ISO 16612-3:2020

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 16612-3
First edition
Graphic technology — Variable data
exchange —
Part 3:
Using PDF/X-6 (PDF/VT-3)
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
Reference number
ISO 16612-3:2020(E)
©
ISO 2020

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ISO 16612-3:2020(E)

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© ISO 2020
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
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Published in Switzerland
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ISO 16612-3:2020(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Notations. 2
5 Conforming files and equipment . 2
6 Technical requirements . 3
6.1 General . 3
6.2 PDF/VT-3 file requirements . 3
6.3 PDF/VT-3 file identification . 3
6.4 Document part hierarchy . 4
6.5 Document part metadata (DPM) . 4
6.6 Recurring graphics object definitions . 4
6.6.1 General. 4
6.6.2 XObject usage scope hints . 5
6.6.3 Encapsulated XObjects . . 6
Bibliography . 7
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ISO 16612-3:2020(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 130, Graphic technology.
A list of all parts in the ISO 16612 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
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ISO 16612-3:2020(E)

Introduction
This document defines the PDF/VT-3 document format which specifies methods for the use of the
Portable Document Format (PDF) for the definition and exchange of all content elements and supporting
metadata necessary for printing tasks involving variable or transactional document content. It allows
the specification of document structure, document layout, content data, and interaction of graphical
elements in a graphics model that supports transparency.
PDF/VT is designed to enable variable document printing (VDP) in a variety of environments from
desktop printers to digital production presses, including hybrid workflows involving both conventional
and digital printing. These capabilities are used in the creation of one-to-one customer communication
print applications including direct marketing documents, transactional documents, and trans-
promotional documents, as well as in labels, packaging and industrial print.
The present trend towards the separation of variable document content creation from the details
of print production workflow and printing device dependencies is evolving rapidly, but there is an
increasing need for predictable connectivity between the two.
The primary focus of PDF/VT is on the exchange of content between businesses or within an integrated
environment that produces variable document printing. It is intended to be workflow-architecture-
neutral. PDF/VT itself has no provision for encoding workflow or device-specific control information.
The aspects of device control, resource, and production management are outside the scope of this
document.
PDF/VT does, however, provide a print product metadata framework that may be used to embed
workflow control data within the PDF/VT-3 file, as for example, product intent in a format specified in
ISO 21812-1, or production requirements at a later stage in the workflow in the Job Definition Format
(JDF) or the XML Job Definition Format (XJDF). The job ticket is expected to define the product or
production requirements and draw upon PDF/VT for its content and metadata resources.
This document, which defines PDF/VT-3, includes support for the PDF 2.0 imaging model. It builds on
the PDF/X-6 standard (defined in ISO 15930-9), which, in turn, references PDF 2.0 (see ISO 32000-2).
Like ISO 16612-2, this document supports the fundamental requirements of portability, device and
workflow independence and guaranteed communication of the intended colour reproduction. The native
constructs within PDF allow products to provide functionality equivalent to that of PPML workflows as
used in ISO 16612-1, but using a single homogeneous format that adds support for a graphics model that
supports transparency, as well as up-to-date structure tagging in support of repurposing of data where
required.
PDF/VT supports the use of graphics object definitions as a method of specifying graphical content
data only once in a PDF/VT-3 file independent of the number of times it is referenced in the file. This
approach serves to reduce the file size of a PDF/VT-3 file and allows implementers of conforming
processors to employ various processing optimization strategies. Within the context of PDF/X-6, these
graphics objects are specified as image, form and transparency group XObjects.
While there is nothing in this document that enforces the creation of PDF/VT-3 files that make efficient
use of XObjects, doing so is strongly recommended.
XObjects referenced multiple times from various content streams can be tagged with hint information
that aids the conforming processor in its determination of XObject reuse. These hints can include an
explicit lifetime scope to indicate the context within which the XObject is known to be referenced
multiple times, such as within the current file, or that it is explicitly only referenced once.
An XObject can also be identified as an encapsulated XObject if its definition has a limited and well-
defined interaction with the current graphics state when invoked. This explicit hint serves to assist a
conforming processor in its optimization strategy.
A PDF/VT-3 file based on PDF/X-6 requires all resources necessary for proper interpretation of the
PDF data to be included within the PDF file. This enables an exchange of content where no additional
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ISO 16612-3:2020(E)

technical information is required to be communicated between sender and receiver to describe the
appearance of page content.
A PDF/VT-3 file based on PDF/X-6p or PDF/X-6n does not necessarily include all ICC profiles required
for correct rendering for visualization or print. It isn’t necessarily suitable for an exchange without
technical discussions between sender and receiver.
Application notes for print-related PDF subsets are available to provide assistance to developers and
users and can be found at https:// printtechnologies .org/ programs/ standards -workroom/ tools -best
-practices/ .
A processor conforming to this document is not required to be capable of processing documents
conforming to ISO 16612-1, which is based on the use of PPML. Neither is it required to be capable
of processing documents conforming to ISO 16612-2, although it is anticipated that many creators of
processors may choose to do so.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 16612-3:2020(E)
Graphic technology — Variable data exchange —
Part 3:
Using PDF/X-6 (PDF/VT-3)
1 Scope
This document defines the PDF/VT-3 document format and methods to enable reliable document
exchange for variable data and transactional (VT) printing. It uses the Portable Document Format
(PDF) Version 2.0, as restricted by PDF/X-6, for the representation of such documents. It allows the
specification of document structure and layout, content data, and interaction of graphics objects in a
graphics model that supports transparency and both device-dependent and device-independent colour
spaces. All elements are either included or provision is made for unique identification of externally
supplied ICC profiles.
PDF/VT-3 is designed to enable variable data and transactional printing in a variety of environments
from desktop printers to digital production presses. This includes hybrid workflows involving both
conventional and digital printing.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 15930-9, Graphic technology — Prepress digital data exchange using PDF — Part 9: Complete exchange
of printing data (PDF/X-6) and partial exchange of printing data with external profile reference (PDF/X-6p
and PDF/X-6n) using PDF 2.0
1)
ISO 32000-2:— , Document management — Portable document format — Part 2: PDF 2.0
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
encapsulated XObject
XObject having a well-defined limited interaction with the current graphics state at the point of
invocation
3.2
PDF/VT-3
document format and methods which enable reliable document exchange for variable data and
transactional printing
1) Under revision. Stage at the date of publication: ISO/FDIS 32000-2:2020.
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ISO 16612-3:2020(E)

3.3
PDF/VT-3 file
PDF 2.0 file conforming to the requirements of this document
3.4
record
collection of information relevant to pages that are to be processed together
Note 1 to entry: Note to entry: A common example of a record is the information about a single recipient for
which a collection of pages was generated.
4 Notations
PDF operators, PDF keywords, the names of keys in PDF dictionaries, and other predefined names are
written in a bold
...