Fools and Their Foolproof Workflows --McIlroy

Both reports reveal that a substantial minority of PDF generators submit their original application files (QuarkXPress, or whatever) along with their PDF file, just in case. The reports reveal that this is often a requirement from printers and prepress shops, or, in some cases, the customers insist. There are a lot of opinions on the whys and wherefores of this odd workflow redundancy. For some it's just a precaution. But clearly the PDF files submitted are far from error-free, and sometimes it's appropriate to make corrections in the original application file.