UConvertDoc

PDF/X for Professional Prepress

The ISO 15930 standard for blind file exchanges in commercial printing.

If PDF/A is for archivists, PDF/X is for commercial printers. PDF/X (ISO 15930) eliminates variables that cause prepress failures.

The PDF/X Mandates

A valid PDF/X file must conform to strict rules designed to ensure deterministic output on a printing press:

  • Colorspace Restriction: Only CMYK, Grayscale, or Spot Colors are permitted. No RGB or Lab color spaces.
  • Mandatory Embedding: All fonts and high-resolution images must be embedded.
  • Trim and Bleed Boxes: The document geometry must explicitly define the TrimBox (final cut size) and BleedBox (area outside the cut for ink overflow).
  • No Interactivity: Multimedia, JavaScript, and annotations are prohibited.

Blind Exchange

The goal of PDF/X is "blind exchange"—the ability for a designer to send a file to a print house they have never communicated with, confident it will print exactly as intended without human intervention.