PDF and Spot Colours

I have a problem with Illustrator CC. I have a file with spot colours in it. I have converted these spot colours to CMYK, but I still cannot save the file as a PDF-X. An error message continues to pop up saying I have spot colours somewhere, but I have no idea where. How do I save the file as a PDF-X?

At first yes, but now no. I had to modify the colours to match some samples I got. And yes the error message reads: Cannot output this document because it contains more than 27 spot colours and uses transparency. Delete some spot colours or convert them to process colours and try again.
The thing is I did that. I got rid of the colours and transparencies I wasn't using for one of the files but I still get the same message.
I'm saving it to a PDF/X-3:2002 but no matter what preset I chose it just doesn't want to work.

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Export to PDF and Spot Color Reg Marks

This sounds like a simple problem but I have not been able to find a way to do this. When I create a document in ID with 2 spot colors and then export to a pdf and add registration marks (or crop marks) at this stage, the reg marks are created as the spot colors in the document AND Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black. I am outputting to a RIP to generate printing plates. This is a problem because I will get six plates (four with only reg marks) rather than just the two I need. Is there a way to add the reg marks in the export stage so that they are created as only the colors that are present in the document?

Add a slug around your document (File>Document Setup>Show Options)
If your bleed is 3 mm and you want to add 5 mm crop marks, set the slug to be 8 mm all around
On the master page make a line at .25 pt and place this outside the bleed area and touching the slug line
Do this for all master pages.
Set the stroke colour to registration.
Export to PDF and choose to include bleed and slug.
Don't turn on crop marks.

Exporting pdf with spot colour

Hi, Im having trouble exporting a pdf with a spot colour from ID. Just one part of my logo is showing as thicker once its exported. I can place in the exact same artwork but using a CYMK colour and the thick shape doesnt show. does any one know why this is happening? Im placing an ai. file.

I'm not convinced that has anything to do with the presence of a spot color. Assuming you are viewing the PDF in Acrobat (or Reader), have a look at your Page Display preferences under Rendering. If "Enhance thin lines" is ticked, un-tick it and see if that makes the thick I go away.

I have a 2 x spot colour file in Illustrator CC and need to save it as a PDF for printing in spot colour....

I have a 2 x spot colour file in Illustrator CC and need to save it as a PDF for printing in spot colour, which option do I choose in the 'save as' menu?
and how do I check it?
The overprint panel is open and I can turn off the cmyk ( there are no separations for the cmyk anyway)
Have looked at the tutorials which tell me to print as PDF7 but that utility is disabled and has been for ages.
it is a simple need but can find no simple information so think I must be missing something!
Thanks in advance!

No magic required. You simply save it as PDF-X from AI. If the spot colors are based on correct swatches and tagged accordingly, they will appear as separate inks/ plates in the PDF, which you can verify in the ink manager in Acrobat. That's pretty much all there is to it and the print facility should handle this file correctly.
Mylenium

Making a PDF with an image that has both spot colour channel and alpha channel

Hi I have a logo that was supplied to us as a PSD it has a transparent background, it also has a pantone colour channel. I have made a alpha channel from the transparent background as well.
The graphic looks fine in InDesign (alpha channel selected in the import options), ie the background is transparent.
But when we try to make a Hi Res PDF the result is that the graphic is on a solid white background.
If I go back to the PSD and merge the spot channel with so that it is just CMYK and try again the PDF is fine, but we obviously loose the spot colour.
How do you make a PDF with a transparent PSD that has a spot colour?

You know that annoying response from support staff? "We cannot replicate your issue". Well....
I created a PSD in CS5, with a bunch of process stuff, then loaded a spot color channel and painted in some pawprints using Pantone 172C:
Saved this as a PSD file, default settings (maximize compatibility on, but it doesn't make any difference in this situation).
Created a new InDesign document in CS5, added a gradient and some text, then placed the PSD. ID understands the PSD has an inbuilt background so there's no need to bother with a dedicated alpha mask:
Exported from ID using the High Quality Print option (PDF/1.4, which keeps the live transparency):
Re-exported to PDF/X-1a (based on PDF/1.3 which flattens transparency) - looks exactly the same. In all cases the spot channel is intact and the see-through regions of the PSD are maintained.

Can anyone tell me how to convert crop marks to registration on a supplied pdf. The pdf also has spot colours which the crop marks need to be in too.

Can anyone tell me how to convert crop marks to registration on a supplied pdf. The pdf also has spot colours which the crop marks need to be in too.

