I'd be curious to see a reference to a section in the latest of the supported PDF specs (PDF 1.5) which describes the PDF feature to use for SVG groups, i.e. What kind of PDF object or PDF structure is 'responsible' for those (often deeply nested) SVG groups when importing PDF into Inkscape is not fully clear to me (certainly anything which has (in SVG terms) a modified opacity, a gradient, mask or clip applied and probably a few more but the details are likely more complex). Import: Inkscape does not parse and build any special information stored as optional content groups AFAIK - based on past tests I did with a few PDF files I came across among the various test cases which do have such 'PDF layers'. the group's opacity or a filter effect or a clip/mask applied - export to PDF will honor this ofc, with focus on same/similar appearance (yes, there are known bugs)).

A group in SVG as such does not contribute or affect how the objects inside the group are rendered (unless of course the group itself has a style attribute set (or inherits one), which affects e.g. That's still a one-way exchange, and larger modifications to the content of PDF files have to be done in the original sources based on which the PDF files are (re-)distilled/generated.Įxport: AFAIU cairo's output to PDF surfaces does not output logical or semantic structures nor any metadata - the only thing that matters is that objects (text, paths, images, etc) are painted in the correct stack order (and with correct style, filter, etc) onto the output device which renders the PDF page / file.

IMHO editing pages of PDF files in an SVG-based vector graphics editor like inkscape will always be a lossy conversion, either way (PDF -> SVG, SVG -> PDF). are neither imported in Inkscape, nor 'regenerated' magically when saving back as PDF, nor created based on new SVG content of the current Inkscape document when exporting to PDF. PDF features like annotations, links, forms, optional content groups (often called Layers), tags (document structure and semantics information), etc. Exporting to PDF from Inkscape is a separate process: it does not write modifications to the original PDF file (appending new versions of PDF objects, updating the xref table, etc.) as a 'real' PDF editor would do - instead, a completely new PDF output is written which does not contain any of the original meta information and PDF features which are not supported by Inkscape's poppler-based PDF import, by inkscape's SVG builder based on the data parsed by poppler, and/or by the cairo-based export to a PDF surface. Inkscape can import individual pages of a PDF file - in this process PDF content (as far as supported and equally or closely describable in SVG as in PDF) is converted (based on poppler's PDF parser) to an SVG structure which then can be edited in Inkscape. Inkscape is not a PDF editor, nor does not claim to be (it is an SVG-based vector graphics editor which supports import of several other vector graphics formats). That's still a one-way exchange, and larger modifications to the content of PDF files have to be done in the original sources based on which the PDF files are (re-)distilled/ generated. > industry standard for the exchange of graphic information. > From my point of view PDF format is not only for viewing. I noticed that the conversion that makes the site reserves the grouping, but it is very difficult to use it in our workflow. I hope I am able to explain the need for better support of the PDF file format. htm reserves the grouping, but it is very difficult to use it in our workflow. I noticed that the conversion that makes the site info/convert/ image/svg2pdf. All RIP software basically work with PDF. It is the industry standard for the exchange of graphic information. Ungrouping all objects at once, create serious inconvenience to designers.įrom my point of view PDF format is not only for viewing. Moreover, using GhostScript, I convert PDF files to CMYK color profile.Ĭustomers use software such as Adobe Illustrator, they placed their designs and return them again as a PDF. In the printing industry PDF established as a universal exchange format, therefore we send layouts in PDF.

I use Inkscape to create layouts, which then send to our customers. In recent years, it increased not by quantity but by a variety of manufactured packaging. I work in the packaging printing business.

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