Berlin - QuarkXPress 2015, expected to be released at the end of March, will allow better, faster, cutting-edge PDF output with the help of callas software. This is because this professional-grade software for layout and graphic design now supports document output in PDF/X-4 format, verified by callas pdfToolbox. This means that PDF/X-4 files exported from QuarkXPress 2015 will be certified with the same technology used in Adobe Acrobat.

“This is exactly the kind of solution we were looking for: something to check and certify that the files we produce meet ISO standard 15930-7”, said Matthias Günther, Global Director of the Desktop Business Unit at Quark Software Inc. This is where the company’s years of collaboration with callas software paid off. “QuarkXPress has long been able to export PDF files, including options to export using the PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3 standards. We already use callas software’s technology to do so”, explained Matthias Günther. Because of the company’s trust in callas software, and callas’ expertise in the field of PDF technology, it quickly became clear that the Berlin-based company was the right partner for adding PDF/X-4 export functionality.
 
callas offers pdfToolbox as a software development kit (SDK) which Quark integrated into its software, allowing it to run in the background. When the user chooses to export a file in PDF/X format, QuarkXPress allows them to select from PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3 and PDF/X-4. If they choose PDF/X-4, pdfToolbox then checks to ensure the new PDF/X-4 file really does meet the ISO standard. If it fails the test, perhaps because of specific elements within the file, the user will receive a notification to this effect. Otherwise, the result is a valid PDF/X-4 file, with all the advantages for further processing which the format brings.
 
In addition to all the properties of PDF/X-3, PDF/X-4 offers features such as unflattened transparency, media-independent colors, and layering. This means it is no longer necessary to reduce transparent sections as early on in the process as the point of PDF creation. Instead, they can be processed in the printing house itself once the final printing color space is known. Media-independent colors are preserved. “This makes QuarkXPress perfect for integrated media-independent workflows”, explained Matthias Günther. Users benefit from fast PDF export, smaller files, and higher quality when printing.