KB73059439: Automation Engine - Support for PDF page boxes in normalized PDF

Summary

In versions older than Automation Engine 12.1, only Trim box (borders) and Media box (margins) are supported in workflows using normalized PDF files. 

From Automation Engine 12.1 onwards, there is a limited support for additional PDF page boxes (Art box, Bleed box, Crop box). Workflows will try to keep the page boxes defined in incoming PDF files through the workflow. Some task will remove these optional boxes under certain conditions.

Keeping page boxes in the "Normalize PostScript/PDF/Illustrator 8 file" task

When normalizing a PDF file, the Automation Engine generates files that are compliant with the PDF/X-4 rules.

• Each page object of a PDF file includes a Media box.
• Each page object in a PDF file shall include a Trim box or an Art box, but not both. The use of the Trim box is recommended over the use of the Art box.
• If the Bleed box is present, the Art box or the Trim box shall not extend beyond the boundaries of the Bleed box.
• If the Crop box is present, none of the boxes namely Art box, Trim box, or the Bleed box shall extend beyond the boundaries of the Crop box.
• None of the boxes namely the Art box, the Trim box, the Crop box, or the Bleed box shall extend beyond the boundaries of the Media box.
  

Boxes not complying with these rules will be removed during normalization.

 Keeping page boxes in normalized PDF tasks

All normalized PDF tasks will keep the compliant page boxes. However, when the Trim box or the Media box is affected by tasks such as Fit margins in the Optimize and Clean task, then these tasks will remove the optional page boxes.