How to Export Print-Ready PDFs with CE.SDK

What You’ll Build#

A complete print-ready PDF export workflow that:

• Adds a custom “Export Print-Ready PDF” button to CE.SDK
• Exports designs as standard PDFs using CE.SDK’s engine
• Converts RGB PDFs to CMYK with professional ICC profiles
• Adds PDF/X-3:2003 compliance for commercial printing
• Handles transparency flattening automatically
• Downloads print-ready files directly in the browser

Prerequisites#

• Modern browser with WebAssembly support (Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+)
• Basic knowledge of JavaScript/TypeScript and CE.SDK
• Optional: CE.SDK license to remove watermark - Get a free trial

Step 1: Install the Plugin#

First, add the Print Ready PDF plugin to your project alongside CE.SDK:

npm install @cesdk/cesdk-js @imgly/plugin-print-ready-pdfs-web@1.0.0

The plugin is a standalone npm package that works with any CE.SDK integration.

Package details:

• @cesdk/cesdk-js: CE.SDK core library
• @imgly/plugin-print-ready-pdfs-web: Print-ready PDF conversion plugin

Try it yourself:

1. Run npm install in your project
2. Verify packages appear in package.json
3. Check node_modules contains both packages

Step 2: Set Up CE.SDK with Custom Export Button#

Initialize CE.SDK and add a custom export button to the navigation bar:

// Initialize CE.SDK
const cesdk = await CreativeEditorSDK.create('#cesdk-container', config);

// Add custom export button to navigation bar
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: [
    {
      key: 'export-print-ready-pdf',
      id: 'ly.img.action.navigationBar',
      label: 'Export Print-Ready PDF',
      iconName: '@imgly/Download',
      onClick: async () => {
        await exportPrintReadyPDF();
      },
    },
  ],
});

CE.SDK concepts explained:

• insertNavigationBarOrderComponent(): Dynamically adds UI components to the navigation bar
• 'last': Position for the button (can be ‘first’, ‘last’, or after specific components)
• iconName: Uses CE.SDK’s built-in icon library (@imgly/icons/)
• onClick: Function executed when button is clicked

The custom action button integrates seamlessly with CE.SDK’s UI, appearing alongside built-in export options.

Verify the integration:

1. Start your development server
2. Open CE.SDK in the browser
3. Look for “Export Print-Ready PDF” button in the navigation bar
4. Button should be clickable (even if export isn’t implemented yet)

Step 3: Export PDF from CE.SDK#

Now implement the export logic to get the PDF from CE.SDK’s engine:

// Get current scene ID
const scene = cesdk.engine.scene.get();

// Get all pages in the scene
const pages = cesdk.engine.block.findByType('page');

// Export first page as PDF
const pdfBlob = await cesdk.engine.block.export(pages[0], {
  mimeType: 'application/pdf',
});

CE.SDK export methods in detail:

• engine.scene.get(): Returns the ID of the current scene (the design being edited)
• engine.block.export(): Exports a specific block (in this case, the entire scene) as a Blob
• 'application/pdf': MIME type specifying PDF format output

The engine.block.export() method is the recommended approach for PDF export. CE.SDK handles all PDF generation internally.

Test your implementation:

• Open CE.SDK and create a simple design
• Click the custom export button
• Check browser console shows no errors
• Verify PDF blob has size > 0

Step 4: Convert to Print-Ready Format#

Use the plugin to convert CE.SDK’s RGB PDF to CMYK PDF/X-3 format:

// Convert to print-ready PDF/X-3 format
const printReadyPDF = await convertToPDFX3(pdfBlob, {
  outputProfile: 'fogra39', // European printing standard
  title: 'Print-Ready Export',
});

How this integrates with CE.SDK:

• CE.SDK exports standard RGB PDF (optimized for screens)
• Plugin intercepts the PDF blob
• Converts RGB colors to CMYK using professional ICC profiles
• Adds PDF/X-3:2003 compliance markers
• Embeds color profile for consistent printing

Color profile selection:

The outputProfile parameter determines the color space and printing standard:

• 'fogra39': European offset printing (ISO Coated v2 ECI)
• 'gracol': USA commercial printing (GRACoL 2013)
• 'srgb': Digital distribution (keeps RGB)
• 'custom': Use your own ICC profile file

Choose the profile that matches your print region or vendor requirements.

Verify the conversion:

1. Conversion should complete in 2-5 seconds
2. Output PDF is larger than input (~400-500KB for ICC profile)
3. No error messages in console
4. Blob size increased indicates successful conversion

Step 5: Download Print-Ready PDF#

Trigger the browser download for the converted PDF:

// Download the print-ready PDF
const url = URL.createObjectURL(printReadyPDF);
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.href = url;
link.download = 'design-print-ready.pdf';
link.click();
URL.revokeObjectURL(url);

Browser download pattern explained:

• URL.createObjectURL(): Creates temporary URL for the Blob
• document.createElement('a'): Creates download link element
• link.click(): Triggers browser’s download dialog
• URL.revokeObjectURL(): Cleans up temporary URL (prevents memory leaks)

This pattern works in all modern browsers without requiring server endpoints.

