JDF - Recipe for Soup ... and a Sandwich

According to Ranasinha, JDF is really metadata describing the form, function, intent, and process of the actual file data. As such, he says, "it can describe every possible specification required to produce any type of job. Exact job specifications can be tailored to the type of work: for example, the number and description of colors, ink settings, deadlines, even shipping instructions." Moreover, he adds, "JDF certainly can be written into the PDF, such that the file itself creates the production workflow."