PDF Options

This page appears as part of the Advanced Print Wizard and the Output Creation Preset Wizard.

The PDF Options page is shown only when a PDF Print output type is selected in the Print Options dialog. It is used to select PDF specific options.

Ideally, PDF should not be used for generating Mixplex output. You should instead use a print format that supports Duplex/Simplex switching. PDF is not suitable for this as it has no device control.

  • PDF Creation Group
    • Type: Use the drop-down list to specify what PDF format will be generated. The options are:
      • Standard PDF (PDF)
      • Archive format PDF (PDF/A-1b)
      • E-invoice format PDF (PDF/A-3b)
      • Graphics format PDF (PDF/X-4 )
      • Variable data printing format PDF (PDF/VT).
      PDF/A output created from a template that uses CMYK colors will be much bigger than PDF/A output created from a template that uses RGB colors, because PDF/A needs to contain a color profile and the CMYK color profile is rather big compared to a RGB color profile. If output size matters it is recommended to avoid using CMYK colors.
    • Font Creation selection: The choices are:
      • Simple fonts when possible (smallest size). This is the default option.
        This option uses Simple fonts in cases where the fonts do not use too many characters. It automatically switches to using composite fonts when the number of characters becomes too large to fit a Simple font. This allows omitting fonts that are considered "standard fonts" in the PDF reference, which helps reduce file size.
        The drawback to this option is that some PDF viewers do not support it properly, which can cause viewing issues with jobs using non-Latin1 encoded characters.
        A Simple font can be a Type1 font, a TrueType font or a Type3 font.
        One of the main characteristics of a Simple font is that its glyphs are selected using a single byte character code, limiting the number of glyphs to a maximum of 256.

        For more information on Simple fonts, see Abode's documentation regarding Portable Document Format files.

      • Always create CID fonts (best compatibility). This option always uses composite fonts (CID fonts), regardless of the number of glyphs in the font.
        CID fonts use 2 byte ids to select glyphs, so this option always leads to larger file sizes.
        The benefit of this option is that all the fonts get embedded in the output, making for the most portable of PDF outputs.
        Customers using Asian fonts should generally use the CID font option.
      Any pre Connect 2018.2 Output Presets will use the Simple Fonts default, unless updated in Connect 2018.2 or later.
    • Embed standard fonts: Click to embed the 14 standard system fonts within the PDF output. This increases the output filesize but makes the PDF output truly portable. Such PDFs print as displayed on screen, regardless of whether the 14 standard fonts are present on the target printing system or not.
      This box is automatically selected for all but standard PDF outputs, as fonts are always embedded in such output types.
    • Pass-through PDF resources: Click to have PDF resources used as-is, without any additional processing. This guarantees the fidelity of any PDF graphics used within the template will be retained in the output.

      This option is only available for standard PDF output.
      Connect tries to write content in the best way possible, depending on the chosen output format and optimization settings. Selecting PDF pass-through means the output will be less optimized, which typically produces somewhat larger files.
      Encrypted PDF files are not supported in PDF pass-through mode.
    • Keep attachments: Click to keep any PDF attachments, without any modification. This allows processing of PDF input files with attachments, producing either standard or digitally signed PDFs with attachments.

      This option is not available for PDF/A-1b output.

     

    Metadata
    Use this Tab to add optional Metadata to the PDF output.

    The fields that can be configured are the Title, Author, Description and Keywords. These metadata entries are those that are displayed in the Adobe Reader Document Properties dialog.

    The values for all the fields can be either static or dynamic (such as values obtained from data mapping) or a combination of both.
    • Title: Add the document name(s). If no entry is made, this defaults to the existing document name (${template.base}).
    • Author: Add the document author, if desired. This can be either a static or a dynamic value, or a combination thereof.
    • Description: Add an optional description about the document. A static value is most likely for this field, but it can contain dynamic value(s) as well.
    • Keywords: Optionally add any Keywords that might be beneficial to include. These can be either a static or dynamic values, or a combination thereof.
    • Keep PDF/A-3 extension schema checkbox (option only available for PDF/A-3b output): Click to retain any PDF/A-3 extension schema metadata, if the original PDF input file contained such.

     

    Initial View
    Use this Tab to select how the PDF output file is to be displayed upon initial viewing.

    The options provided are largely the same as those seen in Adobe Acrobat.
    • Magnification and Layout selection: 
      • Navigation Tab: Select what panels should open in the Reader application when viewing the PDF.
      • Page Layout: Select how many pages should be displayed upon PDF opening. The choices are:
        • Default = Single Page.
        • Single Page = Starts with a display sized to fit one entire page, and scrolling down thereafter displays only entire page(s).
        • Single Page Continuous = starts with a display of one page. Scrolling down thereafter scrolls onto the next page, with both the first and second page in display.
        • Display Pages in Two Columns, Left = the pages appear in two columns, with the odd-numbered pages on the left.
        • Display Pages in Two Columns, Right = the pages appear in two columns, with the odd-numbered pages on the right.
        • Two Pages, Odd Pages Left = display the pages side by side, with odd-numbered pages on the left .
        • Two Pages, Odd Pages Right = display the pages side by side, with odd-numbered pages on the right.
      • Page Magnification: Select the level of magnification. The choices are the same as those presented in Acrobat Viewer.
      • Open to Page: Select which page is to be the first of the pages to be displayed.
    • Window Options: Select which of the following application window options to apply:
      • Resize window to initial page: This has the application open to the same size as the initial page.
      • Centre Windows on screen: Centre the application on screen.
      • Open in full screen mode: Open the application in full screen mode.
    • User Interface Options: Chose which application interface options to hide, if any.
      Select from the following: Menu bar; Tool bars; Windows controls

     

    Digital Signature
    A digital signature identifies the person signing a document, similarly to a conventional handwritten signature.

