Can Illustrator open a PDF following PDF/X-4 standard and interpret it correctly?

[Julie-Liang]

Hello, 

I meet a problem about PDF obeying PDF/X-4 standard with transparency features in it.  Illustrator can save the document to a PDF file on the rules of PDF/X-4, but  I am confusing that if Illustrator can open a PDF following the rules of PDF/X-4 and interpret it correctly?  I attach a sample here. 

Waiting for your response. Thanks

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

Illustrator is not a PDF editor.

You will get a warning when saving as PDF/X-4 that editing can be problematic.

[Julie-Liang]

It's true, thanks for your answer. 

[Joely]

Hi Julie–Liang

As far as i know, there's absolutely NO guarantee (or promise) that AI shows/interprets an existing PDF/X-4 file correctly (or as wished). It also depends how and with which software-tool the PDF was created.

If you wanna have AI functionalities kept, choose this option in the Export. But then, its no PDF/X-4 file anymore, at least in theory…

[Julie-Liang]

Thanks, Toughmedia. I got the assurance from you .Great. 

[David Cardillo, PRH]

You will see when you are in the Save As > PDF dialog that setting the Standard to "None" turns on the checkbox for "Preserve Illustrator editing capabilities."

Setting the Standard to "PDF/X-4" and that box is grayed out and can't be selected.

Because a PDF _can_ preserve certain functions (Layers, Effects) of Illustrator, embedding this data into the PDF violates the very strict PDF/X standard.

So, short answer, as Ton said, is yes, you can open a PDF/X-4 file. And you can Save As > PDF and specify compliance with PDF/X-4. But is it not X-4 while it is open in Illustrator, and will no longer be X-4 is you simply open and Save.

(NB: in CC 2019, while the PDF preset specifies PDF/X-4:2010, Illustrator actually uses PDF/X-4:2007, if that matters for anyone. See this thread: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/my-adobe-pdf-presets-don-t-show-up-in-illustrator-cc/m-p/... )