Greetings,
I've never seen this issue, and I handle many iPads, of all versions. WiFi issues are generally local to the WiFi router - they are not all of the same quality, range, immunity to interference, etc. You have distance, building construction, and the biggie - interference.
At home, I use Apple routers, and have no issues with any of my WiFi enabled devices, computers, mobile devices, etc - even the lowly PeeCees. I have locations where I have Juniper Networks, as well as Aruba, and a few Netgears - all of them work as they should.
The cheaper routers, Linksys, D-Link, Seimens home units, and many other no name devices have caused issues of various kinds, and even connectivity.
I have no idea what Starbucks uses, but I always have a good connection, and I go there nearly every morning and get some work done, as well as play.
You could try changing channels, 2.4 to 5 Gigs, changing locations of the router. I have had to do all of these at one time or another over the many years that I have been a Network Engineer.
Good Luck - Cheers,
M.

Acrobat CC doesn't show or print spot colours in a Photoshop PDF

When I open a Photoshop PDF, with a spot colour channel, in Acrobat CC 11.0.04, the spot colour doesn't show. But it shows when I click Output Preview (in Print Production). The colour doesn't print either. It also disappears when I convert it into CMYK (by checking the "Convert All Spots to Process" box in Ink Manager). I'm running Acrobat on OSX Mavericks.
Has anyone had similar problems?
Any help is appreciated.

Thank you for your reply.
Indeed, I tried saving a PDF that had the "default appearance", it shows exactly the same. So it looks like it "can't" show the image.
However, of course, I do want the image to be shown. How can I achieve this? How can I tell Adobe Reader (and other PDF viewers) I really really realllyyyyy want to see that image there? I believe I'm not doing anything really exotic, right? There must have been tons of other people that wanted to do the same thing, I guess?
                    var annotation = new PDFLinkAnnotation
                                Action = new PDFUriAction(this.GetCodeUrl(code)),
                                Contents = AnnotationIdentifier,
                                Appearance = new PDFImageAppearance(bitmapImage),
                                DisplayRectangle =
                                    new DisplayRectangle(
                                    barcodeLocationInfo.X,
                                    barcodeLocationInfo.Y,
                                    barcodeLocationInfo.Tsw,
                                    barcodeLocationInfo.Tsh),
                                Flags = Flags
                    pdfPage.Annotations.Add(annotation);

Pantone spot colour and transparency don't work together

Using indesign CS5, I make a pantone solid spot colour background.
I import two of the same photos: one a greyscale circular pshop file with transparency surrounding the circle ( the file is not flattened).
The other is the same photo, but I make a clipping path around the circle and then flatten the file and save as a jpg.
Both photos are put on top of the pantone solid color background in Indesign.
I export the indesign file as pdfx 1a using pdf-presets under the file menu.
If I open the pdf in Acrobat and open the "output preview" panel and turn off the "simulate overprinting" box, the pshop photo disappears, but the jpg with the clipping path is fine. They print as they appear: one disappears (Pshop file) and one is OK: the jpg.
If you import the pdfx 1a pdf back into Indesign, you will see that the pshop image has disappeared.
I understand this happens to others not just me. is there a fix?
Does it work with all a spot colours and transparency?
If I save as a higher version of acrobat (say 7). The pdf looks fine and imports back into indesign fine.
And if I send to the RIP the RIP seems to handle it fine. But if I take that Acrobat 7 file and put on a page and export as pdx-1a, I get the same problem

Spot colors and Transparency do not play well together, but can be used together if you follow some rules.
jpg does not support transparency. If you're working within InDesign, you can, and should save as and use psd or tiff. Tiff supports transparency if toggled during the Save As dialog.
x1/a pdf does not support transparency, hence it was lost. In my environment, Press Quality PDF has never failed me, but High Quality and x4 have added benefits of Color Management.
Search for Yucky Discolored Box Syndrome - read the results from InDesign Secrets

How do I use mono and 1 spot colour for print, where the spot colour applies to an element, rather than the whole image?

I am struggling to work with spot colours, using scanned images edited in Photoshop for use in InDesign to then go to print.
We print to two plates to save money for our publication. In this case magenta and black.
I could use the spot colour mode but that works with curves and I only want a certain part magenta. Imagine a business card with a gloss finish where I only want to apply it to certain part ie the name of the employee, using a curve would match a certain shade therefore this method would be unsuitable.
I have also tried using channels, one grayscale and one magenta, but using the file types either InDesign bugs or it comes out in mono.
It isn't possible to recreate the logo in InDesign, if only it was this easy...
If someones already discussed this, I can't find it, but if someone could point me in the right direction—I'd be very grateful!
Using Photoshop CS4, InDesign CS4. Access to Adobe Cloud at home...

