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This setting can affect flattening performance, especially for complex documents. The raster/vector setting determines how hard the flattener works to keep objects in their vector form in the flattened output. Adjust the Raster/Vector Balance as needed Go to Advanced > Print Production > Flattener Previewģ. Once you flatten your PDF, you cannot make any further edits. Create a backup of your PDF fileĬreating a backup of your PDF file will ensure you can make edits if needed. How to Flatten your PDF file with Adobe Acrobat Option #1 (recommended option) 1.
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You can easily flatten your PDF for print using Adobe Acrobat Pro by following these steps from 2 different options. Once you have saved your final design file as a PDF, you want to make sure you flatten it before you submit it to your printer. With a PDF, what you see is what you will get in your final printed product. Other formats, such as DOC or DOCX, will apply styles and formatting based on the source and version of Word used to view the file. In other file formats, the fonts are not embedded, meaning that if another computer does not have the fonts you used, it will not be able to find the fonts and will replace them with one they have. When the PDF is opened on any computer, all the fonts will be there the way you intended. PDFs capture formatting information from a number of desktop publishing applications, allowing a consistent and unchanging view of what your file should look like from one device to the next.įor example, when you create a PDF, a copy of each font used is added into the PDF file itself. A PDF can be set up to provide your printing company all of the information they need, such as color profile and embedded fonts, to ensure a smooth printing process. Why PDF files are best for printingĪ PDF (short for Portable Document Format) is the universally accepted and preferred file format for many print providers, Printivity included. Whether you are ordering color copies, business cards, brochure, or booklet printing, you will need to submit a flattened PDF. Pro tip: Save a working version of your file as well as a PDF version that you can flatten.
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Flattening a PDF for print removes transparency information and converts images to a format that the printer can read. To avoid this issue, you want to flatten your PDF file for print. If you print your PDF as is, you will only print the layer that is visible onscreen as opposed to all visual elements from various layers. When you create a PDF from layered documents using software such as Adobe InDesign or Adobe Photoshop, your PDF can contain multiple layers with different content on each one. If you’re new to the printing world, or even relatively acquainted, you may be wondering what a flattened PDF file is and how to achieve it.
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