Below are some recommendations we have when uploading PDF content to the Pugpig Express CMS. Note that if you upload your PDF content via XCago, they will optimise and send the files to us in the correct format.

File type

We recommend using PDF/A over PDF. The A in PDF/A is for archive, and as the name suggests it's a much better format for preserving your digital content in the exact format you want it to be viewed in. 

We also recommend either PDF 1.5, or lower, with no transparency, see below.

File size

Optimised PDFs mean reduced data costs for you, and faster download times for your users. We would expect all individual pages to be at most 1MB in size. If your PDF pages are significantly larger, they should be optimised using a tool of your choice. 

Transparency

Occasionally we see issues with parts of pages missing, either text or parts of images and/or rendering artefacts. This is usually caused by layers with transparency. To avoid this we recommend that all PDFs are flattened before upload.

If you open the PDF file, that you've uploaded to the CMS, in another medium such as slack or your browser you may see the same issues as in the apps.

File name

If your PDF uploads are automated then we'll need to agree a name format with you that does not change. Please see the naming files section of our core PDF doc.