| If you're asked to submit PDF files, that request should be accompanied by specifications for creating an appropriate PDF for the recipient's workflow. If you're told, "Uh, I don't know. Just make a PDF," the person on the other end of the phone may not be of any help. It's important to know that the P in PDF stands for portable, not for perfect. It's possible to make a bad PDF, so barring any specific guidance, it's good to know that InDesign provides reliable recipes for common circumstances: Smallest File Size is appropriate for PDFs that are to be e-mailed or posted online. This setting resamples raster images to 100 ppi, applies aggressive compression, and converts all images to RGB while retaining spot colors. This generates a file that is inappropriate for commercial printing and results in color shifts that may adversely alter the appearance of the PDF onscreen. The PDF is compatible with Acrobat 5.0transparency is not flattened. High Quality Print is meant for printing on a desktop printer. Images are downsampled to 300 ppi and compressed with the Maximum quality setting. RGB images are not converted to CMYK, but existing CMYK and spot-color content is maintained, and the PDF is compatible with Acrobat 5.0. Press Quality is similar to High Quality Print, but it uses InDesign's current color management settings to convert any RGB content to CMYK on the fly, while retaining any spot content. While this setting generates a healthy PDF, its compatibility with Acrobat 5.0 may cause some problems with older devices. It places you at the mercy of someone else's approach to transparency flattening. PDF/X-3:2002 is intended for use in a color-managed workflow. Color profiles are embedded in the PDF, and RGB content is not converted to CMYK. Don't use this setting unless specifically instructed to do so. These PDF files are compatible with Acrobat 4.0any transparency content is flattened in the process of generating the PDF. PDF/X-1a:2001 is your best choice when you're given no specifications for PDF file creation. Any RGB images are converted to CMYK during PDF generation, spot-color content is maintained, and the compatibility with Acrobat 4.0 will render the PDF well behaved on a wide variety of devices.
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