PDF/E creation

[juju]

I need to start creating PDF/E standard PDF's of drawings for local authority submissions, I've had a look and could find very few apps that actually does PDF/E. The software will have to do PDF/A as well, but it seems just about all PDF creators / printers can do that.

Which PDF/E creators / printers do you use?

The list I have is:

http://www.foxitsoftware.com – Phantom PDF Business
http://www.bluebeam.com – RevuCAD
http://www.adobe.com – Acrobat XI pro

[TIG]

Once you have made a vanilla PDF using ANY of the available PDF printing apps...
Can't you sign open it to check it's OK... and the use the free Abode Reader 'Sign' options - effectively rendering it an E type PDF ?
You'd just need to set up a free Abode account ??

Or am I missing something ?

[driven]

in PDF/E the 'E' is for Engineering as opposed the the other 'e' for 'electronically signed'...

it incorporates the storage of Layer information from AutoCad drawings, among other things...

it seems to be a closed 'open' format IMHO...

[TIG]

Aah...

I see - sort of.
But why would a legal-authority seek to limit submissions to themselves to those documents made by a few limited PDF writers - surely this is an anti-trust, limitation of trade, unconstitutional act etc etc ?

Edit:
I see that Abode Acrobat does this format - http://www.3dpdfconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/pdf-eready-guide-ue.pdf
But as a sub-set of PDF it's something of a monopoly - IMHO it's definitely 'anti-trust' material !

[juju]

Yes, the "/E" part refers to engineering in order to save layering information. Our Local Authority (sub council to greater metropolitan authority) is aiming to implement PDF/E format as requirement for all drawings submitted for structures greater than 500sq.m (under order of greater metropolitan authority) - they claim it is for clarity's sake so they can properly read and measure from these kinds of PDF's.

[juju]

So I've tried two of the three contenders.

FOXIT PHANTOM PDF BUSINESS (US $129):

• Works great, generally
• Easy to use
• UI seems designed in a recognisable, familiar way
• had a problem when rotating / combining larger PDF (scans: 300dpi A0) files, 5 to 7 pages at a time, software kept on crashing, worked fine on smaller files though
• cannot zoom in on PDF with mouse scroll wheel
• couldn't drag&drop multiple files into the UI area to add them when combining PDF's
• fair price but will have to live with some irritations.

BLUEBEAM REVUCAD (US $299):

• Works great
• Fairly easy to use
• the UI will take some getting used to, could do with better organisation
• didn't have a problem when combining and rotating multiple PDF (scans: 300dpi A0) files, 5 to 7 pages at a time, even not so when combining 39 page 300dpi A0 pages, was quite snappy about it actually (I'm quite impressed)
• did I mention expensive? This is the only thing actually keeping me from purchasing this product.