file naming
best practices

The purpose of this document is to illustrate the Digital Solution Center's guidelines for naming portable files. Naming your files according to these guidelines makes it easier for LSC Communications to meet your expectations of a quality job. This means the right version of the right page, in the right place in your publication.

  • File names should only include alpha-numeric characters, underscores (used to separate sections of the file name), and periods (used before the suffix ".PDF", ".PS", etc.).
  • Special characters, including but not limited to, asterisks, ampersands, slashes, dollar signs and brackets should never be used.
  • Theses are illegal characters ( ~ ' ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) + = { } [ ] | \ ; : " ' < > , ? / )
  • File names also must not exceed 25 characters.
  • The page number will be placed at the beginning or the end of the file name depending on the method used to create the pdfs. Either will identify to anyone working with the file which page a file represents, and allows all pages to appear in order in a list. Javascript Naming: Page number will be three digits at the beginning of the filename. Ex: 001-999. Adobe Naming: Page number will be two, then three digits at the end. Ex: 01-999.
  • Javascript Naming - Page Exporter Utility/javascript (required prior to CC2019 to create single pages).
  • Adobe Exporting - single pages are created from the export window. No PEU javascript required. It can be used but must be reinstalled with every Adobe CC update.
Javascript Naming

  010_MagName.pdf
  011_MagName.pdf
  012_MagName.pdf

Adobe CC2019 + Export Naming

  MagName_10.pdf
  MagName_11.pdf
  MagName_12.pdf

The situation may arise that after uploading a file you may need to make a correction. You should make the necessary correction in the native application and create a new PDF. The revised PDF should include the letter "r1" after the page number, for the first revision.

In this example, page 12 has been revised twice. When submitting revised files, always add "r" after the folio, followed by a number representing the revision level ("r1" for the first revise, "r2" for the second, etc.)

Javascript Naming

  012_r1_MagName.pdf
  012_r2_MagName.pdf
  012_MagName.pdf

Adobe CC2019 + Export Naming

  MagName_12_r1.pdf
  MagName_12_r2.pdf
  MagName_12.pdf

Certain situations may arise where you may need to use a low resolution image or a spot color in your files. By including these letters at the end of the file name the pages will process automatically without error.

Low Resolution images - Pages that contain a low resolution image (continuous tone ‹ 151 dpi, bitmap ‹ 300 dpi), that is known and is acceptable to print, should include the letters "lr" at the end of the file name before the ".pdf"

Javascript Naming

  010_MagName_lr.pdf

Adobe CC2019 + Export Naming

  MagName_10_lr.pdf

Spot Colors - Pages that contain a known spot color that is intended to print, should contain the letters "pms" at the end of the file name before the ".pdf"

Javascript Naming

  011_MagName_pms.pdf

Adobe CC2019 + Export Naming

  MagName_11_pms.pdf

Spot Colors with Low Resolution images - Pages that contain both a spot color that is intended to print and a known acceptable low resolution image, should include the letters "pmslr" at the end of the file name before the ".pdf"

Javascript Naming

  012_MagName_pmslr.pdf

Adobe CC2019 + Export Naming

  MagName_12_pmslr.pdf

Gray Scale Pages - Pages that are intended to print gray scale only include the letters "bw" at the end of the file name, ("bwlr" if the page is gray scale and contains known low resolution images).

Javascript Naming

  010_MagName_bw.pdf
  011_MagName_bwlr.pdf

Adobe CC2019 + Export Naming

  MagName_10_bw.pdf
  MagName_11_bwlr.pdf

Version Pages - Pages with versions should include version information in the file name. In this example, page 100 has three versions; A, B, and C. To denote a version in the file name, after the folio, add "v" and a letter or number representing the version ("vA" for version A, "vB" for version B, etc).

Javascript Naming

  100_vA_MagName.pdf
  100_vB_MagName.pdf
  100_vC_r1_MagName.pdf
  100_vC_r2_MagName.pdf
  100_vC_MagName.pdf

Adobe CC2019 + Export Naming

  MagName_100_vA.pdf
  MagName_100_vB.pdf
  MagName_100_vC_r1.pdf
  MagName_100_vC_r2.pdf
  MagName_100_vC.pdf

Note that page 100 version C has been revised twice. The revise code should always follow version information in the file name.

Cover Pages - Cover pages should be named C1 (front cover), C2 (inside front cover), C3 (inside back cover), and C4 (back cover)

Javascript Naming

  C1_MagName.pdf
  C2_MagName.pdf
  C3_MagName.pdf
  C4_MagName.pdf

Adobe CC2019 + Export Naming

  MagName_C1.pdf
  MagName_C2.pdf
  MagName_C3.pdf
  MagName_C4.pdf

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