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Portable Document Format/Exchange

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Also known as PDF/X, PDF/Exchange, .pdf, PDFX

PDF/X is a subset of the ISO standard for PDF. The purpose of PDF/X is to facilitate graphics exchange, and it therefore has a series of printing-related requirements which do not apply to standard PDF files. For example, in PDF/X-1a all fonts need to be embedded and all images need to be CMYK or spot colors. PDF/X-3 accepts calibrated RGB and CIELAB colors, while retaining most of the other restrictions of PDF/X-1a.

Key facts

File format.name
PDF/Exchange (Print production)
File format.extension
.pdf
File format.mime
application/pdf
File format.typecode
'PDF ' (including a single space)
File format.magic
%PDF
File format.owner
ISO
File format.extended from
PDF
File format.standard
ISO 15930

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Show 2 more facts
file extension
pdf
media type
application/pdf
Sources (1)

via Wikidata · CC0

~5 min read

Article

5 sections
Contents
  • List of the PDF/X standards
  • Identifications
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

PDF/X is a subset of the ISO standard for PDF. The purpose of PDF/X is to facilitate graphics exchange, and it therefore has a series of printing-related requirements which do not apply to standard PDF files. For example, in PDF/X-1a all fonts need to be embedded and all images need to be CMYK or spot colors. PDF/X-3 accepts calibrated RGB and CIELAB colors, while retaining most of the other restrictions of PDF/X-1a.

PDF/X files must not only follow certain restrictions, they also must contain a special file identification, inside the PDF, which says which PDF/X version they are. This means that a file can only conform to a single specific PDF/X standard, even if all other requirements of another version are met.

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