PDF and Spot Colour

[masque]

I have just had a proof print produced for a large format menu. (594mm x 42mm when cut and before folding).
It was produced in Xtreme as usual and exported as a PDF/X 300dpi all text converted to curves etc again as usual. However the text is appearing a little furry as opposed to sharpe edged and the printer is blaming this on the fact that the text which is mostly black was not exported as a spot colour but coverted to CMYK along with the graphics/photographs.
I've not experienced a problem from this before but before I blame the inadequacy of the printer and his press I said I would try to re-export the job with the text saved as a spot colour within the PDF. When I come to look then this doesn't seem to be an option.
Has anyone experience with this or can anyone suggest an alternative route rather than the one to another printer which is not an option in this case.
Derek

[Egg Bramhill]

Derek, is the text in the top layer without any other objects?

[jimhanus]

I had something similar happen where a partially transparent shadow was supposed to be Black, but actually had a very slight color to it that I didn't notice. So in the printing it became fuzzy/pixelated. Only noticable up close and not at all at the intended viewing distance. Maybe something like that is happening to your black color to cause it?

[masque]

Egg
I know about potential problems of having 100% transparent shapes over other objects when exporting but in this case there is nothing of that sort.
The PDF looks perfectly sharpe so it does seem to be at the plate making or the print stage. It may be a registration problem with the black text being made up of 4 colours which may be fractionaly misaligning but of course thats a print problem and not a PDF export problem. However the printer is adament that the registration is perfect, and it always has been in the past with him, but he also says its best to export as spot colour but that dosen't seem possible.
Derek

[steve.ledger]

From Xara Help on Spot Colors:

Spot colors appear as circles on the Color Line and Color Gallery.

Spot colors are always Named colors.

[masque]

From Xara Help on Spot Colors:

Spot colors appear as circles on the Color Line and Color Gallery.

Spot colors are always Named colors.

I know, but when exported to PDF surely they are then converted to CMYK. It is because of this that I can’t see how to export the text as spot colour, which is what is being asked for.
Derek

[steve.ledger]

PDF/X carries spot colors

[raynerj1]

I had a simuliar problem when I had to do a map and export it as (.ai, 90% PDF anyway) The export filter did indeed convert all my CMYK (K100%) black to CMYK black.

I got around this by opening the file in AI and converting all the CMYK black to K100 black. It is worth a try...

It is very hard to get all four plates to register perfectly. You could always try oveprinting black also. Do not know if this will help any.

[fredbassett]

Some methods to check separations;

1. Load the PDF into Quark 5 (was free with Computer Shopper!), if there are any spot colours they will be added to the colours palette (F12). Go to print and select a postscript printer and select the option to print only used colours, it will list the plates that will be produced by the printing.
2. Actually print separations to postscript printer, if you have one. Then check them!
3. I also have Acrobat Pro, quite an old version I got cheap (v6), you can load a PDF into it and preview separations, which are named, and can be turned on and off in the preview with checkboxes. VERY useful, saves paper too!

*If you don't have a postscript printer I have heard that you can add one to the windows printers control panel, set it to print to disk... You can then use it to 'print' seps!*

I hope some of this info is helpful!

[alexbozhenov]

Derek,

So your black text contains all 4 (CMYK) colors?