Illustrator and Xara PDF

[Rik]

Wasn't sure where to post this question, so I thought I would start here.

The question is to do with Illustrator and Xara.

If I create a document in Xara, and then export that as a PDF, then a lot of the colours colours do not export as well as they should do.
However, if I create a document in Illustrator, then the colour are very similar, if not identical when saved as a PDF.

So, why doesn't Xara manage this as well as Illustrator?
What is it that Illustrator has, to be able to save the document much, much better?

[handrawn]

oh a complicated question - you need mike to answer this fully

briefly: sounds like your PDF settings when exporting from illustrator were better matched to the program colour space; and not so with xara

[mwenz]

Often it is down to opening an RGB PDF in AI's CMYK color space. Or RGB in Xara and exporting to a CMYK flavor PDF and placing that in AI as either an RGB AI document or even opening directly in AI but a different output profile is used in Xara or AI. Or ...

Here's what I know. If I design in RGB and place that in AI when AI is set to use RGB, then the values remain the same. If I design in CMYK and XDP and AI are using the same PDF output profile for CMYK, then the values are unchanged.

But, Xara applications are not color managed and even when the moon and stars are aligned, one can perceive a color shift from little to a lot even if the CMYK values are unchanged.

Beyond that I would need to see the XAR and/or PDF.

Mike

[Rik]

OK. I think I understand what you're trying to say, Mike.
And I've tried various settings in Xara. Whereas in Illustrator, the PDF was excellent, without me changing anything.

I can't post my original document here, but, what I will do is to make a document in both Illustrator and Xara.
But, please remember that I'm just a novice in Illustrator.

I will try and post the document as soon as I can.

[mwenz]

Hi Rik,

Out of curiosity, is this a comparative exercise or perhaps for moving drawings from one to another application?

I myself almost always begin everything in XDP, even if I need to use AI or CD at some point in the illustration's life and so color is also important to me.

Looking forward to the samples. Thanks, Mike

[Rik]

I've created one document in Illustrator and one in Xara.
I've tried to make the colours look as similar as I can.
My issue isn't that the colours aren't exactly the same in Illustrator and Xara.

My issue is that when exporting to PDF, Illustrator PDF is very similar in the look of the colours.
Whereas, the Xara PDF is very poor.

I have tried different setting in Xara, but, nothing I tried gives me the very good result I get from Illustrator.

(I've zipped the Illustrator file, as I'm not sure I can attach it as is.)

[mwenz]

Part/most of the issue between the PDF results are simply different color values.

The disconnect between Xara on-screen and the resultant PDF is simply because none of Xara's applications are color-managed. But if using the same CMYK color values and output condition, there is no difference between Illy and the XDP-produced PDF I made. Both the modified XAR file and its PDF are in the ZIP attached.

See why some of use have been hammering on Xara/Magix to roll color management into at least XDP (you know, the Professional application) for quite some time? LCMS (Little Color Management System) is widely used and open source. Constantly updated. It would be a good fit.

This issue is why when using Xara applications, one better know what colors look like when designing for print.

Mike

[mwenz]

BTW, at least in XDP, if you have not added the button below in the screen shot to a toolbar, it helps to more or less notice the color shift when the intent is to go to a CMYK output.



On the left is obviously XDP, the Printer's Colors button is depressed (on). On the right is the result in Acrobat. While certain colors work better with this command set to on, for others it is far off.

[handrawn]

you should also find 'simulate print colours' on xara's window/show printer colours menu as an alternative to the button mike mentions

I gave up trying to manage colour in xara a while back, it doesn't do it in any helpful way - fortunately I don't need colour fidelity a lot of the time

[Jonopen]

you should also find 'simulate print colours' on xara's window/show printer colours menu as an alternative to the button mike mentions

That button is not available from the XPGD button palette but the simulate print colours option is from the menu. Hope Xara don't now remove the option!