I'm assuming at least some people on here must have experience of the Scintilla control for creating a Notepad++ type application. I'd like to use this control, unfortunately there is very little in the way of documentation or working examples
around
>unfortunately there is very little in the way of documentation
Have you read all of this?
Scintilla Documentation
http://www.scintilla.org/ScintillaDoc.html
>or working examples around
Have you examined this project in detail?
SciTE is a SCIntilla based Text Editor.
http://www.scintilla.org/SciTE.html
SciTE Documentation
http://www.scintilla.org/SciTEDoc.html
- Wayne

RGB CMYK PDF EXPORT.(colour conversion) Keeping your colours vibrant and your blacks black.

Ive been tearing my hair out for the best part of 14 hours trying to figure out how to keep the closest possible conversion for working with images(rgb in photoshop) right the way through a work flow until exporting to print (having used the image in Indesign). Here is the process I have been trying to get right.
1) working with RGB photo images in photoshop and converting them to CMYK (whilst holding on to as much colour as poss)
2) Importing them to Indesign and retaining the correct colours while working with them)
3) Exporting to high quality print and having all your colours stay 100% the same as you saw them within indesign.
I believe I have the solution so I posted my settings below to see if its the best way of doing things and to help others who might be having the same problems.
The problem
The problem is that there are many different colour models/profiles (both in RGB and CMYK) and each program can effect how the next one handles and stores colour. It can become frustrating knowing where to go in order to set the settings correctly as the combination of things to consider can make it confusing.
I understand many other people have similar problems and finding RGB blacks come out as grey. CMYK spaces get converted from one type to another either from one program to the next or even as things move around one program (causing all sorts of wonderful,colour errors) Plus you have imported colour profiles, working colour profiles and export profiles. All of which can interact and effect each other) So getting it all consistent is key other wise colours change and get washed out.   Especially vibrant colours like greens and blues. they fade etc.
Through sheer trial and error and perciverance I found a combination of settings that worked well for me.
Since I am not an expert I wanted to post up my settings to:
1) see if this is the best way of doing things.
2) Other people may find them useful if they had the same problems I had,
The Solution
In photoshop
Save the photoshop image in CMYK by selecting:
Edit > Convert to prfile.
(in destination space)
select: Euroscale Coated v2   (I think this holds the colours the truest of all CMYK colour formats.)
(in conversion options)
- Engine: Adobe ACE
- Intent: Perceptual.
- Check Use black point Compensation.
(leave all else unchecked)
Save the image ready to place in indesign (place rather than copy and paste.).
In Indesign
edit > colour settings   (make sure you click on the advanced tick box to open more options)
- Working space: =
- RGB: sRGB IEC....
- CMYK Euroscale coated v2
- RGB & CMYK convert to working space.
- Engine Adobe ACE
- Perceptual
- Use black point compensation
edit > Assign profiles
- RGB profile. > Assign current workspace: sRGB IE
- CMYK > Assign current work space Euroscale Coated V2
- Solid colour intent : preceptual
- Default image intent
- After blending intent: Perceptual.
edit > convert to profile. (use similar as above).
edit > Preferences > Apprearance of black
- on screen / export : Display all blacks as enriched black
- Priniting and export : Display all blacks as enriched black
Overprint: (not checked)
------ when exporting to PDF ----------
File > Export
in GENERAL TAB
- Adobe PDF preset: High quality print.
- Standard (drop down menu): PDF/X-42008
- Compatability: Acrobat 5 PDF1:4
in OUTPUT
- COlour conversion: Convert to destination
- Destination: Working CMYK Euroscale Coated v2
in PDF/X
- Output intent profile name: Working CMYK - Euroscale Coated v2
also:
If you are having problems with fill blacks not coming out as proper black then use registration instead of black from the swatch panel.
The above may seem either obvious to most of you or possibly not the best way of doing things but since the results worked for me and I found them tough to arrive at, it may be of use to others hence my post.
I would like your feedback on this process, have I done something wrong / could do better? If so please let me know. I am keen to improve.

I would copy and paste into InDesign forum. Text should stay 100% black. Any other black (like solid boxes or thick lines), I usually use a rich black swatch I created at 40/40/40/100. Looks 10 times better than just 100% black.

