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The Fundamentals of Content RenderingUSING PDF TO MEET DEPARTMENTAL DOCUMENT GOALS

The Fundamentals of Content Rendering – Using PDF to Meet Departmental Document Goals

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ContentsLooking at the Recent Data Explosion ............................................................................3

Diversity of File Formats and Content ........................................................................4

The PDF Standard for Document Publishing and Collaboration ........................................5

Rendering Documents to PDF ..................................................................................6

PDF: The-Not-So-Standard Standard .......................................................................7

Why Free PDF Isn’t Really Free ................................................................................8

Understanding Advanced Rendering: When Basic PDF Just Isn’t Enough ......................9

Adlib PDF and Advanced Rendering .............................................................................10

Creating Next-Generation Documents: Convert, Combine, Enhance ............................10

Moving Toward Next Generation Document Rendering ..............................................11

Advanced Rendering with Adlib to Support Today’s Business Needs .................................11

Appendix A – Sampling of Agencies that Use PDF/A or PDF for Archiving .........................13


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The Fundamentals of Content Rendering – Using PDF to Meet Departmental Document GoalsToday’s businesses require a method of sharing and exchanging content in a common format

that combines divergent file formats into a single document, and provides the standard for

archiving data, meeting compliance requirements, ensuring quick access to information and

collaborating among business units.

The Portable Document File–or PDF–has emerged as the solution.

This white paper examines the functionality of PDF and provides insight on key considerations

that many organizations may not be aware of when using PDF or evaluating PDF vendors to

meet their document processing needs.

Looking at the Recent Data Explosion Organizations in all industries are experiencing a data explosion as individuals and business

units create vast amounts of data daily, and the numbers are constantly rising due to government

regulations and general business protocols.

The growth is significant: 15 petabytes of new information is created each day. By 2020, B2B

transactions on the internet will reach 450 billion per day.

This data explosion is driven by a number of inter-related factors:

• Online growth: By 2015, nearly 3 billion people will be online, creating and

sharing 8 zettabytes of data

• File-type traffic growth: Consumer traffic on the internet is increasing. File

sharing is growing by 23% and data-sharing by 29%

• Enterprise data growth: We will see 650% growth in enterprise data, partially

due to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring companies to store all financial records

INPUTS OUTPUTS

TIFF

DWG


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DIVERSITY OF FILE FORMATS AND CONTENTContent exists in a variety of different file types. There are literally hundreds of popular and

legacy file types used by organizations today. Common files types include:

• Microsoft® Office

• Email

• CAD

• XML

• HTML

These are only a few examples of the common file types in use. However, enterprise organizations

need to be able to deal with less common, legacy formats as well, from Ami Draw® to XyWrite®,

and everything in between, including:

• HP® Graphics Language

• IBM® Writing Assistant

• Kodak FlashPix®

• Lotus 1-2-3®

• Corel® WordPerfect

• Crystal Reports

• OpenOffice®

This list is, of course, only a sampling–the modern workplace includes these popular and

legacy file types and hundreds more.

The range of file formats is a real issue for today’s organizations for a number of reasons. Many

businesses tend to believe that their work is focused largely on Microsoft Office document file types.

However, these organizations are often surprised when they dive into the range of file types and

versions their employees encounter in their work. For example, many businesses are increasingly

using and sharing Microsoft® Visio® documents. Visio is dependable and commonplace.

CONTENT VARIETY: SOURCES AND FORMATS


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While working in different file formats may not seem like an issue, there are a number of other

factors to consider when employees are using a plethora of authoring programs:

• What about sharing divergent file types with colleagues and external stakeholders?

• What happens if the other party does not have the source application?

• Are all file types shareable and viewable on mobile devices and tablets?

• Which applications will be available 20 years from now, and is there any guarantee that

the files will be viewable on those applications?

An organization must consider these factors when developing a document output management

strategy. The most effective solution is to convert the overabundance of file formats into one

universally standard file format, hence the increasing interest from organizations in document-

to-PDF rendering.

The PDF Standard for Document Publishing and Collaboration The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format used to represent documents in a

manner independent of application software, hardware or operating systems. Each PDF file

encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document, including the text, fonts,

graphics and other information needed to display it. PDF is truly the only digital equivalent of

paper that enhances the value proposition of virtually any document management solution.

Over the past decade, PDF has become the standard output format. Originally introduced

by Adobe in 1993, the PDF file format was formalized by the International Organization

for Standardization (ISO) and is now managed by them. Throughout various industries and

countries, PDF has emerged as the preferred, recommended and often required solution to the

document dilemma. See Appendix A for a sample list of countries and agencies that rely on

PDF output for their document output management strategy.