Test the complete workflow:

1. Create a design in CE.SDK
2. Click “Export Print-Ready PDF” button
3. Browser should prompt to save file
4. Downloaded PDF should open in PDF viewers
5. Check file properties for PDF/X-3:2003 compliance

Complete Implementation#

Here’s the full integration combining all steps:

import CreativeEditorSDK from '@cesdk/cesdk-js';
// @ts-expect-error - Plugin types will be available in future release
import { convertToPDFX3 } from '@imgly/plugin-print-ready-pdfs-web';

let cesdk: CreativeEditorSDK;

const config = {
  // By default, CE.SDK runs with a watermark.
  // Get a free trial license at https://img.ly/forms/free-trial to remove it.
  // Uncomment the line below and add your license key:
  // license: 'your-license-key-here',
};

async function init() {
  // Initialize CE.SDK
  cesdk = await CreativeEditorSDK.create('#cesdk-container', config);

  cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
    id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
    children: [
      {
        key: 'export-print-ready-pdf',
        id: 'ly.img.action.navigationBar',
        label: 'Export Print-Ready PDF',
        iconName: '@imgly/Download',
        onClick: async () => {
          await exportPrintReadyPDF();
        }
      }
    ]
  });

  // Load default scene
  await cesdk.createDesignScene();
}

async function exportPrintReadyPDF() {
  try {
    // Check if CE.SDK is initialized
    if (!cesdk) {
      throw new Error('CE.SDK not initialized');
    }

    // Get current scene ID
    const scene = cesdk.engine.scene.get();

    if (scene == null) {
      throw new Error('No scene loaded');
    }

    // Get all pages in the scene
    const pages = cesdk.engine.block.findByType('page');

    if (pages.length === 0) {
      throw new Error('No pages found in scene');
    }

    // Export first page as PDF
    const pdfBlob = await cesdk.engine.block.export(pages[0], {
      mimeType: 'application/pdf'
    });

    // Convert to print-ready PDF/X-3 format
    const printReadyPDF = await convertToPDFX3(pdfBlob, {
      outputProfile: 'fogra39', // European printing standard
      title: 'Print-Ready Export'
    });

    // Download the print-ready PDF
    const url = URL.createObjectURL(printReadyPDF);
    const link = document.createElement('a');
    link.href = url;
    link.download = 'design-print-ready.pdf';
    link.click();
    URL.revokeObjectURL(url);

    console.log('Print-ready PDF exported successfully!');
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Export failed:', error);
    alert('Failed to export print-ready PDF. Please try again.');
  }
}

// Initialize when page loads
init().catch((error) => {
  console.error('Failed to initialize CE.SDK:', error);
});

This implementation adds a complete print-ready PDF export workflow to CE.SDK with just a few lines of code.

Find the complete working example in the GitHub repository.

Advanced: Custom ICC Profiles#

Use printer-specific ICC profiles:

// Load custom ICC profile from your server
const customProfile = await fetch('/path/to/custom.icc').then(r => r.blob());

const printReadyPDF = await convertToPDFX3(pdfBlob, {
  outputProfile: 'custom',
  customProfile: customProfile,
  title: 'Custom Profile Export',
  outputConditionIdentifier: 'Custom_CMYK_Profile',
  outputCondition: 'Custom profile for specialized printing',
});

This allows you to meet specific print vendor requirements that may not be covered by standard profiles.

Troubleshooting#

”Input must be a Blob” Error#

Problem: Plugin reports invalid input type

Solution: Ensure CE.SDK export returns a Blob:

const blob = await cesdk.engine.block.export(sceneId, 'application/pdf');
console.log(blob instanceof Blob); // Should be true
console.log(blob.size); // Should be > 0

If blob.size === 0, the CE.SDK export failed. Check for scene errors.

Converted PDF is Much Larger#

Problem: Output file is significantly larger than input

Solution: This is expected behavior:

• ICC profiles add ~400-500KB (FOGRA39/GRACoL)
• Transparency flattening may rasterize content
• For smaller files, use srgb profile (digital-only)
• Disable transparency flattening if no transparency exists: flattenTransparency: false

Text Becomes Rasterized#

Problem: Text appears pixelated or blurry in output

Solution: Transparency flattening converts transparent pages to bitmaps:

• Avoid transparency in CE.SDK designs (use 100% opacity)
• Don’t use alpha channel PNG images
• Use solid fills instead of gradients with opacity
• Or disable flattening: flattenTransparency: false (only if certain no transparency exists)

Colors Look Different#

Problem: Colors appear different in exported PDF

Solution: This is expected when converting RGB to CMYK:

• CMYK has a smaller color gamut than RGB
• Some bright RGB colors cannot be reproduced in CMYK
• Preview in CMYK-capable viewer (Adobe Acrobat) for accurate representation
• For color-critical work, use CMYK values directly in CE.SDK designs

Custom Button Doesn’t Appear#

Problem: Export button not visible in UI

Solution: Verify your button insertion code:

cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent('last', {
  id: 'ly.img.actions.navigationBar',
  children: [
    {
      key: 'export-print-ready-pdf',
      id: 'ly.img.action.navigationBar',
      label: 'Export Print-Ready PDF',
      iconName: '@imgly/Download',
      onClick: async () => {
        /* ... */
      },
    },
  ],
});

Check browser console for configuration errors. Ensure the button is added after CE.SDK initialization completes.

Validating PDF/X-3 Compliance#

Verify your exported PDFs meet print standards:

Adobe Acrobat Pro:

1. Open converted PDF
2. File → Properties → Description
3. Should show “PDF version: 1.3 (PDF/X-3:2003)”
4. File → Properties → Advanced
5. Should show OutputIntent with ICC profile name

Free online validators:

• PDF/A-X Validator - Upload and validate compliance
• Check for PDF/X-3:2003 standard confirmation

Command-line verification:

# Check PDF version
pdfinfo output.pdf | grep "PDF version"

# Validate structure
qpdf --check output.pdf

# Search for PDF/X markers
grep -a "PDF/X-3" output.pdf