
being converted from RGB to CMYK without seeing the results.
Decisions about whether or not the printer should trap your file
will be based on reliable information. And finally, the printer will
know if the file was prepared properly for the press it is going to
print on.
PDF/X Types
There are currently two main types of PDF/X in use: PDF/X-1a
and PDF/X-3. Each PDF/X type contains its own set of restrictions
as to what is or is not acceptable in a PDF. The PDF/X-3 standard
is a superset of PDF/X-1a (a PDF/X-1a file meets all of the
The new additions to ISO 15930 of PDF/X4 and PDF/X5 are about
to be released. These file formats will require more sophisticated
and up-to-date equipment to be processed as the referenced
version of PDF is 1.6 as opposed to 1.4. Although there will be
many advantages in adopting these specifications it will be some
time before these file formats will be capable of being processed
without issues, as they will likely require equipment updates
for PDF-reading applications such as RIPs. This is likely to take
some time to implement, so in the interim it is advisable not to
create files to these newer standards. We continue to recommend
using PDF 1.3 because these files cannot contain any of the
transparency or layer data that require specialist processing.
PDF/X4 and PDF/X5 will introduce the following new features:
• Transparency
• Layers
• Embedding OpenType fonts
• 16-bit images
• External links to fonts, ICC profiles
and XObjects
The Five Flavours of PDF/X
Reference: PDF/X-1a
Description:
Features:
PDF/X-2
PDF/X-3
PDF/X-4
PDF/X-5
Based on PDF 1.3
Superset of PDF/X-3
Superset of PDF/X-1a
Based on PDF 1.6
• CMYK-only blind
exchange
• RGB prohibited
• Can contain spot
colours, grey, deviceN,
patterns
• No live transparency
• Fonts embedded
• Open exchange
• OPI-like workflow:
allows for linked or
external files; proxy
images for ‘thin’ PDF
• Allows colour
managed data
• ICC-profiled RGB,
CalRGB, LAB files
• Like PDF/ X-1a no
restriction on image
resolution
• In development
• Will allow layers and
transparency
• OpenType font
embedding
• Use of 16-bit images
• External links to
profiles
Proofing and profiles
Specifying an appropriate proofing system is crucial to managing expectations in the supply chain. Clear and concise
guidelines coupled with the effective use of ICC profiles will help you maintain consistency and accuracy
proof4press recommendations
The raison d’être for creating a proof in the magazine industry is to
gain an early view of the predicted final printed result, so you can
either confirm that your page will print as expected or at least be
warned of potential problems. Proofs help manage expectations:
therefore without consistency, accuracy and relevance to the final
product a proof is effectively worthless. Although the hardware
accreditation process has been suspended, proof4press continues
as a set of best practice guidelines: an outline of issues to be
aware of to help when choosing your proofing system.
When selecting a proofing system – or specifying specifications
for the proofs you will accept – lots of things must be taken into
consideration: the paper stock you use; the device you print on;
the measurement equipment you use to verify the printed result
and the lighting of the environment in which you view it – and then
of course it must all bear a relation to the printed product. On top
of the technical aspect is the quality threshold you are aiming for:
a publication that utilises a glossy bright substrate for proofs but
printed on an uncoated paper will always set expectation levels
unrealistically high. The only way to tackle proofing is to take a
holistic approach. For the actual proofing device, there are three
main points to address:
1: Choose Proofing Device
The first step is to choose the specific proofing output device.
The manufacturer and model should be chosen according to your
quality expectations, but we would recommend using a system
that has gained accreditation through an international body. Both
FOGRA in Germany and UGRA in Switzerland offer these services,
and the majority of major proofing vendors put their models
through one or other process. In the UK, BPIF are considering the
provision of a certification process.
2: Choose colour space/profile
This must be based on your publication’s paper type and printing
conditions, and agreed only after liaison with repro and printing
partners. See the Profiles section on this page and the Paper
Types section on page 15 for further details.
3: Agree tolerances
The tolerances of ISO standards relating to print (see page 14) are
far too high for use in proofing – for example, the FOGRA Media
Wedge spreadsheet dictates a maximum Delta E value of 10 on
a single patch and an average of 4 across all measured patches.
