Publisher: Export flattened PDF for Print?

[user_0815]

Hi, 

I am currently submitting a pdf to the print shop. It is a 12 page brochure with lots of  images, text and shapes. Their data check rejected the file because it contains layers. They say it should be flattened. I couldn't find how to export as pdf with their necessary requirements, perhaps someone can give me a hand:

• – PDF/X-4 compatible (pdf 1.6)
• – Avoid multiple layers (optional content) 
• – keep native transparencies 

Any ideas how I can achieve that?

Thanks!

 

[Dan C]

Hi @user_0815,

On 7/30/2021 at 11:45 AM, user_0815 said:

Their data check rejected the file because it contains layers. They say it should be flattened.

To flatten your document when exporting, under the 'More...' options please set Rasterise: to Everything. This will flatten the elements on your page into a single image layer.

I hope this helps

[lacerto]

(...)

[user_0815]

23 hours ago, Dan C said:

Hi @user_0815,

To flatten your document when exporting, under the 'More...' options please set Rasterise: to Everything. This will flatten the elements on your page into a single image layer.

I hope this helps

Ah ok thanks I was wondering about that. However, that rasterises really everything inclucing text (converted to paths)?

Reducing everything to one background layer would be ideal but Text should be preserved as paths. Is that possible?

22 hours ago, Lagarto said:

Which settings or preset did you use when you created the PDF that got rejected?

I think that the print shop has just meant that they do not want OCG layers (that is, "optional content groups"), which in Affinity apps means that you should make sure that the "Include layers" option is turned off in the "More..." panel of the PDF export settings. It is automatically turned off if you select "PDF/X-4" as the export preset in the Export Settings dialog box. 

Thanks, I was thinking about that. I used these settings in screenshot below which is set to PDF/X4.

After opening the exported PDF in Publisher, I found that the content outside of the bleed area isn't actually removed/deleted but cropped by a "cropping adjustment layer" (for lack of a better word). See screenshot.

Are these the OCG?

I'll contact the print shop and ask whether that is what they mean.

EDIT: I have contacted the print shop support. They couldn't tell me what the additional layers are that I should flatten. Only that their automated data check outputs this error.

[lacerto]

(...)

[user_0815]

32 minutes ago, Lagarto said:

... Is it not possible for you to send the print shop any sample of the problem file so that they could tell what exactly is wrong about the file. If they specify PDF/X-4 as the export method, and you have used that, that would pretty much make sure that everything should be according to the specs. The details that they mention (avoid PDF layers, and allow native transparencties), are just features that are part of the PDF/X-4 specifications so nothing that you need to attend to with additional settings.

That's what we have done. I called them and together we looked at the PDF that I submitted. The support person then also asked a pre-press person what was wrong. But nobody could identify the cause of the error. 

They asked me what software I used and then suggested I should send in all 12 pages as flattened jpeg. But rasterised text is a no-go for me in this brochure.

However, since their data check is automated and not done by humans, I'll try out a few different export settings. I'll upload again and again until that error is gone.

[MikeW]

Have you tried a pdf/x-4 export with the setting in the More option, Allow Advanced Features, unchecked?

[user_0815]

Yes, I have. After inspecting the exported pdf, I found that it adds an additional group to the "crop adjustment layer", basically making a group where the original group is in. Screenshot attached.

However, I'll try to upload that variant to the datacheck as well. Perhaps the cause is something else within the advanced features.

 

   

[MikeW]

How Serif interprets a pdf may be different than the structure of the pdf itself. 

The result may be the same with the automatic check, though.

[Wosven]

Why is there a Layer1? Did you try without this layer?

Why do you include bookmarks? PDF/X-1a for example doesn't allow interactive elements.

[lacerto]

(...)

[Wosven]

54 minutes ago, Lagarto said:

Adobe Acrobat 2020 PDF/C-4 compliance verification routine did not flag

Perhaps a complexe profile in PitStop or similar app server with a maximum warnings and errors.

[user_0815]

Thanks for your replies. I have tried different things for export. Removing bookmarks made no difference. 

However, removing "Layer 1" in the original document did. Somehow it does not get flattened at export.

I moved all elements (text, shapes, images) on to the base/background.

"Layer 1" was basically on every page because this 12-page-brochure was originally set up as 2-page spread which I changed to single page view. All the left pages were Layer 1 and all the right pages were on Layer 2. 

Question: with export settings for PDF/X-4, shouldn't layers get flattened? I assume so because the checkbox cannot be altered.

[lacerto]

13 minutes ago, user_0815 said:

Question: with export settings for PDF/X-4, shouldn't layers get flattened?

Yes, definitely. It is odd that the option for skipping PDF layers would not be honored. I'll run a test and see what happens. It may be that the problem just got resolved by reorganising the layout. I think that PDFs created by.Affinity apps carry the layout structure disregarding the OCG (PDF layer) visibility in the user interface, and it is this that the preflight routine sees and accordingly fails the file.

[uneMule]

Bonsoir à tous,
Normalement la version X-4 supporte beaucoup de choses... elle permet même le versioning.
Si cela peut aider, voici un petit rappel de la norme.
https://www.abracadabrapdf.net/format_pdf/normes_iso_et_pdf/pdfx-4/
ou
https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/fr/#iso:std:iso:15930:-7:ed-2:v1:en
Bon courage.

*****

Good evening to all,
Normally the X-4 version supports many things... it even allows versioning.
If it helps, here is a little reminder of the standard.
https://www.abracadabrapdf.net/format_pdf/normes_iso_et_pdf/pdfx-4/
or
https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/fr/#iso:std:iso:15930:-7:ed-2:v1:en
Good continuation.

