transform SmartStream Designer created PDF/VT to 'normal' PDF

tz8 · Post by **tz8** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:24 pm

Everyone,

i need a way to transform a PDF/VT (from SmartStream Designer) to a 'normal' PDF file, possibly with the Acrobat configurator. Quite is not supporting PDF/VT nor will it ever support it, but a 3rd party application we use joins PDFs into batches and imposes them with quite - both will just break the PDF/VT.

So... any ideas? Can i just 'print' or 'save as' the PDF/VT into a regular PDF?

Cheers,

Thorsten

ArielRauch · Post by **ArielRauch** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 1:49 pm

Hi Thorsten,

the output of Smartstream Designer is a normal PDF (or jlyt - but you can define it s you wish).

So what do you mean by PDF/VT - I know it is an option for "create job" but again the output is PDF.

Please explain,

Ariel

tz8 · Post by **tz8** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:07 pm

it looks like a normal PDF, opens like a normal PDF, but it actually is a PDF/VT which is part of the PDF/X-4 standard. It hast a database of the variable datafields. So basically i'd like to get rid of the PDF/VT extensions and generate a standard PDF/X-4 compatible PDF file.

If you don't believe me take a PDF/VT from SmartStream Designer and impose it using a 2up step&repeat... Indigos will actually render it, but Kodak Nexpresses will complain that this PDF/VT is broken.

here's the answer from Quite on PDF/VT support:

Hello Thorsten,

Thank you for your enquiry. We do not support PDF/VT, and we are not

likely ever to do so.

PDF/VT is not a part of PDF/X-4. Rather, it is PDF/X-4 with many

changes. To oversimplify, these changes are lists of pages and places

for variable data. When you impose the original pages are gone, so the

lists are no longer meaningful.

Our last study suggested we could only impose PDF/VT by first

expanding the file into an ordinary PDF with many pages and all

variable data complete. But this would lose all of the performance

advantages of PDF/VT. This is one case where we believe it only makes

sense to impose in the RIP, so that it can happen after the variable

data is used, and reach the full potential perfoemance.

Sorry not to have better news,

Aandi Inston

Quite Software

ArielRauch · Post by **ArielRauch** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:40 pm

I believe you:)

why do you not let the designer impose it (even only one page for each instance at the size of the trim box) and then bring to quite

tz8 · Post by **tz8** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:46 pm

because our software relies on unimposed PDFs... that's part of the batching process

ArielRauch · Post by **ArielRauch** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:48 pm

ok, I understand. That is what you did. You are telling me that the Designer-imposed pdf is actually a PDF/VT.

Did I understand it correctly?

tz8 · Post by **tz8** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:51 pm

every PDF SmartStream Designer creates is actually a PDF/VT (that is what it actually says in the 'create job' tab)

ArielRauch · Post by **ArielRauch** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 3:16 pm

Have you access to indesign in your flow?

you might be able load the resulting pdf/vt into indesign and export it "correctly"

tz8 · Post by **tz8** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 3:41 pm

well... it actually is InDesign who creates the PDF (indirectly, yes) - and reopening in InDesign to write as PDF again kinda doubles the load from this workflow.

I thought that there is some kind of Acrobat 'save as...' script i could use to get rid of the PDF/VT additions...

ArielRauch · Post by **ArielRauch** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 3:53 pm

yes it does but every solution will double the effort.

What about Pitstop server with a PDF/X-1a profile or any other appropriate action.

But then again - I think I would try the Indesign import -> export version

tz8 · Post by **tz8** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:31 pm

just an update on Quite on this issue... seems they might have found a solution.

We have done more research on PDF/VT, including reading the original ISO standard. We have found that there is a lot of misinformation about PDF/VT and we have only added to it with our own incorrect information. So here is the result of our research.

A PDF/VT file is a PDF/X file with additional information. The file is complete and can be printed without any changes.

The file also contains a lot of information about the variables that were used to create the file, and information to boost the performance by recognising duplication.

The problem you are seeing with Quite Hot Imposing is that the PDF/VT information is still in the file, but is no longer valid after the changes made to impose it.

1. What is possible. It is possible for us to make sure that Quite Hot Imposing always removes PDF/VT information. This will leave the file as PDF/X if you choose "preserve PDF/X" in preferences. But it will never be a PDF/VT file.

2. What is not possible. We cannot preserve or rebuild full PDF/VT status. This is because the PDF/VT status refers to ranges of pages in the original file, and after imposition pages may be shuffled or duplicated.