Difference between PDF and PDF-X?

Conrad11 · 2 Sep 2009 at 22:42

Hi there,

When you go to print in OSX you have the option to save as PDF but what's the difference between PDF and PDF-X?

Thanks.

whitecrook · 2 Sep 2009 at 22:56

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF/X

Conrad11 · 2 Sep 2009 at 23:09

Sorry that didn't give much information.

Should I just save to PDF for maximum compatibility

whitecrook · 2 Sep 2009 at 23:22

Conrad11 said:
Sorry that didn't give much information.

Actually it gives a lot of very useful information.

Should I just save to PDF for maximum compatibility

Does your PDF have active content? What are you intending to do with your PDF?

in short use PDF if you don't know the difference.

Conrad11 · 2 Sep 2009 at 23:27

PDF is just for sending a word document in PDF format.

I had another read of the WIKI and from what I can see PDF-X would be fine but it doesn't outline anything about compatibility (what I was after.) Or they both backwards/sidewards compatible?

whitecrook · 2 Sep 2009 at 23:30

Conrad11 said:
PDF is just for sending a word document in PDF format.

I had another read of the WIKI and from what I can see PDF-X would be fine but it doesn't outline anything about compatibility (what I was after.) Or they both backwards/sidewards compatible?

First para :

The purpose of PDF/X is to facilitate graphics exchange, and it therefore has a series of printing related requirements, which do not apply to standard PDF files. For example, in PDF/X-1a all fonts need to be embedded and all images need to be CMYK or spot colors. PDF/X-2 and PDF/X-3 accept calibrated RGB and CIELAB colors, while retaining most of the other restrictions of PDF/X-1a.

That does not sound like the sort of requirement you need. So PDF (not PDF/X ) it is then. I thought macs were meant to be easy to use?

Compatibilty with what? it's a PDF is a PDF is a PDF. Have you been burned in the past?

Conrad11 · 2 Sep 2009 at 23:36

The thing that threw me off is that MACs create a thumbnail of the PDF if saved as PDF-X but not when saved as standard PDF.

The PDF I am sending is an application form with a few graphics in it and a photo.

Mundu · 3 Sep 2009 at 02:06

Conrad11 said:
The thing that threw me off is that MACs create a thumbnail of the PDF if saved as PDF-X but not when saved as standard PDF.

The PDF I am sending is an application form with a few graphics in it and a photo.

If it's not going into print don't worry. We use PDF X1a when creating files that are going into print.