novartis pharma artwork file specification - ghent · pdf fileat a novartis plant =>...

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Stephan Jaeggi, PrePress-Consulting, Switzerland

PDF/X-4 Case Study

Novartis Pharma Artwork File Specification

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Stephan Jaeggi, PrePress-Consulting, Switzerland

n  Printing & Packaging Engineer since 1981 n  Professor (part time) at Swiss Engineering School for

Printing and Packaging (1982-1997) n  Typesetting system manager at large printer (1981-86) n  IT consultant at Swiss Printers Associations (1986-1991) n  Principal of PrePress-Consulting since 1991 n  Technical Expert to ISO TC130 (PDF/X) since 1998 n  Technical Officer of Ghent PDF Workgroup (2006-2013) n  Certification Officer of PDFX-ready since 2005 n  Member of the CIP4 Adivisory Board (JDF) since 2000 n  PDF Expert at Novartis Pharma Packaging Strategies

Group since 2010

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Digital Vision Control System (DVCS)

n  Introduction of quality control systems at Novartis

Manuscript

Printed product Print file previous version

Bitmap comparison Bitmap comparison

Text comparison

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

PDF requirements for DVCS tools

n  Text comparison tool n  Live text (not vectorized) n Well defined font encoding

(Unicode, standard encoding)

n  Pixel comparison tool n Minimum image resolution n  TrimBox/BleedBox to define area of inspection n  Clear identification of technical colors

n Cutting n Braille n Non-printing (Creasing, Perforating, VarnishFree,

InkFree, ...)

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Analysis of existing artwork files

n  Text of all artworks (except leaflets) vectorized n  Each typesetter used diff. names for technical colors

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Analysis of existing artwork files

n  Problems with flattend transparency n  Conversion of spot color to process color n  Conversion of text to vector or images n  Overprinting problems

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Analysis of existing workflow

n  Many different file formats n  Print files

n Adobe Illustrator CS2, CS3, CS4, CS5 n Adobe InDesign CS2, CS3, CS4, CS5 n EPS Level-2, Level-3 n PostScript n PDF 1.3, PDF 1.4 n PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3 n …

n  Ready for Print (Approval) n PDF n PDF Preview (flattened CMYK)

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Novartis Artwork File Specification (NAFS)

n  Common file standard for n  DVCS Text comparison tool n  DVCS Pixel comparison tools n  Ready for Print (Approval) n  Print files

n  Used for all printed packaging material n  Folding boxes, labels, foils, blisters, pouches, leaflets and

brochures n  Increase predictability and reliability n  Make life easier for everybody

n  Drug Regulatory affairs n  Artwork operation n  Typesetter n  Printer n  QC (Quality control)

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

NAFS is based on international standards

n  International Standards Organization (www.iso.org) n  ISO 15930 (PDF/X – Standard for prepress digital data

exchange) n  ISO 12637 (Graphic technology – Vocabulary)

n  Ghent PDF Workgroup (www.gwg.org) n  GWG2012 PDF/X-Plus Specification n  Proof of Preflight (Preflight Audit Trail) n  Storing non printing contour (packaging) data in PDF

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

PDF/X-4 (ISO 15930-7)

n  PDF 1.6 n  Native (live) transparency n  Reliable font embedding n  (Layers) n  Better compression (JPEG2000, object compression) n  Smaller files (no flattened content) n  Less display problems on monitors and desktop

printers (transparency instead of overprinting) n  Compatibility with PDF/A (ISO standard for

archiving)

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

PDF/X-4 Plus (GWG2012_SheetSpot)

n  Color n  Spot colours with different names shall not have the same appearance. n  The appearance of a spot colour shall be consistent. n  Registration colour (spot colour „All“) shall not be used inside BleedBox. n  Total Area Coverage (TAC = sum of all colour chanels) shall not exceed 320%. n  The colour values of rich black text (in CMYK or DeviceN) shall not be larger than

K=85% and TAC=280%. n  The following colour spaces shall not appear as direct colour spaces, alternate colour

spaces or as transparency blend colour spaces: DeviceRGB, ICCbasedRGB, CalRGB, ICCbasedGray, CalGray, ICCbasedCMYK, Lab.

n  The transparency blend colour space shall be DeviceCMYK.

n  Overprinting n  Print elements defined in grayscale shall not be set to overprint. n  White text shall not be set to overprint. n  White pathes shall not be set to overprint. n  Black text smaller or equal to 12 points and defined in CMYK shall be set to overprint. n  Black text smaller or equal to 12 points shall not be defined in DeviceGray. n  Black lines with a line width less than 2 points in CMYK shall be set to overprint. n  Black lines with a line width less than 2 points shall not be defined in DeviceGray.

n  Miscellaneous n  No empty pages. n  Font „Courier“ shall not be used.

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Additional Novartis restrictions

n  Live text (with embedded fonts) n  No layers n  Output Intent = Coated FOGRA39 n  CMYK and Pantone Coated only n  Novartis Technical Colors * n  Minimum image resolution

n  300 ppi for CMYK and grayscale n  1200 ppi for bitmap (1bit)

n  Braille with vectors n  Bleed = 2 mm n  File name extension: _X-4

* Based on GWG specification "Storing non * printing contour (packaging) data in PDF"

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Four levels of PDF specifications

PDF/X standard (ISO)

GWG2012 SheetSpot

(GWG)

GWG2012 WebCMYK

(GWG)

GWG2012 MagazineAds

(GWG)

PDF specification (Adobe)

PDF/E

PDF/A

Publication, company specific restrictions

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Mandatory preflight check

n  Typesetter must perform a preflight check with the Novartis preflight profile for each artwork

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Preflight Audit Trail (GWG standard)

n  Result of the preflight check is embedded in the PDF

n  Generic digital signature to indicate changes of the PDF after the preflight check

no changes with changes

© 2012, stephan.jaeggi@prepress.ch

Experience from 2 years production

n  20'000+ PDF/X-4 artworks created and printed n  Reactions of suppliers

n  Acceptance by global typesetters was very good n  Only a few printers cannot (or want not) accept PDF/X-4 files

n  One label printer in the US n  One flexo printer needs AI files with vectorized text for trapping

n  Problems n  Creation

n  Not able to create valid PDF/X-4 files because of .notdef problem (reason: bug in Creative Suite 5; finally solved in Creative Suite 6)

n  Output n  Compatibility issues with old GhostScript RIP of a flexo imagesetter

at a Novartis plant => conversion profile for Acrobat Pro n  Disappearing objects because two printers used old PostScript

workflow (transparency flattening and not honoring overprinting)

Communication is very important when a new standard is introduced!