pdf

A quick reference guide covering PDF techniques and repeatable workflows.

Flatten high-quality print PDFs

Workflow for rasterizing complex vector documents to ensure instant loading and maximum compatibility without sacrificing visual clarity.

Import Settings

Open the PDF in Photoshop and configure the rendering engine.

- Crop To: Media Box
- Resolution: 300 Pixels/Inch
- Mode: RGB Color

Changing ‘Bounding Box’ to ‘Media Box’ prevents trimming any margin.

Flatten Image

Merges all layers and paths into a single background layer to ensure instant loading.

Layer > Flatten Image

Save configuration

Use the Photoshop PDF format with specific compression settings.

File > Save As > Select Photoshop PDF

General:
  - Preset: [High Quality Print]
  - Compatibility: Acrobat 8 (PDF 1.7)
  - Uncheck: Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities
  - Check: Optimize for Fast Web View

Compression:
  - Bicubic Downsampling: 300 PPI (above 450)
  - Format: JPEG (Medium Quality)
  - Options: Check Convert 16-bit to 8-bit

Standardize PDF page sizes

A workflow to scale inconsistent document pages to a uniform standard dimension.

Open preflight

Navigate to the print production suite to begin the fixup.

Tools > Print Production > Preflight

Select profile library

Set the library to the correct versioning for scaling tools.

Select ‘Acrobat Pro DC 2015 Profiles’

Found in the top dropdown menu of the Preflight window.

Access scaling tools

Switch to the fixup menu to find page adjustment options.

Click wrench button

Select Scale Tool

Locate the specific page scaling fixup within the Pages category.

Pages > Scale pages to specified size > Edit

Define dimensions

Input the exact millimeter values for the desired output size.

Target Size (US Letter):
- Short Edge: 216 mm
- Long Edge: 279 mm

216mm x 279mm is the standard equivalent for 8.5 x 11 inch paper.

Execute fix

Run the fixup and verify the results.

Click wrench fix (bottom)

Finalize

Save the document once the page sizes are verified.

CMD + S