PDF/X Colors: "Simulate Print Colors" vs "Screen Colors"

[Nostaw]

I noticed, when exporting PDF/X, the colors in Acrobat of the exported PDF document look different on having "Simulate Print Colors" or "Screen Colors" ticked. Aren't the colors suppose to always look the same in Acrobat, no matter if in Xara "Simulate Print Colors" or "Screen Colors" have been ticked while working and designing a document? I always thought these options are just for viewing colors but never noticed they incluence the output.

So my question is, before exporting to PDF/X should this option be set to "Screen Colors" or "Simulate Print Colors" when all colors in the document are set to CMYK? (Obviously "Simulate Print Colors" should be ticked, but I'd like to hear your thoughts).

[Albacore]

There are so many reasons why they are different what I would suggest that you do is a search on the subject. Many people will spend a lot of money to get their monitor set up for colour correction, a thing called Spyder. When Xara imports a bitmap even when it has been saved as a CMYK it will convert it to RGB and that is even when you are working in CMYK colour mode it will do that.

Have a look at this thread: http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...ght=cmyk+tiffs

[Tao jones]

Create the PDF without Simulate print colors active. I found in acrobat reader I get the same colors as Xara but in acrobat pro it was different until I changed in preferences under color managment, CMYK to Photoshop 5 Default CMYK. I don't know why Acrobat pro shows different in the the free reader...anyway this works for me, regards tao

[Nostaw]

Thanks tao, yes this is why i was asking too. I guess the free version can't deal with embedded color profiles (???). So far I always exported PDF's by switching Simulate print colors off - because it just looks worse then in Acrobat full, but never had an explanation for this. Thanks for your reply!

Albacore, thanks for the link, it was very helpful indeed!