Portable Document Format PDF. What is PDF? Universal file format developed by Adobe Systems Incorporates fine detail and quality of print publications

Portable Document Format

PDF

What is PDF?

• Universal file format developed by Adobe

Systems

• Incorporates fine detail and quality of print

publications with the interactivity of electronic

publications

• PDFs are the electronic equivalent of your printed

documents

• Based on PostScript printing language

Benefits of PDF

• Versatile: works well in both electronic and print worlds

• Display consistently: PDF pages display the same on

any computer regardless of the system and platform

used to view the documents.

• Predictable Printing: PDFs print exactly as they

appear, with proper page breaks and margins.

• Preserves all fonts, formatting, colors and

graphics of any document regardless of the application

and platform used to create it.

Benefits of PDF

• Secure: PDF files can be secured to prevent undesired

changes or printing, or to limit access to confidential

documents.

• Efficient & Flexible: PDF files can be updated quickly

and easily

• Reduce printing costs

• Eliminate outdated materials

• Easily distributed (Free PDF readers)

What to publish in PDF format?

• Documents that need to be accessible across platforms

• PDFs allow recipients to open files even if they don’t have

the applications used to create it.

• Documents that need to exist in a printed format (Ex:

Forms-IRS, applications, registrations, etc.)

• Any document with complex layout that requires precise

formatting, fonts and high graphic quality.

• Documents that would not translate into html well

PDF vs. HTML

• HTML and PDF files formats are complementary

technologies

• HTML: for documents that are to be read online

• PDF: for documents to be printed after download

• LIKE HTML, PDFs use a type of tagging language

(postscript) to describe the formatting and layout of a

document.

• LIKE HTML, PDFs allow you to add hyperlinks from text,

graphics, button, etc.

• Interaction and navigation

PDF vs. (X)HTML

• UNLIKE HTML, PDFs hold true to any advanced

formatting

• UNLIKE HTML, PDFs support high resolution graphics

• The high-resolution graphics display at a coarser resolution

on screen, but they reproduce faithfully when printed.

• UNLIKE HTML, PDFs have larger file sizes

How to create a PDF

• Based on PostScript Printing Language

• Programming language developed by Adobe Systems

• PostScript describes the formatting and layout of a page

• The position and appearance of all text, fonts, and graphics on

a page

• When you print a document to a postscript printer, the

postscript printer drivers (ppd) read the layout of your

document and translate it into postscript code.

• You can create a postscript file directly from the print dialog

box of most software applications

How to create a PDF

• List of PDF software:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PDF_software

• PDF Readers

• Foxit Reader 2.2: http://www.foxitsoftware.com/

• Skim (Mac OS X): http://skim-app.sourceforge.net/

• PDF Writers

• Primo PDF: http://www.primopdf.com/

• Real PDF Series software includes Real PDF Writer, Real PDF Generator, Real

PDF Printer, Real PDF Creator, and Real PDF Converter.

http://www.realpdf.com/index.html

• CutePDF Writer: http://www.cutepdf.com/

• PDF Studio: http://www.qoppa.com/psindex.html

• Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat

• Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Distiller

• Allows you to work with, create, read, print, modify PDF files

• Acrobat (Parts & Pieces)

• Adobe Reader

• Adobe Acrobat Standard / Professional / 3D version

• Acrobat Distiller

• Allows you to convert any postscript file to a PDF

• PDF Export

• All Adobe applications come with a PDF export plug-in and distiller

• Adobe PDF Maker

• Allows you to create a PDF from within Microsoft Office Applications

• This option can be added to the Microsoft Office application when Acrobat is installed.

• Print to PDF (Using Distiller)

• Allows you to use an applications print command to create an Abobe PDF directly from

within common authoring applications

Predefined Adobe PDF settings

• High Quality: Creates Adobe PDF documents for quality printing on desktop

printers and proofers. This preset downsamples color and grayscale image to

300ppi and monochrome image to 1200ppi. High Quality PDF documents can be

opened with Acrobat and Adobe Reader 5.0 and later.

• Oversized Pages: Creates PDFs suitable for viewing and printing of

engineering drawings larger than 200X200 in. Can be opened in Acrobat and Acrobat

Reader 7.0 and later.

• Press Quality: Creates PDF documents best suited for high-quality print

production (for digital printing or for color separations to an imagesetter or

platesetter). Maintains all information in a PDF file that a commercial printer or

print service provider requires to print the document correctly. Converts colors

to CMYK, downsamples color and grayscale images to 300ppi and monochrome

images to 1200ppi, embeds subsets of all fonts and preserves transparency. High

Quality PDF documents can be opened with Acrobat and Adobe Reader 5.0 and later.


• Standard: Use these settings to create Adobe PDF documents suitable for

reliable viewing and printing of business documents. Creates PDF files to be

printed to desktop printers or digital copiers, published on a CD, or sent to a

client as a publishing proof. Uses compression and downsampling to keep the file

size down, embeds subset of all allowed fonts, coverts colors to RGB, and prints

to a medium resolution. Created PDF documents can be opened with Acrobat and Adobe

Reader 6.0 and later.

• Smallest File Size: Creates PDF files for displaying on the web or an

intranet, or for distribution through an email system. This preset uses

compression, downsampling, and a relatively low image resolution. It converts all

colors to RGB, and optimizes files for byte serving. Created PDF documents can be

opened with Acrobat and Adobe Reader 6.0 and later.

• Rich Content PDF: Creates accessible PDF files that include tags,

hypertext links, bookmarks, interactive elements, and layers. Created PDF

documents can be opened with Acrobat and Adobe Reader 7.0 and later. Note: This preset was

called eBook in earlier versions of some applications.


• PDF/A-1b: 2005 (CMYK and RGB): Use these settings to create

Adobe PDF documents that are to be checked or must conform to

PDF/A-1b, an ISO standard for the long-term preservation (archival) of

electronic documents.

• PDF/X-1a (2001 and 2003): Use these settings to create Adobe

PDF documents that are to be checked or must conform to PDF/X-

1a:2001, an ISO standard for graphic content exchange.

• PDF/X-4 (2007): This preset includes support for live transparency.

It has the same color-management and International Color Consortium

(ICC) color specifications as PDF/X-3. You can create PDF/X-4-compliant

files directly with Creative Suite 3 applications (Illustrator, InDesign and

Photoshop).

Let’s see how this works…