PDF/X-1a format shows white lines around image frame

[urstwile]

Anyone seen this before?

The layout is built in InDesign CS2, there's a background tiff image, then on top of that there's a psd file with a transparent background, with a drop shadow applied. All type sits on the top layer.

When the file is exported as PDF/X-1a, the psd file shows a thin white line around the graphic frame of the image.

The lines don't print on our printer here.

Another weird thing is that when I export the file as "High Quality Print", the lines don't show up.

Clues anyone?

Thanks in advance!

[PersonasBinar]

Sounds like where the transparency gets rasterized into the background image to create the printable transparency/drop shadow. You can max out your flattening settings, but eventually something will have to be rasterized like that.

[urstwile]

Not sure I completely understand. It appears as if the white lines represent the bounding box of the psd, however, the image background is transparent. I even ran around the image edges with the eraser to make sure there were no stowaways.

It's odd that the High Quality Print format doesn't do it.

Whoa, backup! I just changed the compatibility of the PDF/X-1a to Acrobat 5 (PDF1.4), the default was Acrobat 4 (PDF1.3), and the lines go away.

I'm not sure if it's kosher to do that, though.

[rickself]

I think you're kosher. Also, try PDF/X-3.
Seems to be the one I'm starting to use more often than X-1a. Preps takes the X-3 file without a hitch.

[urstwile]

Thanks Rick. The PDF is going to a publication (Sports Illustrated), and they requested PDF/X-1a.

I'll try digging around their requirements a little more however, to see if I can learn any more about what they don't like.

[bryanbuchanan]

I've seen ads printed with those white lines and they seem to have printed fine... I don't know if they went as-is or someone in prepress caught it and fixed it.

I try to combine all raster objects into one "background" image and the only objects sitting on top are the vector shapes, that way they're kind of dummy-proof + the files sizes are a little smaller.

[Broacher]

It's likely just a viewing 'artifact' of the Acrobat viewer's anti-aliasing module. And yes, all PDF-X files get flattened. To get rid of the white lines, go to Acrobat preferences/smoothing tab and unclick 'smooth line art' and see if that does it.

[urstwile]

Seemed like upping the compatibility to Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4) got rid of the lines. I will try your other suggestion though, Broacher. Thanks!

["Technical" Terry]

I notice quite a bit when I create a pdf there are artifact issues on screen that do not print. Usually, narrow lines that are close to each other but not intersecting.
Anyway, if I "zoom in" to the document in acrobat or preview, the artifacts disappear. If they go away when I do this, and I don't see it in the print, I go for output. Haven't had a problem yet.