[lacerto]

Wow, what can I say: it does NOT honor leaving out PDF layers (if that is what the setting is supposed to do):

EDIT: I checked Windows Help for export settings for PDF but could not find anything mentioned about layers. But I have assumed it to mean PDF layers (in InDesign this is a separate option).

[Wosven]

Are those regular layers in the panel or created on the master pages? (just by curiosity, it won't help)

[lacerto]

4 minutes ago, Wosven said:

Are those regular layers in the panel or created on the master pages? (just by curiosity, it won't help)

They are "Layer" layers on a regular page:

[lacerto]

As mentioned in my earlier post, Aodbe Acrobat Pro 2020 does not fail a PDF/X-4 file if it has OCG layers. But graying out (and clearing) the option is definitely a bug. The user should be able to decide whether layers are included or not, and just including them without giving a choice is a clear error.

I also ensured the functionality of this setting, and it is related to OCG layers, so e.g. choosing PDF 1.6 export method and leaving the box cleared (now that the option is no longer grayed out), leaves OCG layers out.

[user_0815]

So what I found out that the PDF/X-4 specification actually supports layers – but those are "optional content" layers which does not include "regular" layers as we see them in our layers panel.

So, my print shop specified this requirement (translation by me): ...in your PDF avoid multiple layers (optional content), native transparency should be preserved ...

Unchecking "Allow advanced features" in the Publisher export panel still got my PDF rejected at the print shop (because the layers were still included).  

What I didn't find out is this:

- In the Publisher Export "More" panel, at the bottom there is the checkbox "Allow advanced features". Is that identical to "Optional content" or does that include more than that? (I assume not because it is not called as such.)

- How to export for PDF/X-4 and exclude optional content?

Any ideas?

[lacerto]

3 hours ago, user_0815 said:

What I didn't find out is this:

- In the Publisher Export "More" panel, at the bottom there is the checkbox "Allow advanced features". Is that identical to "Optional content" or does that include more than that? (I assume not because it is not called as such.)

- How to export for PDF/X-4 and exclude optional content?

No, the "optional layers" are OCGs ("optional content groups", or more commonly PDF layers). They are the kind of layers that show on the left in Adobe Acrobat Pro and also Adobe Reader, and many other PDF viewers. In Affinity apps, these kinds of layers can be created by using so called "Layer" layers (ones that can be created by using the button at the bottom of the Layers panel). The kinds of layers that you see above in my screenshot having "(Layer)" appended to the layer name.

The setting that governs (or SHOULD govern) inclusion of these layers in the PDF is the "Include layers" option under the More settings of the PDF Export dialog box. It is just that this setting is buggy in context of PDF/X-4 export method: it is unchecked which should mean that the layers are not included (but instead they are), and it is grayed out, meaning that the user is not allowed to change the setting.

So basically it is not possible in the current versions of Affinity apps to export using PDF/X-4 standard AND exclude the layers: if you e.g. used PDF 1.6 based settings after having chosen first PDF/X-4 (and leave "Include layers" unchecked), the print settings are basically the same as when using PDF/X.4, but the document would not be marked PDF/X-compliant and would probably be failed on automatic flightcheck [in ai situation that it requires PDF/X-4 compliancy]. The PDF layers, however, would now be left out, according to the setting.

The layers can easily be removed by using Adobe Acrobat Pro, and probably other viewers/editors, as well, but there is always a risk that a 3rd party tool making such changes also makes some unwanted changes.

"Allow advanced features" does not have anything to do with the OCG layers but it seems to have something to do with handling of transparencies and should probably be left on when using PDF/X-4 (by default it is checked, but the user is allowed to change the setting).

UPDATE: So what you did, manually reorganised the document so that it does not have "Layer" layers, is currently the only way to produce PDF/X-4 standard PDFs without OCG layers. Note that you should still be able to organise your document in other ways (e.g. placing objects in groups and even nested groups).

[MikeW]

Acrobat can merge layers and, more importantly for this discussion, flatten layers.

If the print shop will not accept a non-pdf/x-4 pdf that keeps transparency live, I or another could do it for you if you do not have Acrobat.

[user_0815]

I don't have Acrobat, thanks a lot for the offer. For now it was sufficient to remove the "Layer" layers from all 12 pages to get my pdf accepted. I ordered a hardcopy proof and we'll see how it turns out.

[user_0815]

So the brochure was printed and everything went well. Thanks to all of you for your help!

What I have learned is that "Layer" layers won't be flattened at export to pdf/x-4 and need to be removed in the afpub document before export. Otherwise they will be converted to optional content layers and remain in the pdf file. No big deal but it's something to know in advance.

Perhaps it works that way because X-4 supports those optional content layer types and in some cases they are needed. But that's just my assumption.

However, it would be useful to have that "flatten layers" checkbox active to toggle. I think an option for flattening at export would be a good thing, especially to be sure that really everything is flattened if you have a larger document.

[lacerto]

4 hours ago, user_0815 said:

So the brochure was printed and everything went well. Thanks to all of you for your help!

I am happy to hear, congratulations! Did the printshop every explain why PDF layers are a problem? I think that not being able to turn off PDF layers is a clear bug, as is their being by default turned on.

Btw, the term "flattened" is a bit ambiguos in context of PDF: in the context of Affinity export it means "fully rasterized", which is seldom wanted when exporting to PDF, but more commonly it is used in context of "transparency", which in certain print jobs need to be "flattened" (and will be done automatically if choosing PDF/X-1a:2003 or PDF/X-3 export methods). In Affinity app this, too, means rasterizing the parts that have transparencies, but flattening can be done also without rasterizing, just slicing the overlapping parts and calculating the final color values. The term is sometime also used to refer to vectorizing the text so that fonts will not be embedded, and finally it may be used to refer to not including the PDF layer structure (which, if included, would need to be "merged" to just the root layer).