Converting PDF 1.4 to 1.2

[zbats]

Hi to all,

How can i convert PDF 1.4 to 1.2? I have tried to change the version on text files of PDF "ex: %PDF-1.4 to %PDF-1.2." does this will have any problem in terms of completeness of PDF files?

Thanks in advance,

Regards,
brian

[Aandi Inston]

It depends WHY you want to change the file, and what is consuming it.
And exactly what is in the file.

There are changes in PDF 1.4 and PDF 1.3 which will not be understood
by a consumer of PDF 1.2.

Aandi Inston

[jan jansen]

That is not the point of zbats' question.

Can he do it or not? If so, how?

ALSO explain what the details/disadvantages are, if you like.

As far as 'why', it can be expectations of delivering PDF's to users of older version of Adobe. The impetus behind that particular 'why' is that it is better to have people see something than nothing. To that extent, it does not matter if there is a 10% loss of data in the transfer.
You may ask how/why could having multiple versions of Adobe happen? Not everyone who uses a computer is confident that they can update software without screwing up their computer, so they never upgrade. That is a perfectly reasonable expectation - look discussions of compatibility issues in this list.
You DO have to give the most basic answer to the problem, i.e., "You convert 1.4 to 1.2 by doing . . .". This will insure that the least common denominator in the question is complete. At that point, more specific details can be gained through further discussion.

As a side note, your response is the intellectual equivalent of backwards-compatibility. All education is, after all.

[Aandi Inston]

I was dealing specifically with the suggestion of changing %PDF-1.4 to
%PDF-1.2 with a text editor rather than the more general question of
whether one can do it at all.

>As far as 'why', it can be expectations of delivering PDF's to users of older version of Adobe.

You mean Acrobat? In that case the change described above is either
useless or pointless. Acrobat does not check this version number, but
if a feature is used that the older Acrobat does not understand, then
there will be incorrect results or an error.

> You may ask how/why could having multiple versions of Adobe happen?

There's only one Adobe.

> You DO have to give the most basic answer to the problem, i.e., "You convert 1.4 to 1.2 by doing . . .".

I do?

Aandi Inston

[zbats]

need to change the version as client requirement. the previous version is 1.2 then i insert title properties in acrobat 5, so after saving the file, the version changes to 1.4 and i need to change it to version 1.2 using text editor. DOES THIS HAVE ANY EFFECT IN THE PDF FILES?

[Aandi Inston]

Ok, if you have only changed the title, then this is not an
incompatible change. So, the PDF remains valid for a PDF 1.2
consumer.

Therefore, if the client has a requirement for something marked as PDF
1.2 it is in this case legitimate to change the first line of the PDF.

Bear in mind that this discussion depends on what changes you make and
assumes it was originally a valid PDF 1.2 file. It cannot be used as
a general technique.

Aandi Inston

[Steve Rindsberg]

> You DO have to give the most basic answer to the problem, i.e., "You
convert 1.4 to 1.2 by doing . . .". This will insure that the least common
denominator in the question is complete.

That would be rather like explaining how to convert lead to gold. It's
simple: affix a label to it that says "Gold".

Of course, it may not behave like gold, but then neither will a 1.4 PDF
that's been mislabeled 1.2

[de Siem]

ALSO explain what the details/disadvantages are, if you like.

You DO have to give the most basic answer to the problem.

Is this your lack of skills in writing polite English, or are you trying to be rude? If you are trying to be rude, stick to your cycle shop then Jan.