Introduction

The 3-Heights™ PDF Producer creates files compliant with PDF and PDF/A from any Windows application via the print function. PDF/A has been acknowledged world-wide as the ISO standard for long-term archiving since 2005. PDF/A documents can also be created at the touch of a button from within Microsoft Office Suite and displayed automatically thanks to a plug-in.

The OEM version offers software development partners a multitude of additional options. The product is characterized by its high speed and the outstanding quality of its PDF/A-compliant conversions.

Brief Description

Performance Characteristics

• High performance
• High conversion quality
• PDF/A compliance
• Integrated viewing
• Synchronous generation
• Simple integration
• Windows terminal server installation
• Direct, client-based generation
• Parallel, server-based generation via the network

Areas of Use

• Generation and editing (managing)
• Email dispatch
• Archiving

Functions

• Selectable level of conformity
• Use of Unicode and ANSI
• Comprehensive support of Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters (CJK)
• Selectable image compression quality
• Selectable resolution
• Font embedding (including subsets)
• More than 100 standard page formats
• Port monitor for automated, configurable filing
• TIFF Producer
• Customized installation procedure (OEM version only)

Sectors

• All sectors, in particular:
  • Public sector
  • Telecommunications
  • Banking and insurance
  • Retail and wholesale trade

Functions

The PDF Producer converts documents from any Windows application into PDF, PDF/A or TIFF. Page format, compression and other parameters are customizable. Fonts can be embedded, whereby either the entire font set is stored or only the subset of characters actually used in the document. The viewer integrated in the desktop version displays the file immediately after conversion. The OEM version can handle multiple print jobs at the same time. Synchronous generation means that the files are available again immediately after conversion - a huge benefit for integration in applications.

Functions

• Select PDF conformity: 1.4, 1.5, PDF/A-1b
• Automatically detect and adjust portrait and landscape formats
• Use Unicode and ANSI font sets including Asian font sets (Chinese, Japanese and Korean)
• Print in color or grayscale
• Set image compression quality (e.g. JPEG)
• Select resolution
• Embed fonts and form subsets
• Set compression for bitonal images (G3, G3-2D, G4, JBIG2, ZIP, Packbits)
• Set compression for indexed images (LZW)
• Set compression for color and grayscale images (JPEG, ZIP)
• Encrypt and password-protect files; set access authorization rights
• Select from more than 100 standard page formats
• Downsample images (optional)
• Linearize PDF files
• Embed fonts (optional)
• Subset fonts (optional)
• Set standard settings for all users
• Set customized settings per user
• Port monitor for automated and configurable filing of generated PDF files
• Predefined settings in TIFF Producer (Fax N, Bitonal, Grayscale, RGB, CMYK)
• Automatic resolution limitation to prevent memory space problems

Additional OEM Functions

• C interface for customized installation procedures
• Generation from a proprietary application (e.g. MS Office Plug-in)
• Transfer of XMP metadata
• Customizable originator name

Formats

Input Formats

The tool accommodates all input formats supported by the print function of the proprietary application (e.g. Microsoft Word).

PDF Producer Output Formats

• PDF
• PDF/A

TIFF Producer Output Formats

• Bitonal
  • uncompressed
  • CCITT G3
  • CCITT G3-2D
  • CCITT G4
  • LZW
  • ZIP
  • Packbits
• Grayscale (4 or 8 bit), RGB and CMYK
  • uncompressed
  • LZW
  • JPEG
  • JPEG (old)
  • ZIP
  • Packbits

Compliance

ISO 19005-1 (PDF/A-1)
ISO 32000 (PDF 1.7)

Benefits

Properties and Benefits

The 3-Heights™ PDF Producer enables simple and fast generation of high-quality PDF and PDF/A documents from within a large number of applications. The OEM version is even more compelling thanks to ease of integration, adaptability to specific requirements and extensive flexibility through customized installation procedures. These capabilities support the high quality standards of software products and refines them in the form of highly reliable PDF generation.

Performance Characteristics

• High performance
• High conversion quality
• PDF/A compliance
• Integrated viewing
• Synchronous generation
• Simple integration
• Windows terminal server installation
• Direct, client-based generation
• Parallel, server-based generation via the network

Areas of use

Email Dispatch

The 3-Heights™ PDF Producer employed in email dispatch converts digital documents to PDF/A ready for sending.

Areas of Use

• Generation and editing (managing)
• Email dispatch
• Archiving

Archiving

The PDF Producer serves the purpose of archiving digital documents generated by proprietary applications (for instance, Microsoft Office or AutoCAD) that do not offer a qualitative "Save to PDF" function or do not guarantee PDF/A-compliant generation.

Sectors

• All sectors, in particular:
  • Public sector
  • Telecommunications
  • Banking and insurance
  • Retail and wholesale trade

Technical details

Architecture and Application Options

The printer driver architecture of the 3-Heights™ PDF Producer generates PDF documents directly instead of via PostScript. The tool comprehensively supports GDI interface graphic functions and also reproduces Asian characters correctly. Files can be generated on the client or in parallel on the server via the network. Filing the generated files can be managed via a port monitor. The PDF Producer can be used as a printer driver, a Microsoft Office plug-in, as a web service for direct PDF generation or for integration in a proprietary application (OEM version).

Variants and Options

Product Variants

• Desktop version
• OEM version

Formats

Input Formats

The tool accommodates all input formats supported by the print function of the proprietary application (e.g. Microsoft Word).

PDF Producer Output Formats

• PDF
• PDF/A

TIFF Producer Output Formats

• Bitonal
  • uncompressed
  • CCITT G3
  • CCITT G3-2D
  • CCITT G4
  • LZW
  • ZIP
  • Packbits
• Grayscale (4 or 8 bit), RGB and CMYK
  • uncompressed
  • LZW
  • JPEG
  • JPEG (old)
  • ZIP
  • Packbits

Compliance

ISO 19005-1 (PDF/A-1)
ISO 32000 (PDF 1.7)

Platforms

Operating Systems

• Windows 2000, 2000 Server – 32 and 64 bit
• Windows XP, 2003 Server – 32 and 64 bit
• Windows Vista, 2008, Windows 7 on Intel – 32 and 64 bit (scheduled)

Interfaces and Languages

Interfaces

• API

Programming Languages

• C (OEM version only)
   

Product Code

CRE

Related Products

• 3-Heights™ Document Converter Service

Further Product Details

The 3-Heights™ PDF Producer can generate PDF documents from within any Windows application. It is very fast thanks to a real GDI printer driver, offers synchronous and parallel PDF document generation and can generate PDF/A-compliant files.

The 3-Heights™ PDF Producer is more than just a printer driver for fast and synchronous PDF document generation. It can also generate PDF documents in parallel, offers client-based and server-based PDF generation, is equipped with an API for integration in applications and includes a special option for generating 100% PDF/A-compliant documents.

Please note: API functionality is usually made available to OEM customers only. We recommend that companies and integrators purchase the 3-Heights™ Document Converter Service, which includes an API and many other methods of utilization, or the 3-Heights™ PDF Desktop Producer as a pure printer driver (see also under "Related Products").