Export project with 2 spot colors to pdf with crop marks on both spot color plates

[mwenz]

There should be a registration color in Xara that by nature hits every plate. That is the only proper fix.

In lieu of a reg color that hits each plate, simply leaving the black plate on suffices to output the job. I've done film before that way. Due to any difference in line screen angle, I would avoid using the various pantone colors for the reg marks. Leaving the black plate turned on makes lining up the marks more accurate.

But as you see, the "printed" seps work. Which is what the OP was talking about. However, I have no idea how the words in the op "export" and "separations" even apply.

That should also be capable for those who desire to do seps in XDP.

I don't use XDP for such things. I'll do PDFX-1a (and would use PDFX-4 if/when available) composite pages, the crop marks, etc., hit each plate. But for on-page marks, the opening statement is what should happen.

[Albacore]

Is is not because you are using spot colours in seps. that the reg. black is not coming through or did I miss something in the reading. Each place I worked have done things slightly differently in the way of setting out but most of them when producing let's say for a cheaply produced 2 spot colour brochure used manually placed reg. marks along with crop marks from templates. One shop which I disliked working in used shades of grey and pink to represent the spot colours but designing in this way was gross but that was the way the owner worked and the printer new the method. Not sent anything yet to a printer using PDF X-4 not sure if many printers really know what its values are yet and where to use it best. Think most printers run about 4 years behind the software if you think a few years and look at the way the handle transparencies.

[Artworx]

Gary / Mike,

What Gary said is true the crop marks in your file only appear on the process plates and not on the spot plates. And yes, Gary setting one spot color to print on all plates does not work. Again, the solution I use works fine. I place crop marks manually in the document, usually in the bleed area. I clone the crop marks so that one set of crops is on top of the other set. I color these in the spot colors being used in the file and set the top most set of crops to overprint. By doing this the set of crops on top overprint the crops on the bottom, and do not knock them out.

[mwenz]

Yes, I know. A couple things.

(1) The black plate simply needs left on when they film is output. This is done the world over in this situation.

(2) Xara needs to remedy this problem. There should be a registration color that hits all plates--just like every other application on the planet used for print work.

(3) Make sure when using the same color for the reg marks there is no screen angle differences. Doesn't take much to throw things off.

All this would (will) be a bigger issue if and when Xara ever allows duto-tones or tri- quad-tones. It would be nice to be able to use Xara for screen printing rather than CD or Quark. Without EPS support where the EPS contains pantones and the ability to separate them, XDP cannot be used.

[gwpriester]

This was passed on to Xara as a bug. I have not had any response.

[mwenz]

Thanks, Gary.

Thing is, it does work insofar as anything set to print on all plates hitting the CMY (and K) plates. Just not the Pantone plates. And I would not expect/want it to. In that regard, it is likely "by design."

Only being able to access the registration color that should print on all plates can this be properly resolved.

[Big Frank]

I just had to create a PDF export with cropmarks for the printer and, after an hour of pulling my non-existent hair out, found the "toggle" to get the bastards to finally display :

Step 1
File > Print options > Imagesetting > Output Printer's Marks

Step 2
File > Print options > Separations > Print colour separations(this is the one that finally "toggled" the printing of of crop marks)

Step 3
File > Export > {filename} > Designer PDF Export > Advanced Options > Layers > Crop and Printer Marks > Include

This routine may have been illustrated above, but I didn't see it.
I hope this simple routine helps others faced with the same pain.

[mwenz]

...Snip of good stuff...
This routine may have been illustrated above, but I didn't see it.
I hope this simple routine helps others faced with the same pain.

That's because your tips, however good, aren't the issue.

OK. Look att he screen shot below. See those funky looking black targets? If you right-click on an object, there is a choice to make something output on ALL plates. I did that with the registration targets.



And here they are on the page. The two squares are Pantone filled squares.



And here, in Acrobat, I have turned off the display of the Process color plates. Note the registration targets that I chose to output on all plates do not actually appear on the spot-color plates. That is the issue.



Are there ways around this? Yep, it isn't a good (or proper) work-around.

Mike