They are at that level because they represent what is achievable
on a large press, rather than a desktop proofer. For proofing,
FOGRA have introduced an additional set of criteria that checks
against the reduced tolerance values specified for proofing by
ISO. These tolerance values will still be too large for high quality
work. Bringing these to more acceptable values for proofing will
require proof providers and receivers to locally agree acceptable
tolerances by discussion and negotiation, set in relation to the
quality threshold required. Extensive testing will likely be required
to find the optimal numbers for acceptable maximum and average
Delta E values. Any locally agreed values should also fall within
the appropriate ISO and FOGRA tolerances. See Devices and
Tolerances on page 15.
Other printing conditions and paper types
Gravure printing is increasing in popularity, with UK sites now
open. Because of its specific nature there are not currently
standards to represent general conditions: always liaise with the
print suppliers to agree specification and profiles. Although not
currently part of the ISO standards, an SC paper profile is also
available from ECI as part of their Web Offset profiles package.
Soft proofing
In areas where quality is less critical, soft proofing systems are
being used as viable alternatives to hard copy proofing. There
are many systems on the market, but they do face challenges in
regard to monitoring and maintaining consistency across remote
users, and particularly with inter-operability between different
vendors’ systems. However, large companies such as Time Inc in
the USA and News International in the UK are successfully using
soft proofing for receipt of advertising. It is still relatively early
days for this technology, but there is a lot of innovation and effort
being put in by companies working on solutions. In the UK, the
Digital Ad Lab in conjunction with the Ghent Workgroup have an
initiative that is monitoring the soft proofing industry and working
to effect consistent, metadata-based links between systems.
Profiles
Maintaining accurate colour throughout your workflow relies
on effective colour management, and therefore the correct use
of profiles. When dealing with the commonly used paper types
in the UK which conform to ISO paper types 1-3 (see page 15),
pass4press version 8 recommends using the FOGRA 39L and 28L
characterisation data and the ECI-produced profiles (ISO Coated
V2 300 ECI and ISO Web Coated respectively). Adobe Creative
Suite 3 contains a profile called Coated FOGRA39L – this has
been created from the same characterisation data as the ECI
profile, but has a higher TAC of 330%. This may be too high for
some jobs, so check with your supply chain before utilising it. The
equivalent FOGRA media wedges should be used for verification
purposes, with appropriate tolerances. This data was measured
from printed sheets produced under controlled conditions, and
experience has shown that the data is typical of press conditions.
By using real press data as aim-points for colour proofing, colour
is easier to match on press than using proofs made to values
established from pre-press proofing systems. This results in
less compromise on the press when trying to achieve a colour
match. A characterisation data set contains CMYK (or RGB)
combination values of test target patches, together with their
measured CIE colour (CIE Lab and XYZ) values. For proofing,
the most commonly used test targets are known as ECI2002,
which originated in Europe, and IT8.7/4 (from ISO12642), which
contains all the patches in ECI2002 plus extra patches that meet
flexo requirements. This is the data that is used to produce ICC
colour profiles using specialise software packages. It is important
to note that according to the ISO release the new FOGRA 39L
characterisation data is a direct replacement for FOGRA 27. All
workflows utilising FOGRA 27 should be upgraded to FOGRA
39L. Which specific ICC profiles you use for a colour conversion
depends on the job, but the destination output device must always
be taken into consideration. See the pic4press Version 3 brochure
for more details on profiles and their usage.
13
Process Control
There are several areas where things can go wrong when handling PDF files – test suites such as the
Ghent Output Suite are designed to test these specific issues
The standardisation of devices that render PDF files has improved
significantly in the last few years. Much of this can be attributed
to the widespread use of the PDF/X standards – PDF/X has clearly
defined the proper behaviour of PDF processing applications.
The wide distribution of various RIP standardisation test forms
means that the tools are now readily available for testing ripping
and proofing workflows and for manufacturers of equipment to
test their products. This has meant that in the last few years most
products being released comply with the RIP specifications as
defined by PDF/X.
not reflect normal production files and the results may in some
cases appear extreme. They have been carefully constructed
to allow effects that are normally subtle to be seen clearly and
unambiguously and this should be taken into account when
evaluating the results of any tests based on these patches. On
a technical note, all patches conform to either the PDF/X-1a or
PDF/X-3 ISO standard; they
do not always conform to
the Ghent PDF Workgroup
specifications.
Ghent Output Suite
It is likely that this suite will be
updated, new patches will be
added and existing patches
revised. For this reason the
documentation for each
individual patch is distributed
along with the patch. It is
advised to check regularly
for updates to the suite on
the Ghent PDF Workgroup
website at www.gwg.org.
