PDF files are often visualized differently across various applications. This is primarily due to the fact that many PDF viewers do not fully interpret all print-specific constructs within a PDF file, or because certain default settings are not optimized for prepress workflows.

To address this, The PDF Editor in this application provides the following features:

• Accurate visualization of print files for output, without the need of additional configuration
• Display of individual pages from multi-page print files
• Optimized rendering of complex print data for faster performance
• Visualization of print data at any size - including pages larger than 5080 mm
• Zoom functionality down to the smallest details - up to 8 000%
• Toogle visibility of Color Spaces, Page Objects, Spot Colors, Layers, Process Colors, and Page Boxes
• Display of content within the selected Page Box, including objects extending beyond it
• Visualization of embedded images within the print data
• Outline View mode for displaying vector objects as wireframes

When errors appear in the print output that were not detected earlier, it becomes necessary to analyze the print file in order to identify the root cause. To support this process, the PDF Editor in this application offers the following features and inspection tools:

• How many pages does the document contain?
• Where are transparencies, overprinting objects, white overprinting objects, and Form XObjects located?
• Which areas of the file are affected by the overprint setting during output?
• Where are areas that exceed a specified total ink coverage?
• Which color spaces are used in the print file?
• Which Spot Colors are present in the print file?
• What color values are used in a DeviceN-Color Space?
• Which page objects are used in the print file?
• Are text objects still text, or have they been converted to outlines?
• Where are text objects below a certain minimum font size?
• Where are lines that are too thin according to a defined threshold?
• How many images are used on the current page?
• Where are images that fall below a minimum resolution located?
• What color space, compression, and resolution do the embedded images have?
• Are layers present in the print file, and what are their visibility states?
• Which objects are assigned to which layers?
• Are any objects located outside the defined Page Boxes?
• Are annotations (e.g., notes, comments) included in the print file?
• Where are the annotations located?
• Can object frames be displayed to reveal the PDF´s structural complexity?
• Are any referenced Form XObjects used?
• What are the net format (TrimBox) and gross format (production size)?
• What are the dimensions of the defined Page Boxes - TrimBox, BleedBox, etc.?
• Is the print file masked, or does it contain transparent objects?
• Where are cropped or masked images and graphics located?
• What source profiles are assigned to the PDF objects – images, vectors, and text objects?
• Which pages differ from the default page size in a multi-page file?
• Extracting the technical parameters of each page.
• Extracting the technical parameters of selected page objects.
• Extracting the technical parameters of the entire object stacks.
• Extracting the technical parameters of all objects in the PDF file.
• Read and modify the metadata of the print file.

To ensure accurate print output, PDF files may require in-depth editing. The PDF Editor provides the following features for this purpose:

• Select, delete, rotate, duplicate, mirror pages, and change page order
• Extract pages from the print file
• Scale or stretch pages proportionally or non-proportionally to any size
• Transfer pages to another file
• Insert a file at a specific position within the page sequence
• Insert blank pages
• View, delete, and flatten Form XObjects
• Select, position, duplicate, or delete individual objects
• Intuitively select multiple objects by hiding unnecessary objects
• Select objects that are fully or partially enclosed by the selection frame
• Measure distances within the print file
• Copy and paste objects across pages or into other documents
• Create Bleed by mirroring objects
• Quickly select objects with identical attributes for batch editing
• Resize objects - individually or as group - by entering specific values or percentages
• Change the color space and color values of vector objects
• Convert images to a target color space
• Convert Spot Colors to CMYK
• Remove Spot Colors along with associated objects
• Merge Spot Colors
• Rename Spot Colors
• Import Spot Color Libraries in ASE format
• Edit DeviceN colors and add or remove individual color channels in the DeviceN color
• Convert Process Colors to Spot Colors
• Define new Spot Colors using CMYK, RGB, or LAB values and assign them to a selected object
• Remove source profiles from objects
• Assign source profiles to objects
• Access system-wide Spot Color definitions such as White, Dieline, Primer, or Varnish
• Change the Overprint State of selected objects
• Change the Stroke Width of selected objects
• Change the Opacity of selected objects
• Move objects to a new or existing layer
• Bring objects to the front or send them to the back - including stepwise adjustment
• Scale objects to the same width and height
• Distribute objects evenly
• Align objects to a specified edge
• Convert all text to outlines
• Convert selected text to outlines
• Edit text content
• Change text size, font family, and font style
• Embed missing fonts
• Modify Page Boxes
• Set a Page Box to match selected objects
• Reset the MediaBox to its original size
• Delete objects outside the selected Page Box
• Fit, fill, or stretch images to the BleedBox
• Crop images to the visible area
• Trim overlapping images to the Page Box
• Export images from the print file
• Open and update an image in an external image editing application
• Replace the selected image

Print data is not always available in PDF format. Additionally, it may be necessary to output a PDF file as an image in a specific color space and at a defined resolution. To support both the conversion of various file types into PDF format and the rendering of PDF´s as images, the PDF Editor provides the following features:

• Convert PostScript, AI, EPS, PSD, TIFF, and JPEG files into a PDF file
• Render a PDF file into a raster image format such as PNG, TIFF, or JPEG at a defined resolution
• Render a PDF file in a specific Output Color Space such as CMYK, RGB, or Grayscale
• Save an edited version of a PDF file as a new PDF document
• Save the PDF as a PDF/X-compliant print file
• Save the PDF file in the desired PDF version

For digital printing output, additional information or objects such as Dielines, White, Varnish, or Primer channels are sometimes required. The PDF Editor provides the following features for this purpose:

• Add Dielines for the selected Page Box with a defined offset
• Add Dielines around or for selected objects with a defined offset
• Move Dielines inward or outward
• Add a Spot Color Separation such as White, Primer, or Varnish for the selected Page Box with a defined offset
• Add a Spot Color Separation such as White, Primer, or Varnish around and for selected objects with a defined offset
• Enlarge or reduce existing Spot Color Separations
• Create Bleed by mirroring objects

The wide range of options available to print data designers in various graphic design applications, combined with the often suboptimal implementation of PDF export features in these programs, inevitably results in print files that are highly complex – both in terms of display and rendering. This complexity places significant demands on the processing software. To address this, the PDF Editor provides the following features for optimizing print data for this application:

• Flattening overprinting objects
• Reducing vectors by flattening stacked vector objects
• Removing unused layers
• Converting Spot Colors to CMYK
• Removing objects outside the defined Page Box
• Cropping images to the visible area
• Cropping images that extend beyond the Page Box