PDF/VT is an ISO standard published in 2010 as ISO 16612-2. It is a PDF file format designed for variable data printing (where content changes for each recipient, e.g., direct mailings) and transactional printing (e.g., invoices, statements and transpromotional communications). See PDF/VT for more information.
View PostThe PDF Association is a key independent organization working for the understanding and adoption of International Standards for PDF by vendors, customers and governments. Their mission is to “promote Open Standards-based electronic document implementations using PDF technology through education, expertise and shared experience for stakeholders worldwide.” Visit pdfa.org for more information.
View PostPDF/UA is the ISO standard for accessible PDF technology. The PDF Association’s PDF/UA Competence Center has released an algorithm encompassing all “shall” statements in ISO 14289-1 (PDF/UA). This document, the Matterhorn Protocol, provides the definitive technical blueprint for accessible PDF files. There’s already an implementation of the Matterhorn Protocol in PAC 2.0, the free accessibility checker […]
View PostPDF/X is a subset of the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) specification that is intended to reflect best practices in graphic arts file exchange. PDF/X-1a restricts the content in a PDF document that does not directly serve the purpose of high-quality print production output, such as annotations, Java Actions, and embedded multimedia. See PDF/X for […]
View PostPDF/UA is the ISO standard, ISO 14289-1 published in 2012, that provides a set of guidelines for producing universally accessible PDF documents as well as specifications for compliant assistive technology (such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, or joysticks) and PDF reading software. If the PDF/UA technical and semantic requirements are followed, universally accessible files can be created […]
View PostProposed ISO standard tailored for complex engineering documentation used in manufacturing, AEC, and geospatial; subset of Adobe PDF 1.6. Addresses primary areas of concern: Accurate and predictable document behavior Review and commenting support Including complex 3D and metadata in PDF Participants include Adobe, Bentley, Solidworks, Autodesk, Hewlett Packard, Océ, Intel, US Army Corps, NGA, UGS, […]
View PostPDF/A is an ISO standard that specifies the use of PDF for the long-term preservation of compound documents as electronic data. The key requirement for PDF/A documents is complete self-containment such that all information necessary for consistent long-term display is embedded in the file. PDF/A-1 is currently based on Adobe’s PDF 1.4. PDF/A-2 and PDF/A-3 are based on […]
View PostThere’s so much to PDF it is difficult to define precisely. Following is the official definition from the PDF Reference 1.6 Chapter 2: “THE ADOBE PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT (PDF) is a file format for representing documents in a manner independent of the application software, hardware, and operating system used to create them and of the output […]
View PostPortable Document Format (PDF) is now ISO 32000-1:2008 based on the PDF Reference 1.7., an International Standard and a publication of the International Standards Organization (ISO). The document is managed by a democratically organized and open committee of subject matter experts through ISO’s Technical Committee TC 171, Administered by ANSI and AIIM. The official document may be purchased from the ISO website: ISO […]
View PostMillions of US citizens must use assistive technology (AT) to read electronic content. A decade ago this month, the US Federal government’s Section 508 regulations went into effect to ensure equal access to information. Just as intended, the regulations – applicable to both the Federal government and its contractors – accelerated commercial activity around meeting […]
View PostHighlights from last week’s meetings in Salt Lake City. Determining the future trajectory of a technology – if you’re interested in the technology and in the uses to which that technology is put – can be fascinating. If your business or institution has a significant investment in electronic document technology, then you’ll probably find it useful to […]
View PostFew know it yet, but a new paradigm for document capture begins in 2011. This is the year in which PDF/A and PDF/UA become cornerstone International Standards for electronic documents in the decades and centuries ahead. This is the year in which document capture begins its fourth paradigm – semantics. My old company started life as […]
View PostThoughts on this week’s Beyond the PDF workshop and suggests that scientists join engineers in pioneering real-world solutions for science publishing. The Beyond the PDF Workshop is currently in-session, running from January 19-21, 2011 at the University of California, San Diego. Why is the workshop entitled “Beyond the PDF”? It’s a plain, unvarnished fact that much […]
View PostLet’s step back a moment, and get metaphysical about electronic content. Can we do that? Whatever else they might possess, electronic documents always possess two things: objects and semantics. Document “objects” are the physical characters, images, lines, bullets and other features that consume ink or toner when printed. Document “semantics” define the logical relationships between the aforementioned objects. Most […]
View PostPDF is one of the most common file-formats on the planet. Why is it so pervasive? Why is it PDF that serves mankind as the undisputed universal electronic equivalent of paper, and not some other technology? A large part of the answer lies in the fact that PDF is extraordinarily sophisticated; clever and robust enough to […]
View PostPlease join Appligent Document Solutions CEO Duff Johnson in Rome for the PDF/A Competence Center’s Fourth International PDF/A Conference on September 29–October 1, 2010 in Rome, Italy. The conference offers lectures by international experts, tracks for different areas of focus and interest in PDF/A as well as workshops on the practical use of PDF/A. PDF/A Competence […]
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