Creating PDFX1A in Distiller 7.0

[Maj170123@adobeforums.com]

I am told by my publisher that I need to create a PDFX1A to be compliant with their standards. I have Acrobat Standard 7.0 w/ Distiller 7.0. I don't have the option in Distiller to do this. I have seen screen shots of 6.0 and it has an option to do that, but I don't have one in the drop down menu in 7.0. I also read an article that says it is an optional part of the install. This is on a mac, there are no options when you install.

Is that only available in Professional? Are there plugins I have to install? Are there seperate files I need to download?

There is very little info out there that I can find on this. Any info would help.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

The prepress stuff in Acrobat is mostly confined to Professional.

Aandi Inston

[Maj170123@adobeforums.com]

Does anyone else know for sure? Or anyone that uses this function know what to do?

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

I think it is very likely. Acrobat Standard is aimed at the typical
office user with limited needs. PDF/X-1a is not much needed in the
typical office!

In fact, there will be no Acrobat Standard 8 for Macintosh.

Anyway, to do more tests: Look in Distiller 7.

1. The Default settings have 10 entries to choose from. One of these
is PDF/X-1:2001.

2. Choose Edit > Adobe PDF Settings.
There are six tabs: General, images, fonts, color, advanced,
standards. Under standards a pulldown "Compliance standards". Unde
that,PDF/X-1a (Acrobat 5.0. compatible).

If you don't see any of these things, I think you can be pretty sure.

Aandi Inston

[Maj170123@adobeforums.com]

All of those tabs are there except for the standards one. I think it's safe to say that you are right and that this is not available in the Standard edition.

Thanks for the info.

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

It is only a Professional feature.

There are other tools which can make it PDF/X-1a - but they either cost
the same or more than an upgrade ....

Callas PDF Inspektor
Acrobast 7 Professional
Enfocus Pitstop
Apago PDFX checkup

Jon

[Maj170123@adobeforums.com]

Ok, I got the Professional Version and that takes care of that problem. That option is now there. Thanks for the help...

Other problem now.... How do I save a file from Quark 6.5 into a .ps file to run through the distiller? Is there supposed to be a distiller driver?

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

You print to the "Adobe PDF" driver.

Aandi Inston

[Maj170123@adobeforums.com]

Ok, when I do that, it makes a pdf. When i try to distill that, it says that it cannot distill pdf's. How do I make it a .ps and not a pdf? I'm new to all this so I have no clue on any of this.

[Steve_Werner@adobeforums.com]

Using Adobe PDF driver uses Distiller, but in the background. It gives you access to the very same settings files as in Distiller—including PDF/X—as if you first made a PostScript file, then used Distiller. One step instead of two.

[Maj170123@adobeforums.com]

So is the PDFX1a standard going to show up there? That is the whole goal of this. The overall scope is the create files in quark and have the end result be a pdfx1a. I saw on other sites to create a .ps file from quark and run it through the distiller. So your telling me i can do that directly from Quark... Instead of making a ps file I can make a pdfx1a directly from quark?

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

>So is the PDFX1a standard going to show up there?

It's your choice.

When you select the Adobe PDF printer, the "PDF options" setting lets
you choose which Distiller options to use.


Aandi Inston