Editable PDF export issue

[Camille_]

Hi there,

(disclaimer, sorry I'm a bit of a noob here)

I'm trying to export a vectorized PDF from Publisher to send to a printing company. They gave me the list of steps to do - on Illustrator - so I'm trying to adapt.
Basically they need the PDF to be editable, and it needs to have 2 layers: one with all the design, and one with the parts to be varnished on the finished product. I have 2 issues:

1. How can i export a PDF with vectors and only have one layer? For now it's a group of layers of all the items of the design, but if I merge and rasterize this group it then makes it pointless to have a vector file, doesn't it? Which brings me to the second question:
2. I exported the PDF (for export) with all the editable options left on, with my 2 groups of layers. When I then open this file in Publisher, the layers are all messed up. No more groups, no names are kept. Any idea why?

Thank you in advance!

 

[werfox]

Hi @Camille_ and welcome to the forums,

APub uses a layer concept that differs from the one from other layout applications: every page has its own layers.
Every element of the layout – be it a shape, a text (both artistic or a text frame), an image or a path creates its own layer.

In order to provide a vector based PDF with elements to be varnished you don’t have to rasterize anything! The layers from each element in your layout don’t show up as layers in the exported PDF unless you group them in parent layers.

But in your case first create a spot colour swatch named e.g. "Varnish" and set it to overprint (!).

Then create a new (empty) layer for  the parts to be varnished (with the name "Varnish") and make your design. All layout elements stay as child objects of the "Layout" layer that you already mentioned to have. All elemets to be (spot) varnished must be duplicated (CMD/CTRL+C/V to place them exactly on the same position) and then the newly created swatch "Varnish" assigned to them as fill and moved to the "Varnish" layer.

On export tick the "Preserve layers" option and the PDF will contain two layers: "Layout" and "Varnish".

These should stay preserved even if the PDF is opened with APub again (it is the case with my sample file and an exported PDF from that), but your layout file is an .afpub file, so there is no need for that. APub might be used for editing PDF files but that file format was not invented for that purpose.

For control purposes a specialized application should be used, such as Acrobat Pro or PACKZView as they have the ability to show and hide overprinting and spot colours and also the used layers. I assume that your printing company is able to do that.

Adobe applications such as Acrobat and Illustrator use a different layer concept:

• Acrobat shows the layers created from APub with the method above, additionally there is an overprinting spot colour "Varnish" so the printer knows which parts need to get the varnish
• Illustrator shows only its own proprietary layers and they stay preserved and editable only saved as .ai file or – if exported as PDF – only if both options "Save Illustrator layers as Acrobat layers" and the editability button are ticked on export (exact wording may differ as I don’t have access to Adobe apps at home). In short words: in the Illustrator made PDF file there is an .ai file embedded which allows Illustrator to preserve the complete editability and effects.
  Your PDF made with APub opened with Illustrator shows only one layer.

Attached a sample document (made with APub ver. 2.5.5) which shows a possible way to proceed.

 

Best regards

layers+overprint-spot.afpub