Standards

Public beta test of new GWG
preflight profiles for Display & Sign

In the Ghent Workgroup (GWG) we have recently developed a new specification for applications and preflight profiles for Display & Sign.

On the new landing page Display & Sign one can find the new specification and also beta versions of the preflight profiles for the Callas pdfToolbox and Enfocus PitStop Pro, which will be publicly tested in the next weeks. A whitepaper will follow later.

The preflight profiles require the latest versions of the two preflight tools, since calculations with variables are carried out in the profiles in order to consider the viewing distance and, if necessary, a scaling factor in the checks. There is no version for Acrobat Pro, because there are currently no variable calculations with JavaScript possible with the Adobe software.

These preflight profiles are the first standard profiles to take advantage of the new possibilities with variable calculations in the pdfToolbox and PitStop.

OpenType SVG fonts clarified
in PDF 2.0 (ISO 32000-2:2020)

In the past couple of weeks I have reported several times on problems for display and output of OpenType SVG fonts with Adobe InDesign CC2019:

Above: Display in Adobe Acrobat Pro
Middle: Display in Apple Preview
Below: Display in Callas pdfToolbox

Read more…OpenType SVG fonts clarified
in PDF 2.0 (ISO 32000-2:2020)

New web page for Compliancy
with Ghent PDF Output Suite 5

We have integrated the web page with the instructions for successfull output of the Ghent PDF Output Suite 5 into the web page on Ghent PDF Output Suite 5 Compliancy.

This allows a faster overview of the compliant products and the required settings for a successfull output.

These settings are not only valid for processing the PDFs of the Ghent PDF Output Suite but for all PDF/X-4 files in daily production!

Mako SDK supports PDF/X-4

Actino annouced that the version of the SDK, Mako 4.7, provides support for PDF/X-4 output, which complies with the PDF/X-4 standard (ISO 15930-7:2010). It is now possible to create PDF/X-4 files from any of the supported input formats: PDF, XPS, PCL/XL, PCL5 (or PostScript via PDFLib, included with Mako).

Mako’s developers worked hard to create the prerequisites for compliant PDF/X-4 output. These include font embedding, DeviceN color handling, color characterization and output readiness, optional content, trapping flag, and metadata. All this can be applied automatically, regardless of the input via the PDF/X-4 default, but OEMs like Actino Software can control the process as needed.

Harlequin RIP Version 12.1
with PDF Processing Steps

Global Graphics supports PDF Processing Steps (ISO 19593-1) in the latest version 12.1 of their Harlequin RIP. This is a new ISO standard designed for labels and packaging workflows, that specifies a standard way of encoding processing steps such as die and fold lines or dimensions into a PDF file. It provides an unambiguous way of marking the technical content that’s required in the finishing step of the production workflow but not intended to be printed.

The benefit to converters is that they can automate common digital press workflows, such as starting a print run with a few iterations of just the cut and fold lines for checking registration with dies and other finishing equipment. The main print run will then usually need all the processing steps turned off, so just the live graphics are shown and there’s no risk of cut lines being visible on the final print. A few more copies of just the technical separations may be printed at the end to detect if registration with cutters and converting equipment has drifted during the job.