User Guide

Correcting problem areas with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro)

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  18. Preflight (Acrobat Pro)
    1. PDF/X-, PDF/A-, and PDF/E-compliant files
    2. Preflight profiles
    3. Advanced preflight inspections
    4. Preflight reports
    5. Viewing preflight results, objects, and resources
    6. Output intents in PDFs
    7. Correcting problem areas with the Preflight tool
    8. Automating document analysis with droplets or preflight actions
    9. Analyzing documents with the Preflight tool
    10. Additional checks in the Preflight tool
    11. Preflight libraries
    12. Preflight variables
  19. Color management
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    4. Working with color profiles
    5. Understanding color management
  20. Troubleshoot
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    3. Adobe Acrobat license has either expired or not been activated
    4. Adobe Acrobat license has either expired or not been activated
    5. Edit PDF forms created in LiveCycle Designer
    6. Insufficient data for an image error on Adobe Acrobat
    7. Resolve errors related to the AcroCEF/RdrCEF processes of Acrobat or Acrobat Reader

About preflight fixups

You can use the Preflight tool to fix many errors in a document. You add error corrections, called fixups, to a profile to do this. The fixup automatically corrects the problem, if possible, or provides information so that you can correct the problem in the source file. A profile with a fixup has the gray wrench icon next to it. An outline of a wrench means no fixups are associated with the profile.

Preflight includes several predefined fixups that you can add to a profile. These cover a broad range of errors that affect color, fonts, images, print production, compliance with international standards like PDF/X and PDF/A, and other areas. Preflight also includes a toolkit for creating your own single fixups.

Note

A fixup permanently changes the document.

For example, fixups can perform the following actions to correct errors:

  • Convert color spaces, just as the Convert Color feature does.

  • Repair documents and eliminate unneeded content to reduce file size, just as PDF Optimizer does.

  • Convert the PDF to a different version.

  • Widen hairlines.

  • Flatten transparency.

  • Remove objects outside the trim and bleed boxes.

  • Prepare the PDF for PDF/X, PDF/E, or PDF/A conversions.

  • Set document information.

Add fixups to a profile

The Preflight tool includes a collection of fixups to add to a profile. These are all available from the Fixups section of each profile.

  1. Open Acrobat, and select All tools > Use print production > Preflight.

  2. Open the Preflight dialog box by selecting Preflight from the left pane. Select a profile, and select Edit next to the profile name.

    The Preflight dialog box is shown

  3. Expand the category with the profile you want, and then expand the profile. Then select Custom fixups from the items under the profile.

    If necessary, unlock the profile so that you can modify it. Select Unlocked from the drop-down menu at the upper-left.

    The Preflight dialog to Edit Profile is shown

  4. Select a fixup from the column on the right and then select the left-facing arrow to move the fixup to the column on the left. 

    You can add as many fixups as you want.

    Note

    To remove a fixup from a profile, select the fixup from the list on the left and click the right-facing arrow.

Edit Fixup dialog box overview

The Edit Fixup dialog box lists the types of predefined fixups you can add to a profile, and the values associated with each fixup. You can use the Edit Fixup dialog box to change the values associated with a fixup, or create a custom fixup based on an existing one. Like checks, fixups are organized by categories.

The Edit Fixup interface is shown

A. Fixup name B. Fixup categories C. Search D. Areas in the fixup that can be modified  E. Fixup criteria F. Button to see which profiles use the fixup 

Create or modify fixups

You can create a custom fixup for certain jobs or output devices. The settings you specify determine what output intent is used, what color conversions take place, how images are compressed and sampled, and what PDF compatibility level the PDF must support. Although you can modify any predefined fixups, it's better to duplicate an existing fixup and change its values as long as they are unlocked. This technique is useful if the fixup belongs to multiple locked profiles, and you don’t want to find and unlock all those profiles.

A duplicated fixup is unlocked by default because it does not yet belong to a profile. You can also create a single fixup that can be quickly run without it being part of a profile.

Create a fixup for a profile

  1. In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, go to Select Profiles.

  2. Select a profile and select Edit next to the profile name.

  3. Select Custom fixups from the left pane of the Preflight: Edit profile dialog box. 

  4. If necessary, select Unlocked from the drop-down menu.

  5. Under Custom fixups In this profile, select the New icon .

  6. Name the fixup and specify the criteria using Fixup category section. Once done, select OK.

Create a fixup based on an existing one

  1. Follow steps 1 through 4 for creating a fixup for a profile.

  2. In the Preflight: Edit Profile dialog box, select the fixup on which you want the new fixup to be based, and select the Duplicate button  on the right.

  3. Modify the information in the Preflight: Duplicate Fixup dialog box or create a new column.

  4. To see which profiles currently use this fixup, select Usage. You may need to unlock other profiles before you can modify the fixup.

  5. Do any of the following, and select OK:

    • Enter the name in the Name box at the upper-left to rename the fixup.

    • Specify options or values for each selected fixup option to change how an error is handled.

Create a single fixup

  1. In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, select the Select Single Fixups button .

  2. Select Options, and then select Create Fixup.

  3. Name the fixup and specify the criteria.

    The new fixup appears in the group appropriate to its category and type.

Duplicate a single fixup

  1. In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, select the Select Single Fixups button .

  2. Select an existing fixup, and select Options > Duplicate Fixup.

Set up favorite single fixups

  1. In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, select the Select Single Fixups button .

  2. Select the fixup you want to set up as a favorite.

  3. Select the flag next to the name, and select Favorite.

    The Preflight dialog box is shown and the flag option is highlighted

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