The suite is distributed as a series of PDF patches. Each patch is
numbered and contains several related tests. The patches can be
used on their own but the intention of the suite is that the patches
are grouped together (as PDF files would normally be grouped
together within a workflow). The reason for this is that it is likely
that some problems will only appear when certain patches are
processed together. It is also likely that application settings and
RIP settings can have a significant effect on the results. All the
issues tested by these patches are real world issues that can be
found in a production environment; however, these patches do
• Example of Ghent Output Suite
test original and result
ISO standards
The adoption of ISO standards presents a plethora of organisations qualified to
provide help and services to both reach and maintain these standards
Due to the increasing requirement for pre-media preparation to
be universally acceptable for inclusion in multiple publications
worldwide, many countries are adopting ISO standards as the
method of achieving consistent print quality. The UK was not
the only country to focus on tackling the proofing issue via an
often controversial accreditation procedure. Similar schemes
to proof4press were is use in Australia (3DAP) and France
(SICOGIF). Although all schemes were slightly different, they all
had the same goal of improving on current certification tolerances
and adding a visual checking procedure which was carried out by
a committee subgroup. Digital proofing technology has improved
markedly, and the relevance of the visual check has become less
significant with the latest generation of proofing systems. This of
course means that switching to a professional proofer certification
organisation is now a real possibility.
INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION
ORGANISATIONS
SWOP, UGRA and FOGRA are probably the two most widely
known organisations to offer proofer certification, so were the
main candidates when deciding on a suitable alternative to the
proof4press process. Both organisations contributed to the detail
contained in ISO 12647-7, covering “off press proofing from
digital data”, with specific references to Delta E tolerances, etc.
While not identical to the proof4press accreditation process, the
14
significance of FOGRA’s certification is already recognised by all
parties and indeed most of the proof4press approved devices are
already FOGRA certified for a number of printing conditions.
FOGRA CERTIFICATION
FOGRA (Graphic Technology Research Association) is based in
Germany. The ICC profiles recommended by the PPA are produced
from real printing data established by FOGRA at a number of
printing locations. The FOGRA data also forms the basis for
colour revisions that are made to ISO standards publications.
The most recent example of this is the FOGRA39L data set that
provided revised colour overprint values. The FOGRA certification
encompasses elaborate measurement and test procedures
according to stringent criteria. Tests are carried out in the
following categories for each proofer/ink/media/RIP combination:
• Colour reproduction of the Fogra Media Wedge to
ISO 12647-2 and ISO 12647-7 tolerances
• Colour Drift (fading over time)
• Repeatability/Consistency
• Tint Uniformity
• Reproducibility
• Substrate Gloss
For more information please visit www.fogra.org.
Devices & Tolerances
The importance of standardising on devices cannot be understated: ostensibly tight tolerances can be undermined by
using mixed measuring systems in a workflow; mixing proofing media can give very different visual results
Colour tolerances are usually expressed in terms of Delta E,
where a value of 1 is described as just visually noticeable. The
suspended PPA accreditation required proofs to be maintained
within an average tolerance of Delta E of 2 across the measured
patches, in tandem with visual referencing. This was considered
practical for implementation as long the proofing materials and
the instrumentation didn’t change. Absolute values of colour were
not reliable as there are observable differences between proofs
made to the same measured values. The reasons for this include
differences in optical brightener additives in proofing stocks
and paper stocks, differences in spectral properties between
the proofed reference colour patches (metamerism) and interinstrument disagreement. Measurements need to be made with
white or self-backing behind the sheets and whether a UV filter is
included whilst taking the readings has to be taken into account.
Spectrophotometers measure the spectral output of a colour
in nanometers. This data is then converted into a variety of
coordinates (Lab LCH XYZ for example) to give an understandable
number to a specific colour. In taking and converting the data,
certain parameters need to be taken into account which will
affect the numerical data given to a specific colour. The two
main ones are the light source and the observer angle. It is
common (but not exclusive) to use D50 and 45 degrees. However
other combinations are possible all of which will give different
numerical data for the same colour. When it comes to reading
press sheets a spectrophotometer may be used, but the results
will then be converted into density values from the spectral
data. Like spectros, densitometers can vary from manufacturer
to manufacturer as well as having different filters – such as a
polarising filter, narrow- or wide-band, etc. Each setting will
change the numerical data. The whole scenario becomes very
confusing unless all the parameters are clearly stipulated before
taking readings and sharing information.
