To realize the dream of ‘blind exchange’ – designers sending PDFs to press without any need to thrash out problems with the printer – a number of standards have been agreed and incorporated into PDF creation software. These include PDF/X-la, which demands that certain items must be included in the file – such as fonts, images, and essential specifications like trim and bleed – and prohibits others that could cause errors. In short, it pre-empts many of the problems identified in the previous page. On the other hand, PDF/X-la also prohibits ICC colour management (see page 194), which is itself a valuable tool for ensuring printed pages appear as you intended!