RGB color in inDesign changes (washed out) after exporting it to PDF

[www_aljoufilaw_com]

Hi,

I am new to InDesign and i have a hard time figuring out how could I export my InDesign file to PDF without affecting the color.

This is what I do.

1. I created a new document with Transparency Blend Space set to Document RGB

2. I created a box using the rectangle tool and filled it up with RGB color, R=126 G=12 B=110

3. The color in Indesign is just how i wanted it, however, the problem arises when i export the file now to PDF

4. Instead of the color i wanted, the color was changed to a lighter color, or washed out.

5. THis happens even in text have the same RGB setting.

How could I export it to PDF with the same color, without being washed out?

I really appreciate your help on this. Thanks.

[Peter Spier]

What settings did you use to export the PDF? Is your monitor calibrated and profiled (so that you actually know the real appearance of that color)? IS the washout happening on screen, or when you print the PDF?

[www_aljoufilaw_com]

I exported it under Adobe PDF Preset "High Quality Print", and no colour conversion under output. The washout is happening on screen, i have not tried printing yet. THis document would mostly be seen in the monitor and rarely to be printed.

By the way, in the same document, i placed a logo created in Illustrator with RGB settings and it appears okay in monitor (not washed out). What could be causing this? is this because of the gamut warning?

[Peter Spier]

It's most likely a difference between the color settings in ID and Acrobat (are you viewing in Acrobat, or something else?), but it could be a problem in how you made the color, especally if you get an out-of-gamut warning. Describe how you creted the color in ID, please.

Which version of ID are you using and which Operating System?

[www_aljoufilaw_com]

I am using ID CS6 and I am using Acrobat XPro, Windows XP.

I created the color by entering the values of the RGB in the Fill box, where there are options for RGB, LAB, and CMYK where you can place the values.

In Illustrator, the logos i created with the same RGB, R=126 G=12 B=110, or in Pantone 249U, turns out with same color after saving it as PDF. I am curious why is this happening in InDesign.

Thanks for helping me out here, i really need to export it in PDF with the same color so that i could send it for review.

[Peter Spier]

That sounds like the Color Picker, which works a bit differently in ID than in Illustrator or Photoshop. If the cursor is not in one of the RGB fields when you say OK you won't get RGB color. You can see this by noting the text in the Add ... Swatch button. My guess is you added the color as the CMYK conversion which is a bit lighter.

You might want to use the panel menu in the Swatches panel instead, or the new swatch button at the bottom of the panel while holding down the Alt key to open the new swatch definition dialog. You want to create a Process color and change the type to RGB, then enter the values in the RGB fields. Or if what you want is really Pantone 249U you can define a Spot swatch and choose Pantone Solid Uncoated and then specify the 249. I'll warn you though, that CS6 uses Lab values for displaying spot colors and 249U is considerably lighter than either the RGB you specified or the 249C. In earlier versions the book value conversions were used. Even when using Lab display values through Ink Manager in CS5, the coated and uncoated swatches incorrectly look the same in ID, and in Illustrator CS5 you would need to turn on overprint preview to see a difference.

Here are a couple of screen captures from PDFs exported from ID CS5 and CS6 using High Quality Print. The colored boxes with the lables were pasted from Illustrator CS5 to be sure I was using the same color definitions and that theywere behaving as native objects. Below are the same boxes placed:

and here is how the screen looked in CS6 in ID (notice the difference in the placed .ai file -- the screen preview is NOT using the Lab values, although it exports with them):

I don't know what the content is and how you present it, but it doesn't sound like a web page. That said, if you choose Web for intent in Document Setup you can still use print size paper sizes for the document and change the rulers after the doc is created to read inches or millimeters or other units of your choice instead of pixels and the file will use default RGB swatches and default to RGB when making new colors.

[www_aljoufilaw_com]

Hi,

I made a screenshot of the side-by-side comparison of the document from InDesign and from PDF.

This is the color difference after i exported the file to PDF, and i wanted to have the same color the same while it is still in ID.

Are there any settings that i need to configure in ID so that i could achieve this? I could not proceed with my project just because of this.

I really appreciate your help.

[Peter Spier]

Instead of High Quality Print, try exporting to PDF/X-4 which also leaves colors unchaged, but embeds profiles and an output intent.

Are your color settings synchronized in Bridge?

And do you understnad that you cannot control how anything will appear on others' screens?

[www_aljoufilaw_com]

Hi,

I tried to export in using PDF/X-4 but I still encountered the same issue.

I checked the Swatch options, and I noticed that there is a yellow exclamation point that says "Out of Gamut warning". If i correct it, the color changes. Why does this happen and how could i avoid this yet i get the same color i wanted after exporting to PDF?

Please see screenshot.

[Peter Spier]

The out-0f-gamut warning means it cannot be reproduced as a CMYK simulation. You really don't care since this is for screen and not print, so DON'T correct it. When you correct it you are changing the RGB values to the closest RGB color that can be simulated in CMYK in the current document color spaces.

I asked earlier if your monitor was calibrated and profiled, and if your color settings were synched.

[www_aljoufilaw_com]

Hi,

How could I sync my colors? could you please walk me through it?

I guess claibrating my monitor would only affect the PDF when I view it. I'm going to send the document to clients and i want them to see the color in the PDF as intended in their computer. We normally do this when we use word processors like Word, then save it as PDF. In this case, the colors are the same. Just wondering why is this different and harder in ID?

I appreciate if you could please help me out on this. Thanks for your continous responses

[Peter Spier]

Synchronizing colors is generally done through Bridge. Open Bridge, then Edit > Creative Suite Color Settings...

This will not affect exisiting files, however, if they happen to have different profile assignments than the ones in the settings file. How that is handle is dependent on the policy that was set when the file was created.

Adobe applications are color managed, meaning the numbers are translated internally on the fly to display accurately on your monitor, which should be calibrated and profiled using a colorimeter or spectrophotometer if you want really accurate color. Instuments and calibration software can be had for as little as around $200. Word is not managed, so there is no guarantee that colors will match between Word and ID (and in fact it would be pure luck if they did). You should be able to get a match between ID and Acrobat on the same machine, IF both are using the same color profiles, but that doesn't mean that the color will appear the same on another monitor, particularly if the monitors are not profiled and calibrated, as most are not in an office environment.

[rob day]

Try viewing the PDF in Acrobat Reader.

AcrobatPro has the capability of previewing the output to different devices, so if you export a PDF/X-4 the preview by default will be to the output intent, which would be a CMYK profile.

Here's a color that's even more out of the CMYK gamut viewed in the default Output Intent profile, which was saved with the PDF:

But if I choose my InDesign document's RGB profile as the simulation I get a match

In Reader there's no Output Preview and the colors match

[rob day]

You could also try modifying the High Quality Print preset to Include All Profiles. In that case there's no Output Intent included and AcrobatPro won't simulate the color until the Output Preview panel is opened:

Here is the RGB color along with CMYK

[rmorishita]

I had the same problem and it came washed out in print also.

To fix this, when exporting the PDF go to the Output option, Destination, and choose Document RGB