The move to international standards brings huge benefits but also
highlights the differences between proofing devices. For instance,
using two proofing systems both calibrated to the same tolerance
of a given colour space will produce results which match on the
numbers but have noticeable visual differences. This is apparent
on certain kinds of images – particularly level zero greys. But the
important thing to remember is that they are both achievable on
press. The message is to stick to one combination of proofing and
measuring devices per publication if possible.
Paper types and profiles
Before commencing the production of any magazine it is crucial that the paper
to be printed on is considered
At present the ISO 12647-2 print standard groups papers into four
categories: paper types 1 and 2; 3; 4; and 5 (see table). For each
ISO paper type a characterisation data set has been produced by
FOGRA which describes the results obtainable from that paper
when printed to ISO 12647-2 standards. The characterisation data
can be obtained from www.fogra.org. The ECI (European Colour
Initiative) has used these FOGRA characterisation data sets to
produce ICC profiles, which have become an industry standard.
A suite containing the profiles is available at www.eci.org/eci/en/.
Classifying papers into manageable categories is an ongoing task
as many papers do not fit well into one of the existing paper types.
For example, FOGRA have produced a characterisation dataset
for SC (super-calendered) paper for offset, FOGRA40L, and ECI
have produced the associated colour profile, but SC paper is not
included in the ISO 12647-2 paper types. The SC paper profile
is built with a lower TAC at 270%, and allows for the higher TVI
(dot gain) levels associated with this type of paper stock. There
are initiatives from industry bodies (under the ICC/ISO TC130
banner) to enlarge and refine the categories of papers. In paper
manufacturing, the increasing use of Optical Brightener Additives
(OBAs) is another challenge for the printing industry. OBAs help
overcome the increasing amounts of varying re-cycled material.
Unfortunately the fluorescent tubes used in all D50 viewing booths
have an energy spike at the same point of the UV spectrum that
activate OBAs. So depending on the amount of OBAs, proofs or
print may not match each other as expected, either visually or by
instrument, as colour measuring instruments do not use these
fluorescent tubes. There are international groups looking at how
this situation maybe improved.
Paper Types
ECI Profile
ISO Paper Types 1 and 2
gloss- and matte-coated
FOGRA39L
ISOcoated_v2_300_eci.icc
ISO Paper Type 3
gloss-coated web (LWC)
FOGRA28L
ISOwebcoated.icc
ISO Paper Type 4
uncoated white
FOGRA29L
ISOuncoated.icc
ISO Paper type 5
uncoated slightly yellowish
FOGRA30L
ISOuncoatedyellowish.icc
SC Paper
Super-calendered
FOGRA40L
SC_paper_eci.icc
(Identical to ISO_V2_eci.icc except
for a reduced TAC value)
Metadata at work
Metadata is becoming increasingly important, as most modern workflows are driven by descriptive text embedded in files
using metadata schemas such as JDF
Metadata standards
Metadata is text that can embedded within a digital file, and
can be either descriptive or relevant to an automated workflow
application. There are a number of different schemas (ie, field
mappings) in use, most of which overlap to some extent. One of
the first schemas to be adopted internationally was IPTC.
The International Press and Telecommunications Council
was established in 1965 to promote technical methods for
exchanging information. Over the last decade, the standard
IPTC captioning fields have become the de facto way used
to provide consistent descriptive information for the news
industry, with the IPTC maintaining a list of field definitions
covering headlines, bylines and copyright information.
XMP
The Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) has been developed by
Adobe as an advanced way of embedding metadata in files. XMP
builds upon the basic IPTC fields but also allows more complex
descriptions to be recorded, taking advantage of other metadata
systems. Many files have metadata already embedded: for
example, a digital camera will attach EXIF information such as
height, width, camera model and the date and time taken to an
image, and this will be picked up automatically in XMP. This can
be viewed by going to File>File Info in Adobe Photoshop. From
this dialogue box, further information can be added, such as a
description of the image, any keywords used to search for the file
and copyright notices. This data will travel with the file wherever it
goes, and can be used to search for or sort the file later. For more
information go to www.iptc.org and www.adobe.com/products/xmp.
JDF
Job Definition Format (JDF) is the print industry’s most highly
anticipated standard since Portable Document Format (PDF).
