Convert your PDF to PDF/X-4
Printers ask for PDF/X — the ISO standard for reliable color. Upload your PDF, pick your printer’s print profile and we convert it to PDF/X-4: colors truly converted to that profile, fonts embedded and a clean file that is ready to send.
Free preview, pay to download
Upload your PDF and see for free how page 1 prints in your printer's profile. Downloading the converted PDF needs a paid package: one-time from €5, or a subscription. The free credits for new accounts don't apply to this tool.
See the packages You can check if your PDF is print-ready for free
The difference
A normal PDF often is not press-ready
- Your printer rejects the file because it is not PDF/X.
- Screen colors (RGB) shift unpredictably on a printing press.
- Many online tools only write a profile name into the file without converting the colors — so your ad still exceeds the ink coverage the newspaper allows.
- Interactive elements or encryption sneak in and break delivery.
PDF/X-4 in one upload
- A real PDF/X-4 file your printer can accept.
- Colors truly converted to the print profile you choose — not just a label.
- Missing fonts are embedded; if that is not possible, you get a clear message instead of a silently swapped font.
- A clean file — no encryption, JavaScript or interactive forms.
How it works
Upload your PDF
Drop one PDF or a ZIP with several and pick your printer's print profile — guests can upload too. You first see a free color preview of page 1.
We convert to PDF/X-4
We convert the colors to the chosen print profile, embed that profile as the output intent, add missing fonts and clean up the file structure.
Buy and download
Choose a paid package; we then convert your file and you download a press-ready PDF/X-4 — one file, or a ZIP for multiple.
What you get
Everything a printer expects from a PDF/X-4 file.
PDF/X-4 standard
The modern ISO 15930-7 print-exchange standard, accepted by virtually every printer.
Your choice of print profile
GRACoL 2013, SWOP 2013 or GRACoL 2013 Uncoated (North America), FOGRA51, FOGRA39 (also capped at 300% ink) or FOGRA52 (Europe), or a newsprint profile (v4 or v5) as the output intent — and your colors are actually converted to that profile.
CMYK color
RGB and existing CMYK colors are converted to the inks and paper of the chosen profile.
Embedded fonts
Fonts not yet in your PDF are embedded, so the printer renders the right letters.
When to use it
Sending to a printer
Deliver the PDF/X-4 your print shop asks for, without back-and-forth.
Design agencies
Hand off press-ready files to clients and printers in a consistent standard.
Newspaper ads
Deliver an ad on the newsprint profile the paper asks for — ISOnewspaper26v4 (max. 240% ink) or WAN-IFRAnewspaper26v5 (max. 220%).
Final delivery step
Turn a finished design into the exact format the printer needs as the last step.
Learn more about print-ready PDF
How to make a print-ready PDF: the complete guide
CMYK, fonts, bleed and PDF/X — everything a printer needs, explained step by step.
Read articleConvert a PDF to grayscale without Acrobat
Turn a color PDF into clean black-and-white for cheaper, predictable printing.
Read articleCompress, rasterise and repair your PDFs
Shrink large files and fix problem PDFs before you send them to print.
Read articleFrequently asked questions
What is PDF/X-4?
PDF/X-4 is the ISO 15930-7 standard for delivering files to print. It guarantees managed CMYK color, embedded fonts and an output intent, so a printer can reproduce your file reliably.
Is the output a certified PDF/X-4 file?
We build the file to the PDF/X-4 structure — colors converted to your print profile, an output intent, embedded fonts and a cleaned-up file. It is not formally certified by an external validator. In practice printers accept it directly; if your printer requires a preflight report (for example to GWG specs), run their preflight as a final check.
Which print profiles can I choose?
Nine. For North America: GRACoL 2013 (CRPC6) for coated sheetfed paper, SWOP 2013 (CRPC5) for coated web offset such as magazines, and GRACoL 2013 Uncoated (CRPC3), all CGATS.21. For Europe: FOGRA51 (PSO Coated v3) for coated paper, the current European standard; FOGRA39 (ISO Coated v2) for printers that still ask for the older standard, also as ISO Coated v2 300% with a 300% ink cap; FOGRA52 (PSO Uncoated v3) for uncoated paper; and for newspaper printing ISOnewspaper26v4 (max. 240% ink) or its successor WAN-IFRAnewspaper26v5 (max. 220%). Not sure? Choose GRACoL 2013 in the US or Canada and FOGRA51 in Europe, or ask your printer which profile they want. The North American profiles work with PDF/X-4 only. The profile is not a loose label: your colors are actually converted to it.
Will my fonts be embedded?
Yes — fonts not yet in your PDF are embedded. If we could only embed a font by replacing it, we stop with a clear message instead of silently setting your text in another font. Only the standard PDF fonts (such as Helvetica) are replaced by a font with exactly the same letter widths (such as Arial). The free print-ready check tells you up front whether fonts are missing.
How many credits does it cost?
Converting to PDF/X-4 costs 4 credits per document, from a paid package (one-time or subscription); the free credits for new accounts don't apply to this tool. The color preview of page 1 is free, so you see the result before you pay. Multiple files are processed in one go and returned as a ZIP.
Related tools
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All-in-one: prepares your PDF (bleed, sizing) and reports what your printer still needs (CMYK, fonts, PDF/X) for full press-readiness.
Open toolRGB to CMYK
Convert screen colors (RGB) to print colors (CMYK) with your printer's profile.
Open toolEmbed fonts
Embed all fonts so the printer renders the correct letters, not substitutes.
Open toolConvert your PDF to PDF/X-4
Upload your PDF, see the colors for free, and download the PDF/X-4 file with a paid package.