Box Editor

Box Editor is a cool software from Apago that works as a low-cost plug-in for Adobe Acrobat. It helps advertisers set the right "bleed and trim" sizes, or boxes, to define how big an ad should be. PDF/X files are super popular in advertising workflows, but the bleed and trim data often has mistakes. This can lead to costly errors and wasted time! To place ads correctly on pages and handle spreads smoothly, publishers need PDF/X files with accurate information about those bleed and trim boxes.

Easy Data Management

This software makes it easy for advertisers to import and export bleed and trim data using a new XML format. What’s neat is that it lets you create a "Library" of ad specs for different publications. You can enter box dimensions as decimals (like 2.25) or fractions (like 2 1/2). Plus, there's a handy Grouping feature that allows you to position both the trim and bleed boxes at once!

Control Panel for Digital Ads

Box Editor isn’t just about setting sizes; it also acts like a control panel for digital ads. Publishers can check out PDF/X-specific info like Trapping status and OutputIntent values right there! The "Vue/X" mode makes sure Acrobat displays PDF/X files correctly with just one click.

Simplifying Ad Specifications

With Box Editor, publishers can clean up ads by removing everything outside the trim or bleed area—goodbye unwanted registration marks! Need to check which fonts or colors were used? Just look at the Fonts and Colors tabs!

Streamlined Workflow with XML Format

The open XML format makes sharing ad specs super simple. Publishers can put these specs on their websites so advertisers can easily download XML files into Box Editor. This saves everyone time!

A Game Changer for Advertisers

Before this, advertisers had to visit each publication's website, print out specs, then manually enter bleed and trim sizes into layout programs like QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign. But now with the new XML format, all spec details are in one downloadable file—no more data entry mistakes!

No More Complexities!

The previous attempts at using XML were tricky and not well-known. But now Box Editor provides an easy way for publishers to share their bleed and trim data while giving advertisers a simple tool to import that info into their PDF/X files.

Requirements:

• Adobe Acrobat 5 or later.