PDF Presets in Adobe Illustrator.

A PDF preset is a group of settings that affect the PDF creation process. These settings are designed to balance file size with quality depending on how the PDF will be used. Most predefined presets are shared across AdobeCreative Suite components, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat. You can also create and share custom presets suited to your unique output requirements. Some of the presets listed below are not available unless you move them as needed from the Extras folder (the default location where they are installed) to the Settings folder. Normally the Extras and Settings folders are located at (Windows Vista and Windows 7) ProgramDataAdobeAdobePDF, (Windows XP) Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataAdobeAdobe PDF, or (Mac OS) Library/Application Support/Adobe PDF. Some presets are not available in some Creative Suite components. Custom settings are located at (Windows XP) Documents and Settings/[username]/Application Data/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings, (Windows Vista and Windows 7) Users/[username]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings, or (Mac OS) Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings.

High Quality Print

Creates PDFs suitable for quality printing on desktop printers and proofing devices. This preset uses PDF 1.4; downsamples colour and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to 1200 ppi, embeds subsets of all fonts, leaves the colour unchanged, and does not flatten transparency (in file types that support transparency). These PDFs can be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later. In InDesign, this preset also creates tagged PDFs.

Illustrator Default (Illustrator only)

Creates a PDF in which all Illustrator data is preserved. PDFs created with this preset can be reopened in Illustrator without any data loss.

Oversized Pages (Acrobat only)

Creates PDFs suitable for viewing and printing engineering drawings larger than 200 x 200 inches. These PDFs can be opened in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader 7.0 and later.

PDF/A-1b: 2005 (CMYK and RGB) (Acrobat only)

Used for long-term preservation (archiving) of electronic documents. PDF/A-1b uses PDF 1.4 and converts all colours to either CMYK or RGB depending on which standard you choose. These PDFs can be opened in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later.

PDF/X-1a (2001 and 2003)

PDF/X-1a requires all fonts to be embedded, the appropriate marks and bleeds to be specified, and colour to appear as CMYK, spot colours, or both. Compliant files must contain information that defines the printing condition for which they are prepared. PDFs created with PDF/X-1a compliance can be opened in Acrobat 4.0 and Acrobat Reader 4.0 and later. PDF/X-1a uses PDF 1.3, downsamples colour and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to 1200 ppi, embeds subsets of all fonts, creates untagged PDFs, and flattens transparency using the High Resolution setting.

Note: Although the PDF/X1-a:2003 and PDF/X-3 (2003) presets are placed on your computer during installation, they are not available until you move them from the Extras folder to the Settings folder.

PDF/X-3

This preset creates a PDF based on the PDF/X-3:2002 ISO standard. The PDF created with this setting can be opened with Acrobat 4.0 and Acrobat 4.0 and above.

PDF/X-4 (2008)

This preset, which creates ISO PDF/X-4:2008 files, supports live transparency (transparency is not flattened) and ICC colour management. The format of the PDF files exported with this preset is PDF 1.4. Images are downsampled and compressed, and fonts are embedded the same way as with the PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3 settings. You can create PDF/X-4:2008 compliant PDF files directly from Creative Suite 4 and 5 components, including Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. Acrobat 9 Pro provides facilities for converting non-PDF/X files to PDF/X-4:2008 if possible, as well as validating and preflighting PDF files for PDF/X-4:2008. Adobe recommends PDF/X-4:2008 as the most appropriate PDF file format for reliable PDF print publishing workflows.

Press Quality

Creates PDF files suitable for high-quality print production (for example, for digital printing or for an imagesetter or platesetter), but does not create PDF/X compliant files. In this case, the quality of the content is mainly considered. The aim is to preserve in the PDF all the information the commercial printer or print service provider needs to print the document properly. This set of options uses PDF 1.4, converts colours to CMYK, downsamples colour and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to 1200 ppi, embeds subsets of all fonts, and preserves transparency (in file types that support transparency). These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later.

Note: Before creating an Adobe PDF file and sending it to a commercial printer or print service provider, find out what the output resolution and other settings should be, or ask for a .joboptions file with recommended settings. You may need to customise Adobe PDF settings for a specific service provider and prepare your own .joboptions file.

Rich Content PDF

Creates accessible PDF files containing tags, hyperlinks, bookmarks, interactive elements and layers. This set of options uses PDF 1.5 and embeds subsets of all fonts. It also optimises files for byte serving. These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat 6.0 and Adobe Reader 6.0 and later. (The Rich Content PDF preset is in the Extras folder.)

Note: This preset was called eBook in earlier versions of some applications.

Smallest File Size

Creates PDF files for viewing on the web, intranet, or for email distribution. This set of options uses compression, downsampling and a relatively low image resolution. It converts all colours to sRGB and embeds fonts. It also optimises files for byte serving. For best results, avoid using this preset if you intend to print the PDF file. These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later.

Standard (Acrobat only)

Creates PDF files for printing on desktop printers or digital copiers, distributing on CD, or sending to a customer as a publication proof. This set of options uses compression and downsampling to keep the file size small, but also embeds subsets of all fonts used (and allowed) in the file, converts all colours to sRGB, and prints at medium resolution. Note that Windows font subsets are not embedded by default. PDFs created with this settings file can be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later.