Callas has updated two of its PDF programs, with the release of PdfToolbox 9.1 and PdfChip 1.2, both of which are free updates for existing customers.
PdfToolbox is a general collection of tools. The 9.1 update incorporates support for the Processing Steps specification developed by the Ghent Workgroup to associate information about printing and finishing processes (such as cutting, embossing, varnish …) with a PDF document. Essentially this works by grouping page objects in layers and adding metadata to those layers to identify them as processing steps.
Callas uses the Adobe PDF library for transparency flattening or rendering of PDF documents and has added a new version of the library. This brings it up to the same standard as Adobe Acrobat DC and improves the transparency flattening process.
Other improvements include the ability to add a complete SVG file to a PDF document through the Place Content feature. Callas has also made it easier to debug Process Plans, which are typically used to execute fix-up sequences on PDFs.
Callas has also tidied up and improved its PdfChip program, which converts HTML into good, standards-compliant PDF documents. However, there are a number of issues with these templates that this update addresses.
Thus, it can be difficult to create HTML templates using JavaScript with any guarantee that they will open correctly in a standard browser such as Chrome. Consequently Callas has added a Chrome plug-in that emulates the PdfChip specific JavaScript objects and functions and allows the templates to be debugged.
Callas has also released an export filter for Adobe Indesign that converts an InDesign document into a correct pdfChip template, correctly taking over the positions of all elements on the page, the colour and styles of page elements and more.
Callas has also developed a more elegant way to load fonts and images that overcomes issues with the asynchronous way pdfChip (and the WebKit engine within) handles page resources.
There’s also improved support for the barcode library that’s included with PdfChip. Many of these barcodes have special features and parameters that previously could not be used in pdfChip but can now be. It’s also possible to use more coloring schemes for barcodes, opening up a wide array of more creative barcode uses.
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