PDF/VT defines a PDF-based VDP job exchange format and will enable rendering of graphically rich content for printing on high speed digital presses by caching repeated text and graphics.

Its publication marks the next major step on the road to realising the full potential of VDP and is expected to simplify and streamline production workflows for direct mail, transactional and transpromo print jobs.

Martin Bailey, chief technology officer at Global Graphics, said: "The clear definition of metadata for VDP jobs in the PDF/VT standard will help the whole industry as it migrates from proprietary and specialist files or data streams towards the use of PDF.

"Amongst other benefits it allows us to provide solutions that will print VDP jobs faster."

The standard is already supported by the latest release of the Adobe PDF Print Engine, APPE 2.5, and will be leveraged by the next generation of workflows and digital front ends.

Naresh Gupta, senior vice president, Print and Publishing at Adobe, said: "We believe that this emerging standard will finally fulfil the promise of VDP and continue to drive digital print growth."

Jeff Perk, director of product management at Pageflex, which became the first to market with a PDF/VT-authoring package last month, added: "PDF/VT brings users all the benefits of a PDF workflow, while advancing the final crucial step in VDP workflows: the efficient ripping and printing of VDP jobs."

A host of suppliers to the digital print sector have thrown their support behind the new standard, including Callas, Kodak, EFI, Global Graphics, GMC, HP Indigo, Konica Minolta, Printable, Screen, Ultimate Technographics, Xerox, and XMPie.