PDF Options

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.

  • PDF Options Group
    • PDF Type: Use the drop-down to specify which format the PDF should be generated in. These options are standard PDF, archive format PDF (PDFA-1b), graphics format PDF (PDF-X4 ) and variable data printing format PDF (PDF-VT).
    • 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.
    • 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 ignored for PDFA and PDF-X4 output, as fonts are always embedded in those 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.
      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.
  • Add Digital Signature Group: Check to enable the integration of a digital signature into the PDF.
    A digital signature identifies the person signing a document, similarly to a conventional handwritten signature. Unlike a handwritten signature, a digital signature is difficult to forge 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.
    • All Keystores:
      Here you can choose from existing digital signatures, or select new ones.
      • Name: The user-defined name of the keystore.
      • File: The file path and name to the keystore file.

      This is where you select keystore values.

      • New: Click to open the Key Store dialog to add a new keystore to the list.
      • Duplicate: Click to make a copy of the currently selected keystore.
      • Edit: Click to edit the currently selected keystore in the Key Store dialog.
      • Delete: Click to delete the currently selected keystore.
      • Move Up: Click to move the currently selected keystore up.
      • Move Down: Click to move the currently selected keystore down.
    • All Signatures: Displays a list of signatures to add to the PDF output.
      • Name: The user-defined name of the signature.
      • File: The file path and name to the signature file.
      • Alias: The user-defined alias for the signature.
      • New: Click to open the PDF Signature dialog to add a new signature to the list.
      • Duplicate: Click to make a copy of the currently selected signature.
      • Edit: Click to edit the currently selected signature in the PDF Signature dialog.
      • Delete: Click to delete the currently selected signature.
      • Move Up: Click to move the currently selected signature up.
      • Move Down: Click to move the currently selected signature down.
Advanced Print Wizard navigation options
  • Preview button: 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: Click to produce print output 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.