JDF is a metadata-style system, which uses an XML-format
(Extensible Markup Language) job ticket to link and refer files
to multiple production devices. Using JDF, one can describe the
intent of a printed piece, as well as each process step required to
achieve that intent. Think of it as a smart, self-directed electronic
job bag that holds not only the job content, but also instructions
to interact with other JDF-enabled devices, automatically routing
the job through each workflow step – from creation to final print
production – yielding greater automation, speed, cost efficiency,
and ease-of-use. The JDF file can contain PDF job options for PDF
creation and an Acrobat preflight profile – against which added
files will be checked on submission. JDF was initiated by Adobe,
Agfa, Heidelberg and MAN Roland in 1999 but has been handed
over to the open standards body CIP4. Initially JDF focussed on
sheet-fed offset and digital print workflow, but it has grown to
include many other printing styles, and is also finding its way back
up the creative chain.
You can currently create JDF-compliant files simply by checking
a box during the PDF creation process: either within Adobe
InDesign CS3 when exporting a PDF (see page X, Step X) or when
distilling a PostScript file using Adobe Distiller 7 Professional
(see page X, step X). You can use Acrobat 7 to edit the job ticket,
as per the example above. Check with your pre-press suppliers
and printers to see how JDF might benefit your company. For
16
• Example of the JDF Job Definition form in Adobe Acrobat Professional 8
(Advanced>Print Production>JDF Job Definitions)
more information, visit these sites: www.adobe.com/products/jdf or
www.cip4.org.
Ghent Workgroup update
The Ghent Workgroup Job Ticketing committee works on a
variety of projects related to job tickets using XML and XMP
technology. As a first focus point the GWG are proceeding with
the implementation of an Ad Ticket and are also looking towards
the future where implementations of JDF will become more
important. As other groups are also active in this area, the
GWG also try to keep a close contact with developments within
organizations such as CIP4 and AdsML.
Ghent PDF Workgroup Ad Ticket
The GWG Job Ticketing subcommittee has worked on a standard
way to include advertisement metadata into a PDF file. This work
has been done in collaboration with AdsML and its Ad Ticket subgroup. The first official version of this standard is named GWG_
v1_AD. The specification can be downloaded from www.gwg.org.
Soft Proofing
The GWG is working on a job ticket to be contained within a PDF
file which will help with the inter-operability of soft proofing
solutions. The ticket will pass on information about the file and
its approval status as well as under what conditions the file
was viewed and whether or not the device it was viewed on was
properly calibrated.
Preflight
The GWG is working on a job ticket to be contained within a PDF
file which will contain information about the preflight status of the
file. This is likely to contain information about the specification the
file has been checked to and its conformance to that specification.
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pic4press update
The third version of PPA’s digital image guidelines for photographers and picture commissioners
was released in May 2007, providing rich detail on supplying and handling digital images
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The BAPLA/pic4press panel was created to encourage consistent
use of metadata by image providers and users. With Orphan
Works legislation under discussion and publishers looking to
automate workflows, the provision of consistent information in
image files is becoming a requirement. This is recognised in the
industry and the BAPLA/pic4press Panel has played an important
part in raising awareness of the issues and in promoting
consistency over the last year.
The aim has been to work alongside the IPTC to use already
defined and existing fields. The IPTC published a White Paper in
May 2007 (www.iptc.org/photometadata/) which proposes a number
of new fields . BAPLA is represented on the Photometadata
Working Group and is working with pic4press and other
organisations across Europe to ensure that the new schema
reflects the needs of the image supply and publishing industries.
Additions to the IPTC Core are expected to be incorporated
into Adobe Creative Suite 4 when it is launched in 2008, and an
updated version of the BAPLA/pic4press Panel will be released to
reflect these changes.
Low-resolution placeholder images have come under the
spotlight too. Pic4press and BAPLA are calling for the use of
metadata in low-resolution and images targeted for web use can
be identified and tracked.
pic4press/BAPLA initiative
Pic4press and BAPLA have identified a set of key fields for the
transaction between image supplier and publisher. The aim is to
standardise the way fields are used, to protect copyright and other
critical information, and to enable publishers to use metadata
more effectively. We have created a panel for use in Photoshop 8
and newer which allows people to view the recommended fields
in one place, and encourages them to work in a standard way.
The panel is currently at version 2.1 as of November 2007 – it will
continue to evolve to keep pace with industry changes.
