effects: overlay on box output

[johnv62820157]

Hi, am designing and one of the images has a coloured rectangle placed over an image, and the coloured rectangle has 'effects/overlay' applied so that the image underneath looks a certain way. If I output to PDF with no colour conversion (as I did to test, to proof) it looks fine but if I output as CMYK the image is completely different in terms of colours and hue etc... Am I missing some output checkbox or something?

[Derek Cross · Accepted solution]

Are you exporting your document as a PDF/X-4

[johnv62820157]

Hi Derek, thanks for the response.

Much better, thanks.

[Laubender]

Hi John,

are there any spot colors in your document?
If yes, what is set with the "Ink Manager" if you output to PDF/X-4.
Will the spots be converted to CMYK?

Do you check the colors with Acrobat Pro DC's "Output Preview" feature?

Regards,
Uwe

[johnv62820157]

Hi Uwe

no, regarding spots. Will look at output preview, but generally just look at the PDF regardless after outputting from ID. Thanks.

[Laubender]

Hi John,

then I would check and configure Proof Color in the View menu of inDesign. Use the CMYK color profile you'd use as simulation profile with Acrobat Pro's "Output Preview" that is hopefully the one your printing service provider requires.

And set the Transparency Blend Space in InDesign to CMYK if you are doing output for CMYK.

It also helps if you are additionally using Separation Preview with InDesign.

How is your View mode in InDesign and did you configure it in the preferences dfifferently to the defaults after InDesign was installed the first time?

Regards,
Uwe

[rob day]

Also, your Transparency Blend Space will affect both the preview and final conversion to CMYK.

Overlay is one of those blending modes that really changes depending on the color mode, so an RGB Transparency Blend Space will produce a very different result than CMYK particularly with low key images. I would definately get something like this proofed or handle the overlay in Photoshop.

RGB vs. CMYK blending

[johnv62820157]

Yes, the story of my life in those photos, Rob (complete with recent portrait, scarily accurate).

It's one of those times when I fluked it in Indesign and am reluctant to re-do in Pshop but think I will.

(Uwe, yes to transparency blend space, thanks)