Need Spot Colors In PDF

**mwenz** · 08 March 2011, 12:53 PM

Having the PDF might help us to check the output if you do not have the full Acrobat.

I have attached a couple of screen shots of using the Output Preview command in Acrobat 9 Pro. I have deselected the process plates (used in the calibration marks).

Take care, Mike

**blazer217** · 09 March 2011, 02:41 AM

Originally Posted by mwenz

Having the PDF might help us to check the output if you do not have the full Acrobat.

I have attached a couple of screen shots of using the Output Preview command in Acrobat 9 Pro. I have deselected the process plates (used in the calibration marks).

Take care, Mike

Hi Mike - I bought the Adobe 9 Pro today. So hopefully, when you explain it'll make more sense to me. I've taken a very basic job where I have colored the three lines as 3 separate spot colors (or so I think!!). When I go into "Advanced", Output it shows I have CMYK. How do I maintain the spot colors OR change the process to Spot in the PDF?

**mwenz** · 09 March 2011, 02:02 PM

Hello blazer,

Ok. I have attached a new XAR file, a pdf and some screen shots. Make sure to change your printer being used to the Adobe PDF driver.

Also, an apology. In the former reply, I had recycled a work-around for another application for outputting spot seps. I sort of got lost which application I used for the demonstration. We can blame that on old age, or recovering from a heart attack (sort of related I suppose).

In the print dialog, change to the Adobe PDF driver. Click on options. Go to the separations tab and select to do separations. All inks used will be listed and in your file, all are likely selected. In my attached file, I think only the spots will be selected. (Note to Xara: make this dialog able to be resized or simply larger...)

The Image Setting tab controls what information will also be printed. As I elected to print to US Letter size, I made the page in XDP6 smaller so the information will print.

And simply print. You should get the same result as I have in the attached PDF. Each color on its own plate with the color name in the information section.

You should ask your print provider whether they would also want a "composite" version PDF. Mine usually do so they can compare the results.

Take care, Mike

**blazer217** · 09 March 2011, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by mwenz

Hello blazer,

Ok. I have attached a new XAR file, a pdf and some screen shots. Make sure to change your printer being used to the Adobe PDF driver.

Also, an apology. In the former reply, I had recycled a work-around for another application for outputting spot seps. I sort of got lost which application I used for the demonstration. We can blame that on old age, or recovering from a heart attack (sort of related I suppose).

In the print dialog, change to the Adobe PDF driver. Click on options. Go to the separations tab and select to do separations. All inks used will be listed and in your file, all are likely selected. In my attached file, I think only the spots will be selected. (Note to Xara: make this dialog able to be resized or simply larger...)

The Image Setting tab controls what information will also be printed. As I elected to print to US Letter size, I made the page in XDP6 smaller so the information will print.

And simply print. You should get the same result as I have in the attached PDF. Each color on its own plate with the color name in the information section.

You should ask your print provider whether they would also want a "composite" version PDF. Mine usually do so they can compare the results.

Take care, Mike

Thanks, Mike.
I managed to get the PDF of my job as separated spot colors. NOW, how do I also give my printer a composite, but using only the Spot colors and NOT the CMYK. Or, is there a way to combine the PDF separated file into a composite??
Thanks - I feel like I'm finally making some progress!

**blazer217** · 09 March 2011, 04:15 PM

Mike - I attached the separated PDF file of my job (it is perfect with 6 spot color plates). I've also attached the composite PDF file (it comes up CMYK - however, the PostScript file was 6 spot color plates). What am I doing wrong????
Thanks - and I know what you mean about getting old. Sorry about the heart attack - hope my problems don't give me one!

**mwenz** · 09 March 2011, 04:53 PM

Hi Blazer--use the Export menu selection. Choose PDF as the export type. Accept the defaults (at least I didn't change them).

Open the PDF in Acrobat. Choose the separation preview. You should see the Pantone inks.

Take care, Mike

**mwenz** · 09 March 2011, 05:09 PM

I should add that for the composite that your printer may not care that it is a Pantone composite. As a composite, it is really a representation of how the final should look.

That said, the composite also can be used by the printer for outputting directly to the film as they can control the ink output individually.

Oh. Another thing. Some of the inks should be set for trapping. With the composite they can deal with it. Trapping allows a little smidgen for one color (or more) to slightly overlap another color so registration does not have to be more precise than their equipment can handle.

For your composite, I would ask your printer which colors should have trapping, if any.

take care, Mike

**Albacore** · 09 March 2011, 02:28 PM

Did a bit of digging to find your answer! Have a look here, it should help: http://www.ps.missouri.edu/ps2/suppo...Tutorial2.html
Also there is a Google book of Adobe's Classroom book for Pagemaker 7 and it can be seen here: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=P...page&q&f=false

Hope this helps and if you don't have the Pantone libraries please come back