1. Do one of the following:
Start Acrobat Distiller.
In an Adobe Creative Cloud application, choose File > Print, select Adobe PDF as the target printer, and click Print Settings (Photoshop) or Setup > Preferences (InDesign).
(Windows) In Office 2010 or later applications, choose Acrobat > Preferences.
(Windows) In another authoring application or utility, choose Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings.
A PDF preset is a group of settings that affect the process of creating a PDF. These settings are designed to balance file size with quality, depending on how the PDF is used. Most predefined presets are shared across Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat. You can also create and share custom presets for your unique output requirements. A saved PDF preset file has the suffix .joboptions.
Some of the following presets aren't available until you move them from the default Extras folder to the Settings folder for custom settings.
Acrobat Standard does not include the Extras folder. The presets installed in the Extras folder are only available in Acrobat Pro.
The Distiller, Extras, and Settings folders for default settings are found at the following locations.
On Windows 11 (64-bit), Windows 10 version 1810 or later (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows 8, 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit)†, Windows 7 SP1 (32-bit and 64-bit), or Windows Server - 2008 R2 (64 bit), 2012 (64 bit), 2012 R2 (64 bit)†, 2016 (64 bit), or 2019 (64 bit): Users/[user name]/ProgramData/Adobe/Adobe PDF
On macOS: Users/[user name]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF
The default settings files installed with Distiller are Read Only and Hidden.
The custom settings are found in the following locations:
Some presets are not available in some Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
Review your PDF settings periodically. The settings do not automatically revert to the default settings. Applications and utilities that create PDFs use the last set of PDF settings defined or selected.
High Quality Print
Creates PDFs for quality printing on desktop printers and proofing devices. This preset uses PDF 1.4, downsamples color and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to 1200 ppi. It also embeds subsets of all fonts, leaves color unchanged, and does not flatten transparency (for file types capable of transparency). These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat 10x and Acrobat Reader 10x and later.
Oversized Pages (Acrobat Pro)
Creates PDFs suitable for viewing and printing engineering drawings larger than 200 x 200 in. (508 x 508 cm). These PDFs can be opened in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader 10.x and later.
PDF/A‑1b: 2005 (CMYK and RGB)
Used for long-term preservation (archival) of electronic documents. PDF/A‑1b uses PDF 1.4 and converts all colors to either CMYK or RGB, depending on which standard you choose. These PDFs can be opened in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader versions 10x and later.
PDF/X‑1a (2001 and 2003) (Acrobat Pro)
PDF/X‑1a requires all fonts to be embedded, the appropriate PDF bounding boxes to be specified, and color to appear as CMYK, spot colors, or both. Compliant files must contain information describing the printing condition for which they are prepared. PDF files created with PDF/X‑1a compliance can be opened in Acrobat 10x and Acrobat Reader 10x and later.
PDF/X‑1a uses PDF 1.3, and downsamples color and grayscale images to 300 PPI and monochrome images to 1200 PPI. It embeds subsets of all fonts, creates untagged PDFs, and flattens transparency using the High-Resolution setting.
The PDF/X1‑a:2003 and PDF/X‑3 (2003) presets are placed on your computer during installation. However, they aren’t available until you move them from the Extras folder to the Settings folder.
Press Quality
Creates PDF files for high-quality print production (for example, for digital printing or for color separations to an imagesetter or platesetter). However, it does not create files that are PDF/X compliant. In this case, the quality of the content is the highest consideration. The objective is to maintain all the information in a PDF file that a commercial printer or print service provider requires to print the document correctly. This set of options uses PDF 1.4, converts colors to CMYK, and downsamples color and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to 1200 ppi. It embeds subsets of all fonts and preserves transparency (for file types capable of transparency).
These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat 10x and Acrobat Reader 10x and later.
Note: Before creating a PDF file to send to a commercial printer or print service provider, find out what output resolution and other settings are required. Or, ask for a .joboptions file with the recommended settings. You sometimes must customize the Adobe PDF settings for a particular provider and then provide a .joboptions file of your own.
Rich Content PDF (Acrobat Pro)
Creates accessible PDF files that include tags, hyperlinks, bookmarks, interactive elements, and layers. This set of options uses PDF 1.6 and embeds subsets of all fonts. It also optimizes files for byte serving. These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat and Reader 7.0 and later. (The Rich Content PDF preset is in the Extras folder).
This preset was called eBook in earlier versions of some applications.
Smallest File Size Creates PDF files for displaying on the web or an intranet, or for distribution through an email system. This set of options uses compression, downsampling, and a relatively low image resolution. It converts all colors to sRGB, and (for Adobe Acrobat Distiller-based conversions) does not embed fonts. It also optimizes files for byte serving.
These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat and Reader 6.0 and later.
PDF/X, PDF/E, and PDF/A standards are defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). PDF/X standards apply to graphic content exchange. PDF/E standards apply to the interactive exchange of engineering documents; PDF/A standards apply to the long-term archiving of electronic documents. During PDF conversion, the file that is being processed is checked against the specified standard. If the PDF does not meet the selected ISO standard, you're prompted to either cancel the conversion or create a non-compliant file.
Several PDF/X formats are the most widely used standards for a print publishing workflow: PDF/X‑1a, PDF/X‑3, and (in 2008) PDF/X‑4. The most widely used standards for PDF archiving are PDF/A‑1a and PDF/A‑1b (for less stringent requirements). Currently, the only version of PDF/E is PDF/E-1.
For more information on PDF/X, PDF/E, and PDF/A, refer to the ISO and AIIM websites.