    A digital signature is more difficult to forge than a handwritten signature as it contains encrypted information which is unique to the signer and which can be password protected and verifiable.
    PlanetPress Connect currently supports only a single Digital Signature per PDF output file.

    If the PDF has attachments, signing it requires a change in the print process via Workflow. The Workflow process is as follows:

    1. Use the PDF as an input in the Execute Data Mapping task and enable Bypass content creation.

    2. Feed the result of the Execute Data Mapping task to the Create Job task. Omit the Create Print Content task.

    3. Next up is the Create Output task which will then sign the PDF while preserving any attachments.

    • Digital signature: Check the box to enable the integration of a digital signature within the PDF


      The Digital signature table contains the Digital signature Keystore and associated Signature.
      The table has the following columns:

      • Name: The user-defined name of the Keystore\Signature.

      • Alias: The user-defined alias for the signature.

      The table allows the following options:

      • Add Keystore: opens the Keystore dialog for adding a Digital signature Keystore.
        Digital signatures require a Keystore, so initially only the Add Keystore option will be available.
      • Add Signature button only becomes active once a Keystore has been added. Selecting this option opens the PDF Signature dialog for adding a new PDF signature to the Keystore.
      • Edit: Click to edit the currently selected item. Either the Keystore or PDF Signature.
      • Delete: Click to delete the currently selected item. Deleting the Keystore will also delete the associated Signature.

     

    Optimize
    Use the options in this tab to optimize the PDF output.
    • Optimize Images selection: Select to enable optimization of images, with different settings available for Color Images, Grey Images and Monochrome Images.
      Each of the image types share the same basic options, with individual options tailored to the selected Image type also available.
      The options are:
      • Compression: Select what compression to use, if any.
        The default option is to Retain Existing settings, which disallows any further alteration of compression for this Image type.
      • Download Filter: This choice becomes available only when a Compression type other than Retain Existing is selected.
        Select which Download Filter to use, if one is to be used. The default is to not include one (Off).

        If a download Filter has been selected, then set the desired display resolution in Pixels Per Inch (PPI). Select the maximum resolution (the when Images PPI is above value), and what resolution is to be used if the selected maximum is exceeded (the set PPI to value).
    • Optimize for fast web view: Check this box to allow linearizing the PDF output. This allows readers of the PDF to start reading the PDF online before the entire PDF downloads.

     

    Security
    Use the options in this tab to set the PDF output security. The options mirror those available in Adobe Acrobat.
    • Open Document checkbox: Select this option to add password protection to the output PDF, which allows the document be opened only after entering the same Password as that selected here.
      To view the password entry in plain text, or to toggle back to masked view, click the Password button.
      • Password is dynamic checkbox. Select this if you wish to use a variable (such as a metadata field or a data file field) for the password.
        The datafile selection format is ${datafield}. For example, ${document.metadata.password}
    • Permissions: checkbox: Select this option to set optional Permissions. These include a choice of the following:
      • Allow Printing: select whether printing is to be disallowed (None), or whether to restrict to low quality printing only (Low Quality), or whether to allow full printing (High Quality).
      • Changing the document: whether the document itself is editable, with changes allowed.
      • Content copying: whether the contents of the document are allowed to be copy and pasted or not.
      • Annotations and comments: whether the document can be commented upon.
      • Document assembly: whether the Document assembly is available.
      • Form filling: whether PDF forms elements are allowed to be filled.
      • Screen readers (Accessibility):whether the PDF will be WCAG capable and allow screen readers to convert the text into spoken word.
      • Permission password:  Select a Password that allows the Permissions to be edited in the output document.
        To view the password entry in plain text, or to toggle back to masked view, click the Password button.
        • Password is dynamic checkbox. Select this if you wish to use a variable (such as a metadata field or a data file field) for the password.
          The datafile selection format is ${datafield}. For example, ${document.metadata.password}

     

Advanced Print Wizard and Output Creation Preset Wizard navigation options
  • Preview button (active in Advanced Print Wizard only): Click to launch a Proof Preview window, which displays how the printed output would look based upon the currently chosen selections.
  • Back and Next buttons: Used to navigate back and forth through all the selected options within the Wizard. Up until the Print button is pressed, one can reverse all the way through the wizard to return to the main selection page (the Print options page) and add or remove printing options from the print run.
  • Print button (Advanced Print Wizard only) or Finish button (Output Creation Preset Wizard only):
    Click to produce print output/finalize the Preset according to the current settings.
    This can be done at any point within the Wizard, whether or not all the options selected in the Print options page have been completed or not.
  • Cancel button: Cancels the Print Wizard, without creating any printout.