The recommended fields
The fields map directly from the Origin and Description panels,
and in most cases also from the IPTC panels. IPTC field definitions
have been used where possible, and we have given plain English
names to our fields for ease of use. Data entered will appear on
other Photoshop panels; conversely the BAPLA /pic4press panel
will display data entered in other panels. Use of the panel should
not be restrictive; you may need to use other fields as well. The
aim is to provide a simple user interface for basic information
which most suppliers and publishers need.
Downloading and installing the panel
The panel is a JavaScript for Photoshop. It is available for
download from the pass4press and BAPLA sites (www.bapla.
org) and easily loaded into Photoshop (versions 8 and up). The
table cross-references the fields used in the BAPLA/pic4press
panel to Photoshop and IPTC fields and also lists the relevant
IPTC description. To install the panel, select File>Scripts>Browse
in Photoshop. Check the Install Panel button and click Start to
automatically install the panel to the correct location. There’s also
a Remove Panel option accessible in the same file.
pic4press_v3_beta05
.indd 1
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• The BAPLA/pic4press XMP panel as it appears in Photoshop CS3
Section One: KEY FIELDS
Title Picture number or unique image reference. Can be
supplier’s filename, which will not be overwritten here by
publishers’ workflow systems.
Description Caption or descriptive information about the
image.
Credit Credit line as it should appear in use.
Section Two: PUBLISHING INFORMATION (Client use)
Headline Publisher’s text reference or story name.
Job Reference Supply number or publisher’s job reference.
Section Two: LICENSING INFORMATION
Licensing Contact URL URL or other contact details for
licensor of the image.
Creator Creator of the original image.
Copyright Status Pop-up box with preset options:
• Copyrighted
• Unknown
• Public domain
A © symbol appears in the filename of the image’s title bar when
‘copyrighted’ is selected. Copyright symbols should not be used in
filenames.
Date Created The date the image was created (not the
scanning date).
Copyright Notice Description of ownership or copyright.
Instructions List of usage rights and restrictions, model
release terms, permissions required, etc.
With thanks to Sarah Saunders and
Graeme Cookson of Electric Lane.
For more information on metadata and
its use contact: [email protected]
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Glossary of terms
A reference for common terms used in the pass4press Version 8 brochure and across the print production workflow
Bleed Any image that extends beyond the trim
edge of the page.
CMYK An abbreviation for cyan, magenta,
yellow and Key (black): the four colours that
make up the subtractive CMYK colour space.
Also known as Process colours. Developed for
printing, which works with reflected light, each
colour is the opposite of its RGB equivalent in
the visible spectrum: cyan is opposed to red,
magenta to green, yellow to blue. CMY inks
control the amount of RGB light that is reflected
from white paper: black is added as the CMY
colours alone cannot create a solid black.
Colour bar A control strip printed on a press
sheet for visual and densitometric checking of
ink density and dot gain. It consists of small
blocks of colour, graded halftone tints and
overprints.
Colour management A process used to
ensure colour consistency across different input
and output devices so that printed results match
originals.
Compression The reduction in size of a
digital file, which can be lossy or loss-less.
Lossy formats (such as JPEG) permanently
discard data – when the file is expanded
the remaining data is used to rebuild the
missing data, which may produce a noticeable
quality drop with detailed content or if overcompressed.
Contrast The tonal gradations between
the highlights, middletones and shadows in an
image and also the relationship between the
lightest and the darkest areas of an image.
Crop marks Marks along the margins of an
page used to indicate the portion of the page to
be reproduced.
CTP Computer-to-plate: a system which
exposes plates directly from data supplied from
a computer file.
Delta E In the printing industry Delta E
denotes the tolerance of proofs in relation to
an ideal 100 per cent accuracy baseline. Delta
E is calculated by using a colour measuring
device such as a colorimeter to examine solid
reference patches printed on a proof alongside
the actual image.
Densitometer A reflection instrument
used to measure the density, dot gain and
consistency of colour throughout a printing run.
Density Refers to the quantity of ink laid
down on the paper.
Dot gain See TVI.
Downsampling The reduction in
resolution of an image to match a printing
device’s resolution, whilst retaining sizing and
positioning information.
DPI/PPI Dots per inch/pixels per inch.
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Measurements used to determine the resolution
of printing images and text. This is determined
from the original pixel dimensions.
EPS Encapsulated PostScript. The EPS file
format can contain both vector and bitmap
graphics and is widely supported by most
graphic applications. EPS files are often used
as an intermediate way of transferring graphic
elements from one application to another.
