Wide Format Imaging

Note: This story is part two of a two-part series on PDF workflow. The first part, appearing in the August issue, concentrated on the current uses of a digital workflow. This part focuses on some of the visionary views of a digital PDF workflow.

Some day formats will be "smart" enough so a document or graphic of any size can adapt automatically to handheld computer or display for a wide-format machine. In the meantime, the PDF is providing a step toward more compatible and customer-friendly workflows everywhere.

The first part of this series explored the use of PDF workflow as a means to bridge to digital workflow, particularly for small-format. This portion will explore workflow less defined by machine, PDF workflow in a job-defined environment and some of the visionary views of PDF workflow in the future.

Xerox uses a business model for workflow designed to help its customers develop the right business model, technology and workflow to support it, according to Deb Cantabene, vice president for workflow marketing, Xerox. It includes PDF.

A wide-format shop sometimes has headaches with opening, sizing, and formatting of documents. PDF workflow is not exactly the headache remedy, as it has not gained complete acceptance for non-narrow format areas, but such groups as the Ghent Workgroup are working at standards like PDF/X (uniform set of options for pre-press printing instruction options) with dozens of different worldwide groups.

PDF/X will address 70 percent of problems, according to Vicki Blake, who is executive director of the Ghent Workgroup and director of Business Development for Enfocus Software, San Mateo, CA. Add the Ghent Workgroup practices, she says, to solve 25 percent more problems on top of that.

"Since PDF/X is an ISO standard," Blake said, "you can't create a standard for the entire printing industry of one recommended resolution. PDF/X just restricts PDF to print. Ghent Workgroup recommends best practices for specific print workflows like magazine ads, newspaper ads and like sheet-fed CMYK, or sheet-fed with spot color or offset or black and white."