- Chapter 1: Introduction
- 2 Introduction to PDF 1.4 Features
- 3 Related Publications
- 4 Intellectual Property
1.2 Introduction to PDF 1.4 Features
The most significant addition in PDF 1.4 is the new transparent imaging model, which extends the opaque imaging model of earlier versions to include the ability to paint objects with varying degrees of opacity, allowing previously painted objects to show through. Transparency is covered primarily in Chapter 7, with implications reflected in other chapters as well. Other new features introduced in PDF 1.4 include the following:
A filter for decoding JBIG2-encoded data (Section 3.3.6, "JBIG2Decode Filter")
Enhancements to encryption (Section 3.5, "Encryption")
Specification of the PDF version in the document catalog (Section 3.6.1, "Document Catalog")
Embedding of data in a file stream (Section 3.10.3, "Embedded File Streams")
The ability to import content from one PDF document into another (Section 4.9.3, "Reference XObjects")
New predefined CMaps ("Predefined CMaps" on page 345)
Additional viewer preferences for controlling the area of a page to be displayed or printed (Section 8.1, "Viewer Preferences")
Specification of a color and font style for text in an outline item (Section 8.2.2, "Document Outline")
Annotation names (Section 8.4, "Annotations") and new entries in specific annotation dictionaries (Section 8.4.1, "Annotation Dictionaries")
Additional trigger events for actions affecting the document as a whole (Section 8.5.2, "Trigger Events")
Assorted enhancements to interactive forms and Forms Data Format (FDF), including multiple-selection list boxes, file-select controls, XML form submission, embedded FDF files, Unicode_ specification of field export values, and support for remote collaboration and digital signatures in FDF files (Section 8.6, "Interactive Forms")
Metadata streams, a new architecture for attaching descriptive information to PDF documents and their constituent parts (Section 9.2.2, "Metadata Streams")
Standardized structure types and attributes for describing the logical structure of a document (Section 9.7, "Tagged PDF")
Support for accessibility to disabled users, including specification of the language used for text (Section 9.8, "Accessibility Support")
Support for the display and preview of production-related page boundaries such as the crop box, bleed box, and trim box (Section 9.10.1, "Page Boundaries")
Facilities for including printer's marks such as registration targets, gray ramps, color bars, and cut marks to assist in the production process (Section 9.10.2, "Printer's Marks")
Output intents for matching the color characteristics of a document with those of a target output device or production environment in which it will be printed (Section 9.10.4, "Output Intents")