In 2017, the PDF 2.0 standard was published. In 2020, it was updated with corrections in a second edition. This is ISO 32000-2:2020 as an update to PDF 2.0. What do you need to know about these new PDF standards, and what changes do they introduce for the subset standards?
Information about the geometry of a PDF document plays an enormously important role in the printing industry
Unlike the PDF/A format, which does not explicitly include printing related requirements, the PDF/X standard requires that information about the page's geometry be specified using page boxes. One of the things these boxes define is where on a page the content is placed that corresponds to the desired final trimmed size. The bleed is also marked at the same time. At present, desktop publishing (DTP) programs automatically set the information needed for this in the PDF during direct export.
The PDF/X format defines a version of PDF that has been an important standard in the printing process for more than ten years.
PDF/X is a subset of the PDF specification that satisfies the needs of the printing-technology industry and fulfills the minimum standards for ensuring that materials can be printed properly. The primary purpose of this standardized suite of graphic technology standards is to minimize any ambiguity that could arise in the process of sending print-ready documents to printing companies and publishers. And by doing a pre-flight check of the file (having software inspect the PDF), you can verify the document's compatibility during the process of preparing the materials for printing.