Print settings

[Claudia5FB2]

I have to send my document to a professional printer. The printer specified the following: 'please export to PDF X/1A'.

My question is where exactly do I specify this setting as there are different options.

1. Do I set Adobe PDF Preset to Press Quality and then select PDF/X-1a under the Standard dropdown list?

2. Do I set Adobe PDF Preset to PDF/X-1a and Standard to the same?

3. Under Standard: there is PDF/X-1a 2001 and PDF/X-1a 2003. As the printer only specified PDF/X-1a which one is the right setting?

Please see screenshot.

Many thanks!!

[Derek Cross · Accepted solution]

Select PDF/X-1, (from the Adobe PDF Presets) choose single pages (not spreads), tick crop marks and tick Use Document Bleed settings.

[rob day · Accepted solution]

If you keep the Standard and Compatibility settings as, PDF/X-1a:2001 and Acrobat 4, the PDF will meet the PDF/X-1a requirement.

You can make changes that will modify the preset (modified)—i.e. changing the Compression settings—and still have a valid PDF/X-1a. Just make sure the Standard setting stays as PDF/X-1a:2001

An Output panel change, like changing the Color Conversion to No Color Conversion, would force the Standard to None and the PDF would no longer be a valid PDF/X-1a

[jeroenduller]

According to the standard, PDF / X-1a 2001 version 1.3 uses PDF which flattens transparency. And PDF / x-1a 2003 is applied to version 1.4 PDF, which allows transparency.
However, in InDesign, when you select PDF / X-1a 2003 the PDF version is set to 1.3 and not 1.4.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF/X

I see no difference between the 2001 and 2003 standard. Even with PDF / X-3 version 1.3 is applied and thus transparency is flattened. Only PDF / X-4 maintains transparency. That's odd to me....