PDF takes input documents–normally office documents such as text documents, spreadsheets

and presentations–and renders them into a single digital file.

The PDF file contains everything needed to display any kind of content, including:

• Text

• Raster and vector graphics and images

• Videos

• Audio

• Fonts

• Rendering instructions such as PostScript

• Metadata


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PDF brings all of these factors together in a single file. PDF also creates file sizes smaller than

the native file, which allows for shorter download times from the web or archiving locations.

Organizations, regardless of industry, rely on the PDF standard as it offers a number of key

benefits:

• PDF retains and protects the original content in its native form. This includes images,

text and fonts

• PDFs are viewable on virtually any device, including PCs, laptops, mobile devices and

tablets with no additional software required

• PDF has emerged as a standard for submitting documents for regulatory procedures,

including Sarbanes-Oxley or FDA submissions

• PDF is widely used by government agencies to make information publically available

through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests or National Archive Records

Administration (NARA) archiving

• PDF is also the preferred solution for long-term archiving, and the PDF/A solution provides

significant benefits for archiving programs

RENDERING DOCUMENTS TO PDFRendering is a common term associated with PDF. It refers to the process of taking source

documents and creating copies in another format. In the typical workplace scenario, the source

documents are Microsoft Office documents and the output format is PDF.

Rendering a file involves a number of factors that affect a PDF’s overall quality. Two common

measurements of quality are text and font, and graphics and images:

Text and font: A PDF should faithfully and properly convert a document’s text. Fonts are

either fully embedded or partially embedded, and this affects the PDFs fidelity towards the

native file.

Graphics and images: PDF quality is commonly described in terms of the files’ DPI (dots

per inch)–as in photographs. A PDF can contain both raster graphics (photos and images)

and vector graphics (drawings and illustrations). As with photos, a higher DPI will result in a

higher quality rendering of the PDF.

As a document is rendered, the conversion of each of these factors plays a role in determining

the document’s final quality.

The terminology for rendering differs among organizations and industries, and while

companies may refer to conversion, transformation, content output and PDF-ing, this

paper uses the term rendering to describe the conversion of popular and legacy files

types–including Microsoft Office documents, CAD, XML, HTML and other formats–into a

standardized PDF format.


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PDF: THE-NOT-SO-STANDARD STANDARD Although PDF is a standard file format, there are many different types or versions of PDF that

are optimized for specific organizational use cases.

PDF has a range of solutions to accommodate the specific needs of various industries and their

common file formats.

As the standard evolves, there will be even more advanced solutions available tailored to the

unique needs of various industries. It has taken a number of years and versions for the PDF to

evolve into what it looks like today.

Since its introduction over 20 years ago, PDF has continued to advance. Throughout this

constant process of development and evolution, the PDF application continues to address the

changing needs of businesses by sharpening its features and making changes to quality.

Which version of the PDF is your organization using, and how can you be sure it’s right for your

business needs? More and more, advanced business processes in today’s organizations need a

solution that overcomes the challenges of version control and poor rendering quality.

THE EVOLUTION OF PDF

Common PDF Variations

PDF/A PDF for Archive File format for long-term preservation

PDF/X PDF for Exchange File format for the graphic technology prepress digital data exchange

PDF/E PDF for Engineering File format for engineering document management

PDF/VT PDF for exchange for variable data and transactional (VT) printing

File format for a variable data exchange for the graphic technology sector

PDF/UA PDF for Universal Access File format for the enhancement of accessibility

To becontinued ...


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With the many versions of PDFs available, and the different archiving, compliance and

document management needs of each organization, simply pressing the “print-to-PDF” button

isn’t always the best solution. Organizations that have document output management needs

can turn to technology partners who have experience and expertise in dealing with the specific

formats they require, and who can assist in implementing the most efficient solution to help

organizations execute their document output management strategy.

In some cases, especially where the organization is dealing with complicated multiple file

formats and has a large daily volume of conversion needs with strict compliance standards

to adhere to, more advanced PDF formats and solutions are necessary. The basic PDF

options available may not easily integrate with back-end systems and architecture, and may

cause more complications in the long run, instead of leading toward much-needed rendering

efficiency. Organizations need to consider the many factors that will help make their document

output management strategy a success, such as document fidelity, rendering speed, quality

and enhanced features available.

WHY FREE PDF ISN’T REALLY FREEWhile PDF offers many benefits, modern business processes have more advanced needs and

the basic rendering process does little to meet their more sophisticated demands. Free convert-

to-PDF tools that often come with office software or can be downloaded from the internet

can lead to complications down the line, such as document quality and human error, leading

to additional man hours and costs to rectify the situation and implement a more advanced

solution. Nothing is ever free, as the age-old saying goes.

