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• • November 9, 2019 at 6:17 am #1195863
    Fran O’Reilly

    Member

    Hi,

    I’m experimenting with placing SVG files in Indesign 2020, a feature I hope to use a lot.

    I placed one simple SVG image (no fonts, only outlines) and one JPEG image in a one page Indesign document, exported it as PDF-X/1a, then created an inventory for it in Acrobat DC. Both the SVG image and the JPEG image are faithfully reproduced in the PDF.

    However, while the JPEG appears as an image object in the inventory, the SVG does not. Why does the inventory not pick up the SVG? Is it in the PDF?

    Thanks for any help in understanding this.

  • November 9, 2019 at 8:45 am #14323742
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    What happens if you place a PDF or .AI file into InDesign and export to PDF… does that image appear as an object? I would expect SVG to act similar to a placed PDF.

  • November 9, 2019 at 2:36 pm #14323741
    Fran O’Reilly

    Member

    Hi David,

    When I export a one page Indesign document with a placed PDF image and placed JPEG image (as you suggest) the Acrobat DC preflight inventory reports the placed PDF image as:

    “Color Space 1 (out of 1)
    on page 1

    Color Space properties:
    DeviceN color space: “Black” (0.0/0.0/0.0/1.0)

    Color name
    Black
    Alternate color space
    DeviceCMYK color space”

    While the JPEG image is reported as an image:

    “Image 1 (out of 1)
    on page 1

    Image properties:
    Page 1: CMYK
    Width/Height (pixel): 181/482
    Bits per color component: 8
    Treated as a mask: False
    Perform interpolation: False
    Compression/encoding
    JPEG compression (DCTDecode)
    DeviceCMYK color space”

    So while the placed PDF image is reported, the SVG for the same image was not.

  • November 9, 2019 at 4:16 pm #14323740
    Fran O’Reilly

    Member

    I tried the same with a placed .AI file and a JPEG image, and the .AI file was treated like the SVG image earlier. That is, though the .AI file image was faithfully reproduced in the exported PDF, it did not show up in the preflight inventory report.

    My concern is whether or not I will be able trust preflight profiles and single checks I run in Acrobat DC on PDF exports of InDesign documents I’ve placed SVGs in if Acrobat DC does not report them as part of a PDF’s inventory.

    I am reassured somewhat that Acrobat DC seems to treat placed .AI files like placed SVGs, since people place .AI files in InDesign all the time (though I don’t and I use Inkscape for SVGs).

  • November 9, 2019 at 5:08 pm #14323739
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Yeah, I think that if they’re treated much like .AI files, then they’re probably fine. Interesting point though!

  • November 12, 2019 at 1:05 pm #14323724
    David Goodrich

    Participant

    Acrobat Pro’s category of Image Object would appear to be limited to raster images: images formed from collections of vectors are something else, apparently undefined as far as Acrobat is concerned. For many versions, now right-clicking with Acrobat Pro’s Edit Object tool has been able to show the metadata for individual raster images, while vector images lack “object-level metadata” even though the vector images are included as distinct “object streams” within the PDF structure, the same category as raster images. Acrobat Pro’s Edit Object can select individual vectors, and with shift-click can collect several, but vector images seems to lose their original integrity.

    For a while I have been using Adobe Illustrator CS6 to apply various categories of metadata, including Title and Description, to charts and diagrams before inserting them in ID, hoping that when PDF 2.0 arrives it will allow object-level metadata for vector images. A while ago I stumbled upon the “-ee” parameter for Phil Harvey’s wonderful ExifTool, allowing display of metadata in embedded objects. Lo and behold, sample PDFs yielded the Title and Description embedded in the AI artwork. Clearly, ID has been passing the information along. Perhaps Acrobat Pro simply disaggregates vector objects; hopefully other professional tools (from Callas, Enfocus, iText. others?) handle this better.

    As for PDF 2.0, over on InDesign’s Acrobat forum, Dov Isaacs suggested on October 7th that PDF 2.0 support will not become mainstream before the second half of 2020:

    https://community.adobe.com/t5/Acrobat/Acrobat-Pro-DC-create-PDF-2-0/td-p/10654727

    David

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