PDF Structure

The PDF Structure section checks how the document is built — features that can break, change, or block print output. Many are detect-and-strip checks: the issue is the presence of something (a script, a layer, an attachment) that shouldn’t be in a print file. Each check lists its action, settings, and the messages the customer sees. See the profile overview for how actions work.

Transparency & layers

Transparency

Detects live transparency effects that may not survive flattening on press.

Field	Detail
Action	Warn (can auto-fix)
Settings	None
Issue	Your file uses live transparency, which can produce unexpected results on some presses.
Fix	Flatten transparency and re-export your file.
Auto-fix	We’ll flatten the transparency automatically before printing.

Layers

Detects optional content layers (OCGs) that may affect how the file prints.

Field	Detail
Action	Warn (can auto-fix)
Settings	None
Issue	Your file contains layers, which can change how it prints.
Fix	Flatten all layers and re-export your file.
Auto-fix	We’ll flatten the layers automatically before printing.

Interactive & embedded content

Annotations

Detects comments, highlights, and sticky notes.

Field	Detail
Action	Reject (can auto-fix)
Settings	None
Issue	Your file contains annotations such as comments, highlights, or sticky notes that must be removed before printing.
Fix	Remove all annotations and re-export.
Auto-fix	We’ll remove the annotations automatically before printing.

JavaScript

Detects embedded JavaScript actions, which can cause security or processing issues.

Field	Detail
Action	Reject (can auto-fix)
Settings	None
Issue	Your file contains embedded scripts, which aren’t supported for print.
Fix	Re-export your file without JavaScript.
Auto-fix	We’ll strip the scripts automatically before printing.

File Attachments

Detects files embedded as attachments inside the PDF.

Field	Detail
Action	Reject (can auto-fix)
Settings	None
Issue	Your PDF has other files attached to it.
Fix	Remove all attachments and re-export a clean PDF.
Auto-fix	We’ll remove the attachments automatically before printing.

Interactive Forms

Detects interactive AcroForm fields.

Field	Detail
Action	Auto-fix
Settings	None
Issue	Your file contains interactive form fields.
Fix	Flatten the form fields and re-export.
Auto-fix	We’ll flatten the form fields automatically before printing.

XFA Forms

Detects XFA dynamic forms, which aren’t supported in standard print workflows.

Field	Detail
Action	Auto-fix
Settings	None
Issue	Your file contains an XFA dynamic form, which isn’t supported for printing.
Fix	Convert the XFA form to a standard PDF and re-upload.
Auto-fix	We’ll convert it to a standard PDF automatically before printing.

Digital Signatures

Detects digital signatures that may prevent further processing.

Field	Detail
Action	Auto-fix
Settings	None
Issue	Your file contains a digital signature, and signed PDFs can’t be processed for print.
Fix	Remove the digital signature and re-upload.
Auto-fix	We’ll remove the signature automatically before printing.

NeedAppearances Flag

Detects form fields that may render blank due to a missing appearance stream.

Field	Detail
Action	Warn
Settings	None
Issue	Your file has a setting that may cause form fields to print blank.
Fix	Flatten the form fields and re-export your file.

Security

Encryption

Detects password-protected or encrypted PDFs that block downstream processing.

Field	Detail
Action	Reject (can auto-fix)
Settings	None
Issue	Your file is password-protected or encrypted, so we can’t process it.
Fix	Remove the password protection and re-upload an unlocked PDF.

PDF Permissions

Checks that the PDF’s security settings don’t block printing or processing.

Field	Detail
Action	Reject
Settings	Allow no-print restriction, Allow no-copy restriction, Allow no-modify restriction (toggles)
Issue	Your file has security settings that prevent it from being printed.
Fix	Remove the print restriction and re-upload.

Standards & versions

PDF Version

Sets the minimum and maximum accepted PDF version.

Field	Detail
Action	Warn (can auto-fix)
Settings	Min, Max (1.3 – 2.0; default 1.4 – 1.7)
Issue	Your file uses PDF version `{actual.version}`, which may not be fully supported. We recommend `{target.min}`–`{target.max}`.
Fix	Re-export as PDF `{target.min}`–`{target.max}` and upload again.
Auto-fix	We’ll convert it to a supported PDF version automatically before printing.