Font A set of consistent size, shape or style
of printer characters, including alphabetic
and numeric characters and other signs and
symbols.
Grain In paper, the machine direction in
papermaking along which the majority of fibres
are aligned.
Grey scale control In some print process
methods this is used to control the colour on the
press by monitoring amounts of CMY overprints
which produce a ‘neutral grey’.
Gutter margin
In binding, the blank space where two pages
meet; the inside margin at the binding edge;
also called Back Margin or Bind Margin.
Halftone screen A pattern of dots of
different sizes used to simulate a continuoustone image.
Hue (1) In colour, the main attribute of a
colour, which distinguishes it from other
colours. (2) The wavelength of light of a colour
in its purest state (without the addition of white
or black).
Out of Register (1) Descriptive of pages
on both sides of the sheet which do not back up
accurately. (2) Two or more colours not exactly
aligned when printed.
OPI Open Pre-press Interface. A system in
which low-resolution images are automatically
replaced with high-resolution images on
output. OPI comments are not acceptable within
pass4press compliant PDF files.
Output Intent The PDF/X standard
requires that all CYMK data be identified for
a target printing condition using an Output
Intent. For printing conditions included in the
ICC registry, this may be conveyed by a pointer
to the printing characterisation data (Output
Condition Identifier). For other conditions a
full output profile is required as the value of the
DestOutputProfile key. If you are not sure which
colour space you should use, talk to your printer
or publisher. In the absence of any information,
you could use one of ECI’s ISO profiles. See the
pic4press version 3 brochure or ECI’s website
for more information: www.eci.org.
Overprint The printing of one colour over
another without knocking out the colour
beneath, meaning colours merge.
PDF Adobe® Portable Document Format
is the open de facto standard for electronic
document distribution worldwide. Adobe PDF
is a universal file format that preserves all the
fonts, formatting, graphics, and colour of any
source document, regardless of the application
and platform used to create it.
ISO International Standards Organization.
Imposition The plan for the assembly of
PostScript A language defined by Adobe
Systems, Inc. for describing how to create an
image on a page. The description is independent
of the resolution of the device that will actually
create the image.
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group – the
international standards body that has defined
compression standards. A JPEG trades image
quality for file size. See pic4press Version 3 for
details (www.pass4press.com).
LPI Lines per inch. A measurement for the
Press dot gain The amount by which a
halftone dot increases between the printing
plate, blanket and printed sheets. This
occurs when ink is absorbed by paper and is
an inevitable part of the printing process –
therefore it must be compensated for when
scanning and be represented on the proof.
Margins The white space around the printed
Register marks Small guides used as a
guide for correct alignment.
Metamerism Phenomenon by which
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) The additive
pages in a press form so that they will be in the
right sequence after the printed sheet is folded.
number of lines per inch in the halftone grid.
matter on a page.
colour samples with different spectra appear
to match under a particular type of illuminant,
although under other illuminants they show a
colour mismatch (definition courtesy of www.
heidelberg.com/).
Middle tone The tonal range between
highlights and shadows of a halftone or
reproduction.
Opacity The property of paper which
minimizes show-through of the printed image
from the following sheet.
primary colours which are used in video
monitors, as opposed to the subtractive
primaries (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black),
which are used in four-colour printing.
RIP Raster Image Processor. A software
program or computer that interprets digital data
(for instance, PostScript) and determines what
value each individual pixel of a final output page
bitmap should have. The interpretation of vector
data into rasterised information.
Saturation A measure of the amount of
grey in a colour. The higher the grey content, the
lower the saturation.
Show through Printing that is visible from
the reverse of a sheet under normal lighting
conditions.
Soft Proof Refers to proofing from a
monitor. For colour accuracy the monitor or
screen must be calibrated and colour managed
(see page 6).
Solid An area completely covered with ink or
the use of 100 per cent of a given colour.
Spectrophotometer A device that
captures colours as spectral data, thereby
providing maximum accuracy in measuring and
specifying colours.
Spot colour Colour printed with customised
ink outside the four process colours of cyan,
magenta, yellow and black, such as metallics
or fluorescents. Spot colours are not currently
acceptable within PDF/Xs.
Stochastic Screening An alternative to
conventional screening that separates an image
into randomly-placed microdots rather than a
grid of geometrically aligned halftone cells.
