Learn the Ins and Outs of PDFs
We are here to help you become a PDF expert. We want to provide you with the tools and skills you need to tackle PDF-related tasks with confidence and ease.
Tech corner
Can linearization be combined with digitial signatures and PDF/A conformance?
Linearization is a feature to optimize PDF files for sequential reading. Although it is very useful in web based applications it interferes with other features such as digital signatures.
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Are the PDF/A space requirements a show stopper for archiving?
A PDF/A document requires that all resources such as fonts, color profiles, etc. must be embedded in the file. The archiving of transactional documents can be nightmare because such documents are usually short by nature ...
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Scan to PDF/A - some insights
Traditionally a scanner produces a TIFF or JPEG image for each page. Some of them can directly produce PDF files. And newer devices produce files conforming to the PDF/A standard. However, the quality of the produced fil ...
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Handling embedded and non-embedded fonts in PDF & PDF/A documents
Although the first part of the PDF/A standard was published in 2005 there is still a need for some clarifications regarding fonts and embedding. What does the standard exactly require? How should PDF to PDF/A converters ...
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PDF 2.0 - A quick overview
It is rare for industrial products to survive for more than 20 years – especially in the IT industry. Not even the inventors of the PDF could have imagined just how successful their file format would be when they launche ...
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PAdES - PDF Advanced Electronic Signature
What is PAdES? What does it have to do with PDF? What can PAdES do? For all these questions, there are detailed answers on the web. This article is meant to give a brief overview as a small guide in the jungle of terms.
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Do the PDF scan conversion rules have an impact on anti-aliasing?
The scan conversion rules in PDF are special in the sense that none of the publically available graphics libraries implements them. On the other side almost every PDF rendering engine implements an anti-aliasing mechanis ...
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Utility to simplify the import of certificates and private keys into a PKCS#11 cryptographic token (HSM)
The 3-Heights™ Security API supports the creation and verification of digital signatures using a cryptographic token via a PKCS#11 interface. However, the component can only be used if the token has appropriate certifica ...
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How to create tagged PDF/A from Microsoft Word documents with decent quality
Microsoft Word offers an add-in to save a document as a PDF/A file. Good to hear, I thought. I ran the output through the PDF Validator for a standards conformance check. No complaints. That's great, isn't it. So, I shed ...
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A best practice for using output intents
Output intents describe the characteristics of the device on which a document is intended to be rendered. Traditionally, the target device is a printer. But, how about display monitors?
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How to process device specific colors in PDF
The chapter about rendering in the PDF standard specifies how to transform colors from one device specific color space to another and gives hints on how to transform calibrated colors to device specific colors. But most ...
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A good PDF printer tool can be amazingly versatile
As the name suggests a PDF printer tool is meant to put the contents of a PDF document onto paper. However, it is surprising how many applications can be built when using a printer tool in collaboration with the Windows ...