[pdftex] PDF 1.5 by default in TL 2010

[John Culleton]

On Sunday 10 January 2010 20:09:13 Karl Berry wrote:
> (Sorry for the cross-posting.)
>
> For TL 2010, we would like to change the default PDF output version to
> PDF 1.5 (proposed by Elie Roux).  This is so we can use
> \pdfcompresslevel and generate noticeably smaller PDF's by default.
>
> The executables etex, pdftex, pdflatex, luatex, and lualatex would be
> affected (among other more obscure ones).  Of course it's irrelevant to
> "tex". ConTeXt has been using 1.5 for some time.
>
> We've done a fair amount of research and can't find any significant and
> reasonably current software that doesn't support 1.5.  For instance,
> Acrobat5 does not read it, but Acrobat6 does.  PDFBox-0.7.3.jar (3 years
> old) doesn't read it, but 0.8 (>1 year) does.
>
> >From Taco, we know that the iLiad e-reader and others do not support
>
> 1.5, but they have such specialized needs anyway that this does not seem
> like a stopper.
>
> If anyone knows of other reasons not to make the change, please speak up.
>
> This'll be mentioned again, but I thought to bring it up early, too.
>
> Thanks,
> Karl

As I have mentioned before some printers require pdf x/1a:2001, particularly 
for cover art and cover interiors.  This more limited standard should be 
available as an "easy" option for pdftex, pdflatex, Context etc.  So a pdftex 
primitive would be the handiest choice.  There is a somewhat complex pdfLaTeX 
macro  \pdfx plus support files that will convert the file to pdf x/1a but I 
have in mind something much simpler, a one-liner like:
\setpdfformat{x1a}
with no auxiliary files needed. 

Alternatively a modified dvipdfm  program would suffice and take the load off the 
main pdftex program. 
-- 
John Culleton
"Create Book Covers with Scribus"
Printable E-book 38 pages $5.95
http://www.scribd.com/doc/24676863/
http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html