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I need to validate several PDF documents (books) that I am writing in LaTeX.

They are documents for print on demand and the publisher asks me PDF files compliant with PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-3:2002.

What software, free or paid (not excessively expensive, I am only interested in validation) could I use?

Software I've seen on this topic:

  • VeraPDF: It's free, but it claims to be a PDF/A file validator

  • PDF Studio: It is not clear to me what kind of validations it does. They offer various types of software, such as a Java API called pdfpreflight to validate PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-3:2002.

  • Master PDF Editor: Does not talk about validation.

NOTE: I have discarded Scribus because the documents are written and generated in LaTeX.

A. Cedano
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3 Answers3

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The only answer to your literal question — what software can validate PDF/X? — is to purchase commercial tools and run a "preflight" check, as others have said.

But, do you need to validate your PDF/X or is the goal to generate a valid PDF/X? I'm guessing all you want is to generate valid PDF/X and then let the publisher, who has already purchased Adobe's validator, do the validation.

Generating valid PDF/X-1a:2001

Step 1: Install pdfx.sty

apt install texlive-latex-extra

That installs CTAN's pdfx package. Here is the manual for pdfx.sty.

Step 2: \usepackage{pdfx}

To use it, just add the following line at the beginning of your document:

\usepackage[x-1a1]{pdfx}

Step 3: Add metadata to mainfilename.xmpdata

Presuming the name of your main file is "main.tex", create a file called "main.xmpdata" and add in metadata. There are a lot of options and none are mandatory, but you probably want to at least have your name on it:

\Title{Baking through the ages}
\Author{A. Baker\sep C. Kneader}
\Language{en-US}
\Keywords{cookies\sep muffins\sep cakes}
\Publisher{Baking International}

Other options

  • If you want to generate PDF/X-3:2003 compliant output, you'd use [x-303] instead of [x-1a1]. See the documentation for the full list of standards available.

  • If you are picky about color, which is what PDF/X is for after all, you can use .xmpdata to specify all sorts of color profiles. I recommend against it as it can be a thorny path, but it is available if you need it.

  • You can also embed the main.xmpdata directly in your main LaTeX file using \begin{filecontents*}{\jobname.xmpdata}…\end{filecontents*}. If you do that be sure you put it at the top of the file before the \documentclass line.

hackerb9
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The need for PDF/X-1a:(2001) or PDF/X-3:(2002) comes, I think primarily or totally, from Ingram-Spark. They pretty much run the global POD book world and will accept nothing else. There is one open source DTP, Scribus, that exports manuscripts (text and imagines) as either one of the two, and I know that their exports pass muster with Ingram-Spark. I have taken chapter-sized manuscripts to just a local print shop and they convert regular PDF's to either one of the two (PDF/X-1a preferred) for a small fee ($10. US).

JohnJR
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The industry standard is Adobe Acrobat Pro, with its Preflight tools. They allow to verify compliance, and they also allow to create compliant files (which is more important).

FWIW, PDF/X3 is IMHO obsolete. Either stay with PDF/X1-a or go directly to PDF/X4 or newer.

Max Wyss
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