How PDF Generator works

Here is an example of how PDF Generator works.

  1. An administrator accesses Administration Console to customize the default PDF settings, security settings, and file type settings that control how PDF Generator converts documents. The administrator also configures PDF Generator to periodically scan a folder, called a watched folder, for files to be converted.

  2. A client application places a native file for conversion to PDF in the watched folder.

  3. LiveCycle periodically scans the watched folder for files to be converted at intervals and specified by the administrator when the watched folder was configured. LiveCycle invokes PDF Generator and provides the file for conversion.

  4. PDF Generator uses the default settings that the administrator specified in Administration Console to convert the native file to PDF and moves the resulting PDF document to the Out folder.

Document conversion to PDF/A

The DocConverter service converts documents to PDF/A:

  • Transforms PDF forms, XML forms (created in Designer), and PDF forms created in Acrobat to PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b.

  • Converts signed or unsigned PDF documents (Digital Signatures required).

  • Validates the compliance of a PDF/A file and converts it if necessary.

LiveCycle fully supports the DocConverter service and does not require call to Acrobat to convert or report on compliance.

Redaction

The PDF Utilities service provides options for you to redact PDF documents that have been marked up for redaction using the options in Acrobat. You redact portions of the document that might contain sensitive information to be removed from the document. Unlike Acrobat, the redaction feature in LiveCycle redacts only the visible portions that are marked for redaction.

Document types suitable for conversion to PDF

The following file types are suitable for conversion to PDF:

  • PostScript and Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) files

  • Native file types

  • PDF files

Using PDF Generator, workgroups can convert PostScript files to compact, reliable, and more secure PDF files over a network. Conversion from PostScript to PDF is frequently used to convert large volumes of print documents to electronic documents such as invoices and statements. Document can also be converted to online reports such as business intelligence reports. Converting documents to PDF also lets enterprises send their customers a paper version and an electronic version of a document.

PDF Generator can also convert many native file formats to PDF. Such file formats include all Microsoft Office types, including Word and Excel. Support for the Open Document Format (ODF) through the use of OpenOffice increases the scalability of PDF Generator.

Using PDF Generator, you can convert PDF to other file formats, such as PDF files to print-ready (PostScript) format, without manually invoking Acrobat. You can also convert PDF files to TIFF images.

Input file formats to PDF

PDF Generator converts these native file formats to PDF:

  • Adobe FrameMaker® 7.2, 8 (FM)

  • Adobe PageMaker® 7.0 (PMD, PM6, P65, PM)

  • AutoCAD files (DWG)(English only) (Via Acrobat )

  • Image files (JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, PNG)

  • Microsoft Office 2007, and 2010 (DOC, XLS, PPT, WPD, MPP, RTF, TXT, PUB, VSD, MPP, PUB, Microsoft Office open XML Formats).

  • OpenOffice 3.3 (ODT, ODS, ODP, ODG, ODF)( Windows, Linux and Solaris only)

  • Print files (PS, PRN, EPS)

  • Video formats, including SWF and FLV (Windows only)

  • WordPerfect X4 (English only)

  • Web files (HTML)

  • Office Document Writer (XPS) (Windows only)

Note: The PDF conversion of FM, PMD, PM6, P65, PM, DWG, MPP, SWF, XPS, FLV, PUB, VSD, WordPerfect documents, and Microsoft Office documents (DOC, XLS, PPT, WPD, MPP, RTF, TXT, Microsoft Office open XML Formats) is possible only if Acrobat XI Pro is installed. Microsoft Office documents require respective Microsoft Office installed on the server.

For more information, see the LiveCycle Administration Console Help (also accessible in the Administration Console).

PDF to output file formats

Using PDF Generator, you can convert PDF files into other file formats:

  • Print-ready format (PostScript) without manually invoking Acrobat

  • TIFF images

  • HTML 4.01 with CSS 1.0

  • PDF/A-1a that uses only the DeviceRGB colorspace

  • PDF/A-1b that uses only the DeviceRGB colorspace

  • DOC, RTF, TXT, DOCX,PPTX,XLSX

  • PDF/E-1 that uses only the DeviceRGB colorspace

  • XML (1.0)

  • JPEG, JPEG 2000, TIFF, and PNG

  • PostScript and Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)

Open standards support

The following output file formats are supported when the input file is other than PDF:

PDF/X-1a:
When a document is converted using the Adobe PDF setting called PDFX1a 2001, PDF Generator produces PDF documents. These documents must be checked by or conform to PDF/X-1a:2001. PDF/X-1a:2001 is an ISO standard for graphic content exchange. PDF documents can be opened using Acrobat or Acrobat Reader 4.0 and later. PDFX 1a is specified in ISO 15930-1.

PDF/X-3:
When a document is converted using the Adobe PDF setting called PDFX3 2002, PDF Generator produces PDF documents. These documents must be checked by or conform to PDF/X-3:2002. PDF/X-3:2002 is an ISO standard for graphic content exchange. PDF documents can be opened using Acrobat or Acrobat Reader 4.0 and later. PDFX3 is specified in ISO 15930-1.

PDF/A-1b:2005:
When a document is converted using the Adobe PDF setting called PDFA-1B, PDF Generator produces PDF documents. These documents conform to the ISO archival standard for the long-term preservation of electronic documents (called PDF/A-1b). PDF/A-1b is specified in ISO 19005-1.

Searchable PDF (Windows only):
This feature is especially useful in converting image file formats such as TIFF. The conversion process uses optical character recognition (OCR) to associate character shapes with the characters they represent. When the resultant searchable PDF file is opened in Acrobat, the document looks the same as the original. However, now you can select the characters (using the text tool) and you can search for them.

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