Export to PDF X-3: 2002 not Flattening Transparency??

[assumedalias]

I'm sending off a design to be printed for business cards. Created in Illustrator, but couldn't find advanced PDF export settings matching the printer so dropped the design into InDesign and it appears to have the preset perfectly ready PDF/X-3:2002. Except when I tested the export file by opening it in Photoshop it showed it cropped down to the graphic, with transparency. Huh? Surely there's no way for Photoshop to read transparency on a fully flattened PDF and it should retain the dimensions of the artboard, no? I'm afraid to send it in this form to the printers.

Opening it in Illustrator also shows transparency.

Opening in Acrobat shows the proper artboard dimensions.

Exported PDF sample: Dropbox - BUSINESS CARD_sax_front_test.pdf

So how will the printers see it?

[Derek Cross]

Try PDF/X-4

[assumedalias]

The online printers guidelines strictly say that it must be in the X-3:2002 format tho... I don't know enough about the print world to know what that would mess if I don't adhere to their guidelines.

[Derek Cross]

Some would advise you to change printers.

[assumedalias]

It's Flyeralarm, and while it has some bad reviews it has good reputation as well.
Also I just tried PDF/X-4, and it has the same problems, as it doesn’t support transparency flattening in the settings at all.

[Derek Cross]

On reflection the way to go is to create your artwork again in InDesign and then export as PDF/X-4.

[assumedalias]

I think I'm going to cheat it by creating a white rectangle the size of the artboard... that way it should respect the dimensions AND have no transparency. I don't want to risk using X4 when the printers want X3

[rob day]

On reflection the way to go is to create your artwork again in InDesign and then export as PDF/X-4.

The OP's artwork doesn't need any transparency and Acrobat shows all of the color as DeviceCMYK, so assuming there's no transparency in the original, PDF/X-3 and PDF/X-4 would produce the same result.

If the printer is preflighting for PDF/X-3 an exported PDF/X-4 would get rejected.

[Jeffrey_Smith]

- The file you have shared has no transparency or no flattened transparent elements.

- The artboard dimensions are consistent through viewing in Acrobat, opening in Illustrator, and rasterizing to the crop box in Photoshop.

- Standard size business card is 3.5 in x 2 in., unless this is a custom size.

[assumedalias]

Huh... definitely shows different here. But thanks!

Maybe it's custom, but the requirements show to make a 8.7cm x 5.5cm artboard. I'm just following what it asks.

[Jeffrey_Smith]

As for dimensions, I should have stated US standard business card size, and not suggesting you change the dimensions.

The art file you shared meets your printer's requirements.

[rob day]

Maybe it's custom, but the requirements show to make a 8.7cm x 5.5cm artboard. I'm just following what it asks.

Your artboard is showing as 8.7x5.7 (not 5.5). Usually the printer specs are for the trim plus a bleed, so you would want the final PDF dimensions to be the bleed dimension. You can get the bleed diimension via Document Properties in Acrobat.

[rob day]

Photoshop it showed it cropped down to the graphic, with transparency. Huh? Surely there's no way for Photoshop to read transparency on a fully flattened PDF and it should retain the dimensions of the artboard, no? I'm afraid to send it in this form to the printers.

You are confusing the artboard with object transparency. If you open an AI or PDF into Photoshop the artboard will open as transparent. Like this simple rectangle fill opened into PS.

Checking PDFs by opening into Photoshop doesn't tell you much about the original PDF. You would have to use AcrobatPro's preflight to check a PDF's actual content. Your Dropbox PDF passes PDF/X-3 preflight.

[assumedalias]

Ok thanks Rob! (Sorry, I didn't get any notifications about any new replies here)

Regarding transparency, this is what I see: Dropbox - adobe_transparency_screenshot.png

[rob day]

Right Photoshop is showing the empty art board. See my #9. If you want the art board to be white you would have to include a white filled rectangle.

[rob day]

You'll see the difference if you fill the logo container in ID with Paper or a color. But again in both cases there's no object transparency effect applied, which is why both pass a PDF/X-3 preflight