TAC Total Area Coverage refers to the
maximum amount of ink – expressed in the
cumulative sum of dot percentages – of all
the colours being printed in one area. For
example, CMYK has a maximum of 400 per
cent ink – 100 per cent of each colour. In
Offset printing it is not desirable to print 400
per cent of ink in one area as this can cause
problems ranging from inconsistent results
to ink drying problems. The recommended
amount of TAC is dependant on many
variables including paper type and printing
process; pass4press recommends 310 per
cent maximum for the printing of magazines
on heatset web offset printing on good
quality coated paper, but stresses that in all
cases one should verify with the printer or
publisher for the recommended TAC.
TIFF Tagged Image File Format. The
traditional rasterised bitmap file format
for high-quality, print-usage image
files, photographic in nature, which can
theoretically be any resolution or colour
space. TIFFs are typically used in print at
300dpi at 100 per cent of their placed size.
TIFFs can lose quality if enlarged.
Tonal Value Increase (TVI) The
expression dot gain is being increasingly
replaced by the term Tonal Value Increase
or TVI. This is thought to represent a better
description of proofing systems that do not
create halftones – ie, most proofing systems.
TVI expresses the per cent increase in the
apparent darkness of an image in the midtone range during the production run. For
example, with a 15 per cent dot gain, a 55 per
cent halftone will increase to 70 percent. This
increase is compensated for in reproduction
by making the image lighter in separations
(definition courtesy of www.heidelberg.com/
wwwbinaries/bin/files/dotcom/en/glossary.pdf).
Transfer functions Instructions to
change the colour gradation of an image. They
have traditionally been used to compensate for
dot gain in output devices or for the creation of
special effects. Transfer functions are rarely
used today. The pass4press specification forbids
the use of transfer functions within PDF files.
It recommends that these effects are applied
during the creation of a PDF file.
Trap An area of overlapping ink where two
different colours of ink meet, used to prevent an
unwanted white edge between the colours.
Trapping The process used to provide
tolerance during the printing process to
compensate for slight mis-registration of the
process colours. Typically a lighter background
will be ‘choked’ into a darker foreground object
and a lighter foreground object will be ‘spread’
into the darker background. In both instances
the darker element retains its exact edge
position and the lighter object edge is enlarged
slightly to overlap. Black is always set to
overprint in order to not leave an area knocked
out of the background.
Trim marks Marks placed on original copy
to indicate trim size; also called corner marks.
UCR/GCR Under-Colour Removal/Grey
Component Replacement. UCR replaces the
grey component of only neutral colours with
an equivalent grey value from only the black
separation. GCR can be defined to replace the
grey component of a range of colours, which
may not be neutral, with an equivalent grey
value from only the black separation. The
original grey components would have comprised
roughly equal percentage values of cyan,
magenta and yellow. By using the equivalent
grey from just the black separation the overall
ink total (TAC) used can be reduced and
variability in colours can be reduced.
XML Extensible Markup Language is a
standard for creating markup languages which
describe the structure of data. It is not a fixed
set of elements like HTML, but rather it is
like SGML (Standard Generalised Markup
Language) in that it is a metalanguage – or a
language used for describing other languages.
XML is a formal specification of the World Wide
Web Consortium.
Common Problems
Here’s a list of typical problems that can result in the printed result not coming
out as expected – look out for these issues when creating or receiving PDFs
Digital images
• Placed image resolution too low
• Too much compression applied to
images (artefacts, quality loss)
Low-resolution images will look pixellated;
overly compressing images may give small
file sizes but will also introduce visible
artefacts into the image and degrade quality
Fonts
• Fonts not embedded
• Corrupt or malformed original font
Type will not reproduce properly if fonts are
not embedded; older fonts in particular can
sometimes fail when ripped
Document creation
• Incorrect page size information
• Insufficient offset of crop marks
• Incorrect trim or insufficient bleed
• Hairlines too thin
• Gradient resolution too low
• File contains a TAC above 310
Document size and correct placing of guides
is critical for correct output. The capabilities
of the press must be taken into account for
minimum line widths and smooth gradients.
Colour and transparency
• Contains non-CMYK elements (such as
RGB or spot colours)
• Wrong colour space assigned
• File contains transparent elements and
not to Acrobat 1.3 format
Content should be prepared for the correct
colour space before being placed in a page,
otherwise colour can dramatically shift if
automatically converted during the PDF
creation process.
Proof
• Proof not produced from the final PDF
• Proof colour space too wide
Proofs must be created from the file that is
to be printed and represent the final printing
conditions