PDF/X-1a 2001 vs 2003 and preflight

[Asterixx]

Hello,

I am doing some icons, clipart and illustrations and deliver it to customers by PNG and also PDF, just in case they will need a vector file and also CMYK in the future. So normally I don't deliver the file that is directly printed, but just an image, but also in PDF (I always creat vector images by default).

So I think it is good to export a PDF/X file just that I am sure I did not mix RGB and CMYK and no other errors are there. Also, I am independent from any PDF, SVG, AI version and so on.

When I looked into this area the last time some years ago, the X-1a 2001 was recommended in general for communicating for example with printing companies. But as I don't deliver directly for printing, and also since Affinity Designer only exports X-1a 2003, I wonder now:

a)  is the 2001 version still recommended and the 2003 more seen like not a good option to deliver graphics to customers?

b)  if there is no printing paper / material known yet, does it make any difference if I deliver X-1a 2001 or X-1a 2003 or could the 2003 version even be better for my specific case?

c)  in my Acrobat Pro 9 I get an error in Preflight CMYK offset when I have a PDF X-1a 2003 as this is not compliant to PDF/X-1a 2001 (which is true actually), but when I add the 2003 version in the Preflight setting by checkbox, there remains a warning the output intent is not recommended by Ghent. If no other warning or error occurs, could I just say a PDF/X-1a 2003 with only this Ghent warning is fine in my specific case, or do I need another preflight to be sure (should I for example just check in preflight for "PDF/X Standard" there I don't get a warning or error, but CMYK offset is also interesting for me) ?

Thank you for any help.

[Tariq Ahmad]

Hi @Asterixx, 


Thank you for this detailed question, and sorry for the delayed response. You’re raising an important point about how different PDF/X standards and Preflight profiles affect both compliance and output fidelity.

Clarifying the Differences: PDF/X-1a:2001 vs. 2003

• Both versions are functionally very similar, but PDF/X-1a:2003 adds clarifications and minor improvements around metadata, color handling, and output intent definitions.

• From a preflight and validation perspective, differences may appear more prominently depending on:

  • The source application used to create the file (e.g., InDesign, Illustrator, a RIP, or a third-party plugin)

  • The profile used during preflight in Acrobat (e.g., GWG, custom preflight profiles)

  • Rendering intentions in the final print pipeline

How Acrobat Preflight Handles This:

Adobe Acrobat’s Preflight tool supports a variety of PDF/X standards, including both 2001 and 2003 flavors. The validation behavior may vary based on:

• Whether you’re using ISO-standard preflight libraries or custom vendor profiles

• Specific color profiles or font embedding rules in your file

• Differences in how the file was tagged and flattened

To Help You Further, Could You Please Confirm:

• Which source tool is used to create/export the PDF?
• Are you using Acrobat’s default preflight profiles, or third-party ones (e.g., Ghent Workgroup, Enfocus)?
• Do you require compliance for press output, archiving, or something else (e.g., a publisher requirement)?
• Is the discrepancy occurring during validation or output (e.g., print or RIP behavior)?
• Could you share an anonymized version of the PDF file or profile if possible?

Let us know, and we’d be happy to dig deeper with you.


~Tariq