PDF Editor

PDF files tend to be visualized differently in various applications. The reason is that not all print-related constructs in a PDF file are interpreted correctly by every available PDF viewer or some preferences are not set correctly for the prepress environment. The PDF Editor provides the following functions for this application:

• Accurate visualization of files for print output without additional configuration effort
• Displaying single pages of a multi-page print file
• Displaying complex print data in a faster way
• Displaying print data of any size – even pages larger than 5080 mm
• Option to zoom up to the smallest units – up to 8000%
• Option to hide and show color spaces, page objects, layers, page boxes as well as the individual spot colors and process colors
• Displaying contents of selected page box
• Displaying the images used in the print data
• Displaying all objects in outline view

If errors are visible in the print which were not detected beforehand, there is the need to analyze the print files to find the error source. This use case can be addressed by the following functions of the PDF Editor:

• How many pages does the document have?
• Where are transparencies, overprinting objects, white overprinting objects and Form XObjects located?
• Which color spaces are used in the print file?
• Which spot colors are used in the print file?
• Which color values are used in a DeviceN color?
• Which page objects are used in the print file?
• How many images are used on the current page?
• Which color space, compression and resolution do the embedded images have?
• Are there layers included in the print file and what is the state of these layers?
• Which objects are on which layer?
• Which objects are outside the TrimBox?
• Are there annotations – annotations, comments, etc. – in the print file?
• Where are annotations in the file located?
• Display of object frames to see how complex the PDF file is.
• Are there referenced Form XObjects?
• What is the visible size (TrimBox) or the production size (BleedBox)?
• What size have the individual Page Boxes – TrimBox, BleedBox, etc.?
• Is the print file masked or are there transparent objects in the PDF file?
• Where are cropped or masked images or graphics located?
• Technical parameters of a single page.
• Technical parameters for selected page objects.
• Technical parameters for the entire object stack.
• Technical parameters for all objects in the PDF file.

PDF files sometimes need to be edited in small details for the right outcome at the printer. The PDF Editor provides the following functionalities:

• Select, delete, rotate, duplicate and mirror pages and change page order
• Extract pages from the print file
• Scale or distort pages proportionally to any size
• Move pages in other files
• Insert documents into currently opened file
• Add blank pages
• Display, delete and expand Form XObjects
• Select, position, duplicate or delete individual objects
• Intuitively select multiple objects by hiding unneeded objects
• Copy and paste objects to other pages or documents
• Quickly select objects with the same attributes to edit them together
• Change size of objects – as group or every single object – by entering values as well as percentages
• Change the color space and color values for vector objects
• Convert spot colors to CMYK
• Delete spot colors with objects
• Merge spot colors
• Rename spot colors
• Edit DeviceN colors, delete and add single spot color channels in the DeviceN color
• Create spot colors from process colors
• Create CMYK/RGB/LAB values as a new spot color and assign them to the selected object
• Access system-wide spot color definitions such as White, Dieline, Primer or Varnish
• Change the overprint state for selected objects
• Change the stroke width for selected objects
• Change the miter for corners
• Change the opacity for selected objects
• Move objects on a newly created layer
• Move objects to the foreground or background – also possible step by step
• Bring objects to the same width and height
• Distribute objects evenly
• Align objects to selected edge
• Convert whole text to outline
• Convert selected text to outline
• Edit text
• Change page boxes
• Set page box to selected objects
• Set MediaBox to origin
• Delete objects outside the selected page box
• Export images from PDF file
• Export and open image for editing in Photoshop
• Replace selected images

On the one hand, print data are not always PDF files and on the other hand, in some cases a PDF file should be output as an image in a specific color space and resolution. In order the PDF Editor is able to convert various files into a PDF or render any PDF into an image, the following functionalities are available for this application:

• Convert PostScript, AI, EPS, PSD, TIFF and JPEG files into a PDF file
• Render a PDF file to a raster format such as PNG, TIFF or JPEG at a defined resolution
• Render a PDF file to an Output Color Space such as CMYK, RGB, or Grayscale
• Save an edited version of a PDF file as a new PDF file

In some cases, additional information or objects such as dielines, White, Varnish or Primer channels, etc. are required for the output in digital printing. The PDF Editor provides the following functionalities for this application:

• Add a dieline to the selected page box with offset
• Add a dieline to selected objects with offset
• Add a spot color separation like White, Primer, Varnish etc. for the selected page box with offset
• Add a spot color separation like White, Primer, Varnish etc. for selected objects with offset

The many possibilities offered to a designer in the most diverse graphics programs, and the sometimes poor implementation of PDF export in the graphics programs, inevitably lead to print data that demands everything from any display and RIP in terms of complexity. The PDF Editor provides the following functionalities for this application:

• Flattening transparency
• Flattening overprinting objects
• Reduce vectors by flattening vector object stacks
• Remove unused layers
• Convert spot colors to CMYK
• Removing objects outside a selected page box