Adobe InDesign CS3 - Manual (Page 485)

INDESIGN CS3
User Guide
478
Adobe PDF options
Adobe PDF option categories
You can set PDF options when you export to PDF or when you create or edit PDF presets. Adobe PDF options are
divided into categories. The categories are listed on the left side of the Export Adobe PDF dialog box, with the
exception of the Standard and Compatibility options, which are at the top of the dialog box. When you’re exporting
to PDF, changing any of the options causes “modified” to appear at the end of the preset name.
Standard Specifies a PDF/X format for the file.
Compatibility Specifies a PDF version for the file.
General Specifies basic file options.
Compression Specifies if artwork should be compressed and downsampled, and if so, which method and settings to use.
Marks and Bleeds Specifies printer’s marks and the bleed and slug areas. Although the options are the same as in the
Print dialog box, the calculations are subtly different because a PDF is not output to a known page size.
Output Controls how colors and PDF/X output intent profiles are saved in the PDF file.
Advanced Controls how fonts, OPI specifications, transparency flattening, and JDF instructions are saved in the
PDF file.
Security Adds security to the PDF file. Security options are not available when you create or edit a PDF preset.
Summary Displays a summary of the current PDF settings. You can click the arrow next to a category (for example,
General) to view individual settings. To save the summary as an ASCII text file, click Save Summary. A warning
icon
appears with explanatory text if a setting in the selected preset cannot be honored and must be remapped.
For example, if a preset specifies source profiles that don’t match the current color settings file, then the profiles
specified by the color settings file will be used.
About PDF/X standards
PDF/X standards are defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). PDF/X standards apply
to graphic content exchange. During PDF conversion, the file that is being processed is checked against the specified
standard. If the PDF will not meet the selected ISO standard, a message appears, asking you to choose between
canceling the conversion or going ahead with the creation of a non-compliant file. The most widely used standards
for a print publishing workflow are several PDF/X formats: PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, and (in 2007) PDF/X-4.
Note: For more information on PDF/X, see the ISO website and the Adobe website .
PDF compatibility levels
When you create PDFs, you need to decide which PDF version to use. You can change the PDF version by switching
to a different preset or choosing a compatibility option when you save as PDF or edit a PDF preset.
Generally speaking, unless there’s a specific need for backward compatibility, you should use the most recent version
(in this case version 1.7). The latest version will include all the newest features and functionality. However, if you’re
creating documents that will be distributed widely, consider choosing Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4) or Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5)
to ensure that all users can view and print the document.
The following table compares some of the functionality in PDFs created using the different compatibility settings.