PDF versions and the PDF/X standards

This page applies to Harlequin v13r1 and later; and to Harlequin Core but not Harlequin MultiRIP.

PDF was first introduced over 30 years ago and has evolved through many iterations since then, most recently under ISO stewardship as parts of International Standard 32000. Global Graphics normally adds support for each new version either just before, or very shortly after, the standard is published. Please see release notes and/or the appropriate Harlequin product brochure for up-to-date notes on exactly which PDF versions are supported by any RIP version.

The Harlequin RIP supports most versions of PDF/X and PDF/VT. When processing these files the RIP can be configured to verify that the file conforms to a specific standard, and to modify color and overprint settings to help ensure that the printed output matches the expected output for that standard.

Identification of a file as PDF/VT may also be used to automatically turn on Harlequin VariData when processing it. For details of supported PDF/X and PDF/VT standards, please see release notes and/or product brochures. PDF/X and PDF/VT files can also be processed as baseline PDF.