PDF/X-4 Today and for Tomorrow

The current PDF/X-4 format is now almost six years old - it was initially published as an ISO standard, under ISO15930-7, in 2010. At that time, it was a significant update to the original PDF/X-1 ISO standard (15930-1) because it was based on an updated version of the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) Library, v1.6, and therefore supported a richer feature set. These features include native support of transparency in artwork, ICC-based color management, optional content (layers), as well as support for 16 bit image workflows. This paper seeks to determine the relative support and 'uptake' of the file format in printing and publishing workflows today.