2 An introduction to HELIOS PDF HandShake
PDF HandShake fully utilizes the benefits of PDF in existing production environments. Automated server-based PDF generation, PDF printing, PDF OPI, PDF preflight and batch tools are the striking features of this product.
Note: 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, JPEG2000, 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 (with HELIOS ImageServer) and then placed in other documents, or they can be printed directly, or exported for imposition.
2.2 New PDF HandShake features
For new features in the PDF HandShake software see the HELIOS web site:
For HELIOS Base, the foundation used by all HELIOS UB products, see the Base product web page:
PDF HandShake is fully integrated with EtherShare, PCShare, and 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 creation via HELIOS printer queues
- PDF Internet Printing: Accept remote delivery of PDF print jobs over the Internet
PDF HandShake has built-in ICC based color management, co-developed by Heidelberg and HELIOS. Prior versions were licensed to Apple Computer for use in Mac OS 9 as the ColorSync 2.6 CMM (
Color Matching Module). 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 ink-jet 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-res files
- Export of PDF files for imposition and final printing of the PostScript jobs that come from the imposition program
- ICC profile tagging
- Downsampling
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, please read the PrintPreview data sheet or the manual that is available on your distribution CD-ROM.
The PDF HandShake product consists of:
- Server modules:
- PDF extension for EtherShare/ImageServer
- Server command line tools (see 6 "PDF HandShake utility programs"):
- "pdfprint"
- "pdfcat"
- "pdfform"
- "pdfinfo"
- "pdfnote"
- "pdfresolve" (requires HELIOS ImageServer)
- "pdftoeps" (requires HELIOS ImageServer)
- Macintosh tools:
- "PDF HandShake" print and export plug-in for Acrobat (or Adobe Reader) on Macintosh
- "HELIOS Plate Control" plug-in for Acrobat on Macintosh
Note: The Macintosh tools work with Acrobat up to version 6.
Each of these modules supports a specific workflow. Together, they offer maximum flexibility when using the PDF file format. For additional help with HELIOS command line utilities, use the
-h switch.
Acrobat 6 (which introduced PDF 1.5) supports many additional features, e.g. JPEG2000 and JBIG2 images, content layers, object stream compression, etc.
The following non-printing related features are not supported in PDF HandShake UB:
- Embedded QuickTime/Flash multimedia data
- Printing of Acrobat forms
- Flattening of transparencies for EPS/PostScript output
- ImageServer and PrintPreview previews of PDF patterns will be displayed as gray areas
- Asian double-byte fonts
