Best PDF export option for printing by non-experts

zimbop  wrote What would be the best PDF type to create for download from a website, that would be marked as a high quality version for printing. This wouldn't be intended for print-shops and grphics professionals, but for non-graphics people (sales reps, researchers etc.) who probably have access to good quality laser printers etc. I'm assuming the [High Quality Print] option? The InDesign documents all use RGB images throughout.

Hi zimbop ,

"marked as high quality version for printing" and "…non-graphics people (sales reps, researchers etc.)" would not go together very well. Especially if you cannot tell what PDF viewing app will be used. With "non-graphics people" you cannot be sure that Acrobat Reader on a PC or a Mac is used. PDF/X-4 cannot be viewed right in all possible PDF viewers, especially not in browsers or on mobile devices. And especially not if it comes to transparency, color management and overprinting elements or spot colors.

Is there a way out? Essentially I mean: No! At least not a good one:

You could export to Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3), to sRGB, simulate overprinting when your blend space for transparency is set to RGB, but you would risk some stiching artefacts, some text and some vector graphics converted to pixels.

Regards,
Uwe

Assuming you don't use any interactive features, i.e. it is all static content, I would most strongly recommend the PDF/X-4 settings.

Why?

(1)     It supports both CMYK and RGB content. By the way, contrary to many public misconceptions, you don't need a totally RGB PDF file to properly display on-screen!

(2)     PDF/X-4 will best print the PDF. You'd be surprised how often, a copy of web-posted PDF files are printed. You don't want a dumbed-down PDF.

(3)     Although PDF/X-4 default image settings are for highest quality and resolution, the fact is that today's high resolution screens (such as on iOS and high-end Android devices) as well as many newer desktop screens actually have image resolution requires matching or even greater than those required for high quality offset printing. Dumb down those images to 72dpi (as was done in the past), your screen viewers arrive in fuzzy-wuzzy world!

          - Dov

I do an interactive .pdf just so i can keep the interactive features ( ex: buttons). do you have those? the default for acrobat print .pdf is fine. too. The RBG makes no different since you are not doing commercial printing where you need to be on CYMK.