Esko-Graphics incorporates Certified PDF

Certified PDF has taken a major step towards industry standard status following the announcement that Esko-Graphics has incorporated Certified PDF into its Scope packaging pre-production workflows. Artwork Systems has already announced its packaging workflow systems will be Certified PDF-compliant.
The Certified PDF format is designed to meet the preflight requirements of modern prepress workflows, based on the Enfocus PitStop profiles as defined by the Ghent PDF Workgroup (GWG). The Ghent PDF Workgroup is an international assembly of industry associations whose goal is to establish and distribute process specifications for best practices in graphic arts workflows. Esko-Graphics is an active member of the GWG.
Adobe PDF is a file-format that may contain many different types of objects and constructs; not all of them equally suited for print production. The Ghent PDF Workgroup’s primary activity is to build sets of guidelines for the creation, exchange and quality control of PDF files between document creators and document receivers. Such guidelines or profiles are created for a number of specific market sub-segments, including packaging.
Jan De Roeck, marketing director Packaging Software at Esko-Graphics, comments: ‘Preflighting incoming PDF jobs is a necessary task in print workflows – and even more so in modern packaging. Using the Enfocus PitStop Server within an automated ticket-based Scope workflow, a file can be verified using any given PitStop profile to verify compatibility of the resulting PDF file with the requirements of the document receiver, usually the printer/converter. Combined with proper file generation, this process allows users to immediately – and automatically – create Certified PDF files.’