Organizations dealing with large volumes of content and a need to execute their document

output management strategy require advanced PDF features:

Fidelity: This term describes a faithful or accurate copy of the original source document.

However, basic rendering lacks many of the advanced features which make fidelity a more

robust component of PDF. True fidelity is a 100% copy of the original document, and is

something that is almost impossible to achieve with basic rendering software.

Searchability: At the basic rendering level, PDFs are unsearchable and have limited use

for more advanced processes such as Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems,

e-discovery or litigation support work. Content which has been scanned and converted to

PDF using basic rendering software lacks the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature

to make those files searchable. Images or graphics containing text are also unsearchable

without OCR implementation in basic rendering.

Multiple file format processing: The PDF’s basic rendering process cannot accurately

and dependably convert the entire range of possible file formats. A more advanced PDF


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solution can convert over 400 file types into high-fidelity, searchable PDFs, making business

processes more efficient and manageable.

Automated conversion: Businesses with large content management requirements will benefit

greatly from an automated rendering system. A basic rendering solution relies on manual

intervention to convert documents, which can lead to human error. Advanced transformation

systems automate the process of rendering, and as a document is created, saved or shared,

it can be converted and added to its appropriate place in the content management system or

archival space.

Consistency: Organizations with document rendering needs across departments and business

units should consider the importance of consistency in their file formats. By deploying

an organization-wide rendering system, consistency can be ensured across the board. In

addition, by using one Advanced Rendering system, time and resources don’t need to be

spent on managing multiple document rendering programs.

UNDERSTANDING ADVANCED RENDERING: WHEN BASIC PDF JUST ISN’T ENOUGHAdvanced Rendering offers sophisticated document output management by implementing a set

of specialized features that meet the requirements of small and large organizations dealing with

content management issues.

Some of the key features of an Advanced Rendering solution include:

High-fidelity conversion of 400+ file types including Microsoft Office, Lotus Notes®, CAD

drawings, images, faxes, scans, emails, maps, forms, charts, and other types of content. True

fidelity is a 100% copy of the original document.

Conversion of images into fully-searchable PDFs—including JPG, TIFF, CAD and vector

graphic—through advanced Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and support for barcode

and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR). Content which has been scanned and converted to

PDF using basic rendering software lacks the Optical Character Recognition feature to make

those files searchable.

Intelligent and automated document assembly and merging with application of tables of

contents, headers and footers, watermarks, active hyperlinks, digital signatures and security

settings. With automated document assembly and merging, users and/or workflows can

automatically render and merge multiple documents to PDF eliminating the time wasted on

manually assembling files.

http://www.adlibsoftware.com/products-and-solutions/file-type-support.aspx


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Metadata-driven rendering for document workflows that automate business processes.

Using shared transformation services allows content to be personalized or tailored to a

specific business process automatically and consistently. Take for instance the lifecycle state

of a document which is tagged as DRAFT in the metadata. That piece of metadata can

dictate that the document be automatically stamped with a DRAFT watermark.

Integration into commonly-used ECMs and other repositories, including not only

Enterprise Content Management tools like EMC® Documentum®, IBM® FileNet®, OpenText®

and Microsoft® SharePoint®, but also Workflow, PLM, ERP and other systems such as K2,

Nintex® and Dassault ENOVIA®.

Enterprise-grade architecture is a key element of an Advanced Rendering deployment.

IT departments need to ensure these tools support massive scalability, high availability,

fault tolerance, load balancing and can be monitored and controlled from a centralized

management console.

Adlib PDF and Advanced RenderingWhile basic rendering with free print-to-PDF software might meet the needs of individuals, they

fall short when it comes to organizations and departments with Advanced Rendering needs.

Basic rendering software is not able to create high-fidelity documents that are searchable, work

with multiple file formats and are consistent across departments throughout the organization.

Advanced Rendering technology is designed to work with the complex requirements of

departments and organizations that have document output management needs.

CREATING NEXT-GENERATION DOCUMENTS: CONVERT, COMBINE, ENHANCEAdlib is the industry leader in enterprise document-to-PDF rendering software. Adlib’s Advanced

Rendering solution converts virtually any document or image to a high-fidelity PDF, helping

organizations execute their document output management strategies.