Export to PDF and print same swatch colour - different variation of colour on printouts

I have multiple documents - they are all set up the same way.
I have 2 or 3 swatches in each of them -namely Rubine Red is giving me an issue - this is the same swatch in every document!
===============
The Swatch
===========
Colour Settings
Here are my Colour Settings - the exact same in every document - I have also used the "Convert Profiles" and made sure all are the exact same.
=================
Export to PDF
When I export to PDF - the export looks great - and the coloured frames all look the exact same - and they give the exact same colour read outs in any profile I look at in the Preflight Manager
The CMYK Reading is 4/99/20/0 in all boxes
====================
The printed result
==================
Same colour settings
Same swatch and same swatch values
Same PDF export options
Same swatch values on output
Only 1 file prints the correct colour throughout
====================
PDF export settings
Test File
Can anyone help me with this?
The printer I am using is a XeroxColorQube using PS driver.
Windows 7
Adobe InDesign CS5.5
Fully updated

I've also exported the document to IDML - and I've unzipped that folder. I've read the information for the colour - there's only 1 reference to Rubine Red and that's giving the same percentages as the InDesign file.
I don't know where the 2nd shade of pink is coming from.
But I suspect that it's from the print driver itself.
Also - just occured to me, I lost my PDF settings a while ago, InDesign crashed and the PDF defaults were missing - I dowloaded a copy of a set from someone on these forums through a google search.
But I no longer have PDF x4 export option - where can I retrieve these.
How can I restore the original PDF settings for InDesign?

CS6 Illustrator and InDesign colours are changed when the PDF is saved.

CS6 Illustrator and InDesign colours are changing when the saved PDFs are displayed on some different computers and for digital print output. I have ensured that the colours are all CMYK and tried different adjustments like preserving the numbers and the like but nothing is working. It prints properly on my inkjet and has displayed properly on different computers.

You need to read up on color management, color profiles and all that....
Mylenium

InDesign CS3 and Fluorescent Spot Colours

I am having a problem with importing Photoshop files into InDesign CS3 and laying them over a fluorescent spot colour.
The PS file is Greyscale with a transparent background, this is being inported into a picture box in InDesign which in turn is sitting on top of a square with a fluorescent spot colour in it. (Pantone 804c). The problem is that the spot colour is being affected by the photoshop box that contains the greyscale image. Outside of the box the spot colour represents normally, but underneath the photoshop box the fluorescent spot is changing colour to a lighter shade. Has anyone seen this and figured out how to fix it. This occurance has happened only through my local printer and has not yet been printed Litho.
Thanks.

If your Transparency Blend Space is CMYK, make sure you check Use Standard Lab Values for Spots and turn on View>Overprint Preview (or turn on Separations in the Separations Preview panel).
If your output will be offset separations, you'll need to keep the blend space as CMYK in order to keep the grayscale on the black plate (the change in color with Overprint turned off is only a preview problem and will not effect separations). If you are always printing to a composite printer you could also set your blend space to RGB, but in that case the preview won't change and you will not get a correct spot/black separation.
http://www.zenodesign.com/scripts/Pantone806.png

Acrobat 8.1.2 crashes when checking/unchecking spot colour channels

Hi there, just wondering if this situation is a bug with Acrobat or an issue with my machine/OSX?
I have created PDFs by distilling and exporting. If I open the resulting PDFs in Acrobat 8.1.2 and open the colour seps panel and turn off colours - particularly spot colours, Acrobat unexpectedly quits. Everytime.
My system is:
24" intel iMac 4Gb Ram large HDD
OSX.5.2
Is anyone else having similar issues?
I'm just off to create a new account to see if it still dioes it.
Many thanks.
Kind Regards
Piers Le Sueur

Thanks Jon,
I've tried both.. trashing pref AND used IDCS3 - created a standard page added some items with spot colours and exported to PDF/X-1a:2001 as you suggested.
I'm still getting the same issue.
Incidentally - when you check seps - overprint automatically comes on by default. I'm not sure if you can view seps AND have overprint off...
Anything else to try?
Kind Regards
Piers Le Sueur

Is it possible to turn off a spot colour

Hello
Probably a dumb question but I will ask anyway. Is it possible to turn off a spot colour in CS4. I can effectively do it by creating a spot white and merging the spot colour I want to delete to the spot white using the ink aliasing. However, this leaves a spot colour in the high res pdf at th end of the job. This then causes a problem as we use an online proofing system which then fails the flightcheck as there is a spot colour in the pdf.
Cheers
Beeefcake

The spot colour is used so that we can perform a find on any text with a fill of the spot colour and delete it. The spot colour is put in for this purpose when the original artwork is created in the US.
Kathlene - I can't believe I didn't spot that! This would work! We could just convert the swatch to 0% cmyk as you suggest. The majority of the pages in the catalogue are on a white background so the pricing would simply disappear resulting in no spot place when pdf's are made. There are some pages on a coloured background but these are very few and the pricing could be deleted manually.
Thanks for the help!
Beefcake

PDF and Spot Colours

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