Afpub PDF Export with vectors

[rhouska]

How can I export a booklet with placed PDFs in afpub that are still visible in Vectoren afterwards? In my case, the plans (architectural plans) are all rasterised.
So far I haven't found a setting where the plans remain as vectors...

[lacerto]

Can you post an example of the issue?

The most likely explanation is that your placed architectural plans have transparencies (or e.g. a blend mode like Multiply applied) and you export in a format (like PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-3) that requires transparencies to be flattened. Affinity apps can only flatten transparencies by rasterization (which will typically be applied selectively, only on flattened parts, which may effectively make the result visually more distinctive).

Note, too, that there are Affinity-specific PDF compatibility rules (export PDF version number needs to be the same or upper than version number of a placed PDF, and non-PDF/X-based placed PDFs will be rasterized if exporting using PDF/X-based methods, etc.). and if they are violated the placed PDFs will be rasterized.

There are also a number of other reasons, typically related to use of adjustments or F/X, which may cause rasterization of vector content of placed PDFs in a PDF export.

[rhouska]

thanks for reply.

attached a very simple example "afpub test.zip"
in this case, only "druckerei-fertig" (sorry, I don't know the english title for this export...) is OK, maybe perfect.

but I have the problem, that in bigger documents like "683 Denkmalpflege", there is always a problem to export the file as "druckerei-fertig".

and because the PDF is from Vectorworks, I cannot select the PDF format there....

683 Denkmalpflege.zip afpub test.zip

[lacerto]

Dear @rhouska,

There might be multiple issues involved, but I think that the specific reason that causes the export error you describe is related to presence of dimension lines that you have added in PDF, e.g. in 683 Aufnahme_15-QS1.pdf on page 6 of your example document. It seems that Affinity apps cannot handle such kinds of PDF additions (it might include other kinds of added things like notes and comments, as well, but I have not tested).

As for the rasterization problem itself, it is caused by "Affinity compatibility rules" (not existing anywhere else), which means that if your placed PDF uses version number later than then export file, then it will be rasterized. PDF/X-4 uses version number 1.6 and your placed PDF uses version number 1.7. Therefore you need to export using PDF version 1.7 or later (e.g., the "Press ready" (druckerei-fertig) preset uses that version number by default) when you export from Affinity apps, if you want to retain vectors. This means that you cannot export in any PDF/X-based format.

(EDIT: And, additionally, if you export to any PDF/X-based format, you cannot place any non-PDF/X-based PDF without causing its rasterization at export; basically PDF 1.7 is the most compatible file format within Affinity apps in context of export, as it allows all PDF/X-based placed PDFs, and any non-PDF/X-based placed PDFs up to version 1.7 without causing rasterization; I have myself not much experience of PDF 2.0 so cannot say anything about it.)

You can try to work around the problem by checking, if you can export from your initial app using version 1.4. That would be most compatible with Affinity apps (unless you need to export using PDF/X-based method).

UPDATE: This Affinity limitation (inability to handle without rasterization different PDF versions) is probably the most serious obstacle for using Affinity apps in projects that typically involve files to be passed through from multiple sources (like magazines with ads, logos, etc.) since it is not practical to require that all material meets requirements like PDFs exported in specific version number. When you work with e.g. Adobe apps, "passthrough" does not mean passive adaptation to limitations, so even if files are essentially passed through, they can simultaneously be converted as required to a specific PDF version number, without causing rasterization, or color changes.