PDF files are often displayed differently across various applications. This is primarily because many PDF viewers do not fully interpret all print-specific constructs within a PDF file correctly, or certain default settings are not configured for use in prepress workflows.

The PDF Editor provides the following features for this purpose:

• 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 – even for pages larger than 5,080 mm
• Zoom capability down to the smallest units – up to 8 000%
• Toogle visibility of Color Spaces, Page Objects, Spot Colors, Layers, Process Colors, and PageBoxes
• Display of the content within the selected PageBox as well as objects extending beyond it
• Visualization of embedded images within the print data
• Visualization of objects in path view

If print errors become visible in print that were not previously detected, there is a need to analyze the print file to identify the root cause of the errors. The PDF Editor provides the following features and answers for this purpose:

• How many pages are in the document?
• Where are transparencies, overprinting objects, white overprinting objects, and Form XObjects located?
• Which areas in the print file would change on output due to overprint settings?
• Where are areas that exceed a defined total ink coverage (TAC)?
• 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 located that fall below a specific font size?
• Where are lines that are too thin according to a defined threshold?
• How many images are on the displayed page?
• Where are images that fall below a specified minimum resolution?
• What color space, compression, and resolution do the images in the print file have?
• Are layers included in the print file, and what is their current visibility status?
• Which objects are assigned to which layers?
• Which objects are located outside the defined PageBoxes?
• Are annotations such as comments, notes or instructions included in the print file?
• Where are these annotations located?
• Display of object frames to assess the structural complexity of the PDF file.
• Are any referenced Form XObjects used?
• What are the net format (TrimBox) and gross format (production size)?
• What are the dimensions of the defined PageBoxes – TrimBox, BleedBox, etc.?
• Is the print file masked, or are there transparent objects present in the print file?
• Where are cropped or masked images or graphics located?
• Which source profiles are assigned to PDF objects – images, vectors, and texts?
• Which pages in a multipage print file have a different page sizes?
• Extraction of technical parameters for the individual page.
• Extraction of technical parameters for selected page objects.
• Extraction of technical parameters for the entire object stack.
• Extraction of technical parameters for all objects in the PDF file.
• Read and edit metadata of the print file.

To ensure accurate print output, PDF files sometimes require detailed editing. The PDF Editor provides the following functions for this purpose:

• Select, delete, rotate, duplicate, mirror pages, and change page order
• Extract pages from the print file
• Scale or distort pages proportionally to any desired size
• Transfer pages to another file
• Insert files at a specific position within the page order
• Insert blank pages
• View, delete, and flatten Form XObjects
• Select, position, duplicate, or delete individual objects
• Intuitively select multiple objects by hiding unnecessary ones
• Select objects that are fully or partially enclosed by a selection frame
• Measure distances within the print file
• Transfer objects to other pages or documents by copy and paste
• Create Bleed by mirroring objects
• Quickly select objects with identical attributes for batch editing
• Resize objects – individually or as group - by entering exact 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
• Delete 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
• Convert Process Colors into Spot Colors
• Define new Spot Colors using CMYK, RGB, or LAB values and assign them to selected objects
• Remove source profiles from objects
• Assign source profiles to objects
• Access system-wide Spot Color definitions such as White, Dieline, Primer, or Varnish
• Modify the Overprint Status for selected objects
• Change the Stroke Width for selected objects
• Change the Opacity for selected objects
• Move objects to a new or existing layer
• Bring objects to the front or send them to the back – also in incremental steps
• Scale objects to equal width and height
• Distribute objects evenly
• Align objects to a selected 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 PageBoxes
• Set PageBoxes to fit selected objects
• Reset the MediaBox to original dimensions
• Delete objects outside the selected PageBox
• Fit, fill, or distort images within the BleedBox
• Crop images to the visible area
• Crop overlapping images to the PageBox
• Export images from the print file
• Open images in an external image editor and update them
• Replace the selected image

Print data is not always available as PDF files. In addition, it may be necessary to export a PDF file as an image in a specific color space and at a defined resolution. To enable the PDF Editor to convert various file types into PDF and render any PDF as an image, the following features are provided in the PDF Editor:

• Convert PostScript, AI, EPS, PSD, TIFF, and JPEG files into PDF format
• 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 file
• Save the PDF as a PDF/X-compliant print file
• Save the PDF file in the desired PDF version

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

• Add Dielines with defined offset for the selected PageBox
• Add Dielines with defined offset around or for selected objects
• Move Dielines inward or outward
• Add Spot Color Separations such as White, Primer, or Varnish with defined offset for the selected PageBox
• Add Spot Color Separations such as White, Primer, or Varnish with defined offset around and for selected objects
• Scale existing Spot Color Separations up or down
• Create Bleed by mirroring objects

The wide range of options available to print data creators in various graphic design applications – combined with sometimes poorly implemented PDF export features – inevitably results in print files that are highly complex in both display and rendering processes, placing significant demands on the processing software. To address this, the PDF Editor provides the following features for optimizing print data for this application:

• Flatten transparencies
• Flatten overprinting objects
• Reduce vector complexity by flattening vector object stacks
• Remove unused layers
• Convert Spot Colors to CMYK
• Remove objects located outside the selected PageBox
• Crop images to the visible area
• Crop images that extend beyond the PageBox