PDF HandShake fully utilizes the benefits of PDF in existing production environments. Automated server-based PDF generation, PDF printing, PDF-native OPI, PDF preflighting, and batch tools are the striking features of this product.
HELIOS PDF HandShake runs on top of the foundation provided by HELIOS Base. Please read the HELIOS Base manual for installation instructions and other important details.
The PDF file format allows storing illustrations, text, and images in one file. It supports several color spaces like RGB, CMYK or Lab, several compression modes such as JPEG, JPEG 2000, JBIG2, ZIP, CCITT, and the font types PostScript and TrueType. Editing does not require a specific application software on a specific platform, you only need the Acrobat software.
With PDF HandShake, PDF becomes a perfect exchange format. Logos, illustrations and complete documents can be provided as PDF and used for any workflow, depending on your individual requirements. The PDF files can be transformed into EPSF (HELIOS ImageServer required) and then placed in other documents or they can be printed directly or exported for imposition.
For new features in the PDF HandShake software see the HELIOS website:
www.helios.de Go to What is new in UB2.
For HELIOS Base, the foundation used by all HELIOS products, see the HELIOS Base product web page:
www.helios.de Go to Products > HELIOS Base.
PDF HandShake is fully integrated with EtherShare, PCShare, WebShare, and optionally with ImageServer.
PDF HandShake together with EtherShare, PCShare or WebShare offers e.g. the following features:
Easy administration via HELIOS Admin
Printing separations of composite PDF files
Editing and printing pre-separated PDF documents
Color matching
Create PDF Server: Automatic PDF generation via HELIOS printer queues
PDF transparencies are fully supported
PDF HandShake has built-in ICC based color management, co-developed by Heidelberg and HELIOS. For your convenience, we include in our software package a number of ICC profiles for different devices. Note that PDF HandShake recognizes embedded ICC profiles in PDF files and supports tagging-by-reference, where only a reference to the profile is embedded.
Proof printing
You can define profiles for both your final output
device (printer or press), and a proof printer (e.g. an
inkjet printer). Thus, if you print to the proof printer,
you will obtain a very close simulation of the colors your
final output device would produce.
If you are using ImageServer as well, additional features become available for PDF files, e.g.:
Automatic generation of EPSF layouts from PDFs
Transformation of PDF into EPSF high-resolution files
Export of PDF files for imposition and final printing of the PostScript jobs that come from the imposition program
ICC profile tagging
Downsampling
PDF-native OPI (resolve image references in PDF files)
Please note that OPI comments that are included in a PDF file (including nested OPI references) can be resolved by ImageServer.
PrintPreview offers powerful preview options for all HELIOS print jobs. For details refer to the PrintPreview manual, which is available on your distribution CD.
The PDF HandShake product consists of:
Server modules:
PDF extension for EtherShare, PCShare, WebShare, ImageServer, PrintPreview
Server command line tools (see 6 “PDF HandShake utility programs”):
“pdfprint”
“pdfcat”
“pdfform”
“pdfinfo”
“pdfnote”
“pdfresolve” (requires HELIOS ImageServer)
“pdftoeps” (requires HELIOS ImageServer)
Mac tools:
“PDF HandShake” print and export plug-in for Acrobat on Mac
“HELIOS Plate Control” plug-in for Acrobat on Mac
“HELIOS Plate Control” is supported up to Acrobat 6.
Each of these modules supports a specific workflow. Together, they offer maximum flexibility when using the PDF file format.
Acrobat supports many additional features, e.g. JPEG 2000 and JBIG2 images, content layers, object stream compression, etc.
The following non-printing related features are not supported in PDF HandShake UB2:
Embedded QuickTime/Flash multimedia data
Printing of Acrobat forms
ImageServer and PrintPreview previews of PDF patterns will be displayed as gray areas