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raymondh93818467
Inspiring
November 13, 2018
Answered

When can Adobe software support output PDF2.0 and read ICC MAX?

  • November 13, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 1095 views

@@On the official website, you can see the update of Adobe PDF Print Engine 5, which can support PDF 2.0 and CxF. But the latest Adobe CC2019 has not found any support. Do you know when Adobe software can support the output of PDF 2.0 and the reading of ICC MAX?

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Correct answer Dov Isaacs

On behalf of Adobe …

The fact is that although many PDF 2.0 features are and CxF/X-4 is “supported” by the Adobe PDF Print Engine 5.x and for that matter, many features now part of PDF 2.0 were long supported by Adobe's extensions to PDF 1.7, the fact is that many of the PDF 2.0 features are effectively useless until the PDF/X-6 specification is completed and published (probably up to 12 to 18 months off). At that particular point, you will more likely see Adobe and other application support for PDF 2.0 features, especially those associated with PDF print publishing workflows. BTW, one of the problems with support for CxF/X-4 is that the leading spot color providers are not yet providing a means of applications accessing such data and inserting it into PDF files.

In terms of ICCMax, it is absolutely not supported as part of PDF 2.0 and unlikely will be supported by PDF for at least a few years. As such, you shouldn't expect application support for ICCMax in the near to medium term. What some RIP manufacturers are doing is hacking ICCMax support onto the back of the workflow, replacing the PDF/X-4 output intent with an ICCMax profile when dealing with devices with multiple colorants beyond process CMYK.

Hopefully that answers your questions, even if not what you hoped for.

          - Dov

1 reply

Dov Isaacs
Dov IsaacsCorrect answer
Brainiac
November 13, 2018

On behalf of Adobe …

The fact is that although many PDF 2.0 features are and CxF/X-4 is “supported” by the Adobe PDF Print Engine 5.x and for that matter, many features now part of PDF 2.0 were long supported by Adobe's extensions to PDF 1.7, the fact is that many of the PDF 2.0 features are effectively useless until the PDF/X-6 specification is completed and published (probably up to 12 to 18 months off). At that particular point, you will more likely see Adobe and other application support for PDF 2.0 features, especially those associated with PDF print publishing workflows. BTW, one of the problems with support for CxF/X-4 is that the leading spot color providers are not yet providing a means of applications accessing such data and inserting it into PDF files.

In terms of ICCMax, it is absolutely not supported as part of PDF 2.0 and unlikely will be supported by PDF for at least a few years. As such, you shouldn't expect application support for ICCMax in the near to medium term. What some RIP manufacturers are doing is hacking ICCMax support onto the back of the workflow, replacing the PDF/X-4 output intent with an ICCMax profile when dealing with devices with multiple colorants beyond process CMYK.

Hopefully that answers your questions, even if not what you hoped for.

          - Dov

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)
raymondh93818467
Inspiring
November 13, 2018

OK, I see. Thank you for your reply.