Pass4press, the long-awaited PDF-based standard for
digital ad submission, was launched by the PPA last week.


Emap UK print buyer Andy Franks outlined the standard at a session entitled "The Breakthrough" at the PPA's annual Digital Production Conference .


"The dream is the digital equivalent of right reading emulsion down film," he said. "It had to be PDF - simple, secure and inclusive."


At the heart of the standard are distiller settings for Acrobat 4.05. Files must be supplied composite CMYK as single pages with fonts embedded. TrueType and Multiple Master fonts are unacceptable, as are copydot scans and JPEG images.


Colour proofs must be supplied and pre-flight checking must be carried out using accredited pre-flight applications, which have yet to be decided.


Ripped formats such as TIFF-IT, which some printers and repro houses were calling for, were rejected due to the need to be open and inclusive for all advertisers.


"It's recognised that PDF isn't perfect, but it will work if it is done correctly and the workflow is right," said Franks. "By getting the whole industry behind it, we can increase knowledge."


Franks hoped version two would be launched at next year's conference. It will have taken on board experience gained in production and tackled security and digital contract colour proofing.


Franks carried out the original development work and trials with IPC's pre-press development and quality control manager Debbie Read. During the course of the project many other firms became involved including NatMags, BBC Worldwide, Future Publishing, St Ives and Polestar.


Story by Barney Cox