PDF bleed area should be defined in the metadata, not only be "displayed"

[Wosven]

The different areas of a PDF should be in the metadata, especially bleed when exporting with bleed.

For now, the only one correct seems to be the crop box. But when exporting with bleed, the area should be defined, and the media box also, identical or not.

For example, if one of those boxes are checked, the areas should be defined automatically:

 

We tend to have more modern process and tools, and PDF should be compliant and have the minimum requires data, to pass. In the old times, we could force to accept some faulty PDF, but automated worflow don't allow this.

For now, the only good point for Affinity apps is that they always put crop marks, etc. out of the bleed area by default.

 

From:

 

[Dan C]

Hi @Wosven,

Thanks for your report! I've spoken with our developers regarding this, who said the following:

Quote

Here's an excerpt from the 1.7 PDF spec (Section 7.7.3.3).
It states that the BleedBox is optional and if not defined defaults to the value of the CropBox. The CropBox is also optional and defaults to the value of the MediaBox. So if they are all equal I believe it is only necessary for us to output the MediaBox.

However I do appreciate how this can affect compatibility with other software, such as the printing software that 'Tolino' uses - therefore I'm logging this as an improvement with our developers to output a 'BleedBox' when Include Bleed is selected at export to improve this compatibility. 

I hope this helps  

[Wosven]

Thanks @Dan C

Yoiu should understand that we never talked about PDF 1.7, but general specs for print, and those usually use PDF 1.3 or 1.4 to avoid most possible errors.

And Tolino' specs, as in their screen shot is PDF 1.3:

 

Now, there's specs options, and reality. Who would take the chance to print some document without bleed box informations and suppose the whole document area is the bleed? No one.
Because 99% of the time, if there' no bleed box informations, that's simply because the one exporting the document forgot it, not because the media area contains bleed.

 

And who want to take the chance to have to reprint, either at the client or the printer cost — always one loosing money, time, etc. —, just because the specs allow it???
So you need someone visually checking all the files sent to print, or you simply use some worflow not allowing files without bleed box, among other common errors.

The only worflow I can think of that could use this option is one in which you produce the file and print it, ensuring earlier the file can't be wrong, or you are a small shop that have "extra" time for this (well, that's two worflows...).

 

The apps shouldn't allow some "flou artistique" ("artistic blur", a pejorative expression in this case). You can add extra checkboxes, simply ensure that there's no possible errors when there's other options.