But Adlib does more than just convert documents to PDF—it integrates directly into business

systems and document-centric processes, adding value to content and creating a next-

generation document through three steps: Convert, Combine and Enhance:

• Convert: Adlib converts documents from over 400 file formats while retaining the fidelity of

text, graphics, fonts and other important attributes

• Combine: Adlib transforms multiple documents with varying file extensions into a single

compound PDF file for ease of use and collaboration

• Enhance: Adlib improves the document’s structure and efficacy through automated

watermarks, table of contents, headers, footers and other features

For more information

visit Adlib’s Advanced

Rendering page.

http://www.adlibsoftware.com/advanced-rendering.aspx




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THE INPUTS AND OUTPUTS OF THE ADLIB CONVERT, COMBINE AND ENHANCE

ADVANCED RENDERING PROCESS

MOVING TOWARD NEXT GENERATION DOCUMENT RENDERINGAdlib has over ten years of experience helping organizations to achieve their document output

management goals, from a departmental level to an enterprise level. When it comes to content

rendering, Adlib has demonstrated over 99.99% reliability when converting high volumes of

documents with its industry-leading Advanced Rendering solution.

Unlike basic rendering tools, Adlib software does more than just convert a file to PDF. Content

is enhanced with a multitude of features, indexed as required, automated to increase efficiency,

driven by metadata and made searchable with OCR implementation. The result is a high-fidelity

PDF that meets document compliance standards, has a small file size perfect for archiving, and

makes organizations’ business processes efficient and productive by eliminating human error

and manual intervention.

Advanced Rendering with Adlib to Support Today’s Business NeedsToday’s business environment is experiencing a data explosion due to online growth, a multitude

of current and legacy file types, and enterprise data increase due to government and compliance

regulations. With a host of factors to consider, organizations are turning to PDF as the industry

standard for rendering documents into a regulated format. A PDF file allows organizations to

share documents without concern for having native authoring applications or issues with file size.

The PDF standard certainly has its benefits and addresses many of the challenges organizations

face when attempting to execute their document output management strategies. However, as

organizations are finding, not all PDFs are equal, and the free convert-to-PDF applications

INPUTS OUTPUTS

TIFF

DWG


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are too basic for their rendering requirements, lacking true file fidelity, OCR searchability,

the aptitude to transform over 400 file types, conversion automation and consistency across

business units.

Adlib, the PDF Expert, is a technology partner with experience helping organizations to achieve

their document output management goals by providing Advanced Rendering solutions that

integrate seamlessly with a company’s existing Enterprise Content Management system. Adlib

PDFs include a variety of enhanced features that meet the needs of organizations across

industries and verticals, and address the issues today’s organizations are facing when it comes

to content rendering and document management strategies.


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Appendix A – Sampling of Agencies that Use PDF/A or PDF for Archiving

Organization Format Mandated, Recommended, or

Accepted

US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) PDF/A Accepted

US Food and Drug Administration PDF Mandated

US Nuclear Regulatory Commission PDF Recommended

Library Archives Canada PDF/A Recommended

European Commission (MoReq) PDF/A Recommended

German Government (SAGA v4) PDF/A Recommended

French Government PDF/A Recommended

Dutch Government PDF/A Mandated

National Archives of Sweden PDF/A Accepted

Austrian National Library PDF/A Recommended

The National Archives of Norway PDF/A Recommended

Organization for the Promotion of Automated Accounting PDF/A Recommended

Brazilian Government PDF/A Mandated

US District Courts PDF/A Mandated

Victoria, Australia, Public Record Office PDF Mandated

Italian government archiving standard PDF Accepted

Taiwan National Central Library PDF Recommended

Switzerland government PDF/A Recommended

European Court of Human Rights PDF Accepted

Spain: Economy and Taxes Department PDF/A Accepted

Publication Office of European Union PDF/A Recommended

Library of Congress PDF/A Recommended

Government Record North Carolina PDF/A Recommended

Adlib Publishing Systems Inc.

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Phone 905-631-2875

Fax 905-639-3540

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Sales 1-866-991-1704

Support 1-866-991-1705 (North America Only)

Printed in Canada. All rights reserved.

Adlib is the leading expert in document-to-PDF conversion, enabling the world’s largest organizations to improve the efficiency,

quality and control of document-intensive business processes to optimize productivity, mitigate risk and reduce costs. As the

trusted technology provider to Global 2000 organizations, Adlib brings over a decade of expertise supporting more than 5,000

international companies and government organizations to help them reduce the financial exposure and risk of non-compliance

with regulatory agencies; reduce IT costs by centralizing document conversion; and leverage document-to-PDF as a shared

service across the enterprise. Adlib is a proud Microsoft Certified Gold Partner and a member of the PDF/A Competence Center.

For more information, visit www.adlibsoftware.com.

215-3228 South Service Road, Burlington, Ontario Canada L7N 3H8 | 1.866.991.1704 | 1.905.631.2875 | +44 (0) 1454 776688 | adlibsoftware.com

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