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Save PDF files

About Photoshop PDF format

You can use the Save As command to save RGB, indexed color, CMYK, grayscale, Bitmap-mode, Lab color, and duotone images in Photoshop PDF. Because the Photoshop PDF document can preserve Photoshop data, such as layers, alpha channels, notes, and spot color, you can open the document and edit the images in Photoshop CS2 or later.

Note:

You can quickly save a file as Photoshop PDF by playing the Save As Photoshop PDF action on the file. You can access this action by choosing Production from the Actions panel menu.

For advanced users, using Photoshop PDF offers options for making the document PDF/X compliant, which is essential, for example, when you send your document to a large commercial press.

PDF/X (Portable Document Format Exchange) is a subset of Adobe PDF that eliminates color, font, and trapping variables that lead to printing problems.

You can also specify security options for restricting access to the PDF document. The 128‑bit RC4 (Acrobat 6 and later) encryption has an option for letting users view metadata and thumbnails in a secure PDF document using Adobe Bridge.

You can save your PDF settings as a PDF preset for creating consistent Photoshop PDF files.

Adobe PDF presets and settings are shared across Adobe components, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Acrobat.

Save as Photoshop PDF

  1. Choose File > Save As, and then choose Photoshop PDF from the Format menu. You can select a Color option if you want to embed a color profile or use the profile specified with the Proof Setup command. You can also include layers, notes, spot color, or alpha channels. Select Save.

  2. In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, choose an Adobe PDF preset specifying whether the Photoshop PDF file will be printed on a desktop printer or proofer, sent to a commercial printer, distributed by e-mail, displayed on the web, and so on. For details, see Adobe PDF presets.

    Choosing a preset is the easiest way to set options for your Photoshop PDF file. After you choose a preset, select Save PDF to generate your Photoshop PDF file. If you want to add security options or finetune the saving options for the PDF, follow the remaining steps in this procedure.

  3. (Optional) Choose options from the Standard menu and the Compatibility menu to specify the PDF/X compliance and the Acrobat version compatibility for the PDF document. For more information, see PDF compatibility levels.

  4. (Optional) Select General in the left pane of the Save Adobe PDF dialog box to set general PDF file saving options. For details of each option, see General options for Adobe PDF.

  5. (Optional) Select Compression in the left pane of the Save Adobe PDF dialog box to specify the compression and downsampling options for the PDF file. For more information, see Compression and downsampling options for Adobe PDF.

  6. (Optional) Select Output in the left pane of the Save Adobe PDF dialog box to specify color management and PDF/X options. For more information, see Color management and PDF/X options for Adobe PDF.

  7. (Optional) To add security to your PDF document, select Security in the left pane of the Save Adobe PDF dialog box. Specify the password and permissions options for your PDF document. See also Add security to PDF files.

    Note:

    The Encryption Level depends on the Compatibility setting of your PDF document. Choose a different Compatibility setting to specify a higher or lower Encryption Level.

  8. (Optional) Select Summary in the left pane of the Save Adobe PDF dialog box. You can review the options you specified.

  9. (Optional) If you want to reuse the PDF save settings, select Save Preset and save your settings as a PDF preset. The new preset appears in the Adobe PDF Preset menu the next time you save a Photoshop PDF file and in any product in the Adobe Creative Cloud. See also Save an Adobe PDF preset.

  10. Select Save PDF. Photoshop closes the Save Adobe PDF dialog box and creates the PDF document file.


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