PDF/X Standard

Checks conformance to a selected PDF/X print-production standard.

Field	Detail
Action	Warn
Settings	Standard (PDF/X-1a, X-3, X-4, X-5, X-6; default X-4)
Issue	This product needs a `{target.standard}` compliant file — a standard built for reliable print exchange.
Fix	Re-export using the `{target.standard}` setting in your application.

PDF/A

Detects PDF/A archival-format files, which may restrict editing.

Field	Detail
Action	Reject
Settings	None
Issue	Your file is saved as PDF/A, which is made for archiving rather than printing.
Fix	Re-export as a standard print PDF and upload again.

PDF/VT

Detects PDF/VT variable-data files.

Field	Detail
Action	Off
Settings	None
Issue	Your file uses the PDF/VT variable-data format, which isn’t accepted for this product.
Fix	Re-export as a standard print PDF and upload again.

PDF/UA

Detects PDF/UA accessibility-tagged files.

Field	Detail
Action	Off
Settings	None
Issue	Your file includes PDF/UA accessibility tags, which aren’t accepted for this product.
Fix	Re-export as a standard print PDF without accessibility tags and upload again.

Tagged PDF

Checks whether the PDF contains accessibility structure tags.

Field	Detail
Action	Off
Settings	None
Issue	Your file doesn’t include accessibility structure tags, which are required for this product.
Fix	Re-export your file with tagged PDF enabled and upload again.

Integrity & origin

Structure Integrity

Detects internal PDF structure errors reported by the parser.

Field	Detail
Action	Auto-fix
Settings	Max allowed warnings (default 0)
Issue	Your file appears to be damaged or has internal errors.
Fix	Re-export a fresh PDF from your design application.
Auto-fix	We’ll repair the file structure automatically before printing.

Linearized PDF

Checks whether the PDF is structured for fast web delivery (linearized).

Field	Detail
Action	Off
Settings	None
Issue	Your file isn’t linearized — a structure required by this store for fast delivery.
Fix	Re-export with fast web view (linearization) enabled.
Auto-fix	We’ll linearize the file automatically before printing.

PDF Producer Filter

Filters PDFs based on the application that created them.

Field	Detail
Action	Off
Settings	Whitelist, Blacklist (producer names)
Issue	Your file was created with an application that may not produce print-ready PDFs.
Fix	Re-export using recommended print settings and upload again.

Get started

Install Filecheck

Core concepts

Admin guide

Specifications

Resources

Transparency & layers

Transparency

Layers

Interactive & embedded content

Annotations

JavaScript

File Attachments

Interactive Forms

XFA Forms

Digital Signatures

NeedAppearances Flag

Security

Encryption

PDF Permissions

Standards & versions

PDF Version

PDF/X Standard

PDF/A

PDF/VT

PDF/UA

Tagged PDF

Integrity & origin

Structure Integrity

Linearized PDF

PDF Producer Filter

​Transparency & layers

​Transparency

​Layers

​Interactive & embedded content

​Annotations

​JavaScript

​File Attachments

​Interactive Forms

​XFA Forms

​Digital Signatures

​NeedAppearances Flag

​Security

​Encryption

​PDF Permissions

​Standards & versions

​PDF Version

​PDF/X Standard

​PDF/A

​PDF/VT

​PDF/UA

​Tagged PDF

​Integrity & origin

​Structure Integrity

​Linearized PDF

​PDF Producer Filter

Transparency & layers

Transparency

Layers

Interactive & embedded content

Annotations

JavaScript

File Attachments

Interactive Forms

XFA Forms

Digital Signatures

NeedAppearances Flag

Security

Encryption

PDF Permissions

Standards & versions

PDF Version

PDF/X Standard

PDF/A

PDF/VT

PDF/UA

Tagged PDF

Integrity & origin

Structure Integrity

Linearized PDF

PDF Producer Filter