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1. Re: How do I decide which PDF version for print?
rob day Jun 11, 2010 7:36 AM (in response to auctioneer)I can't nail the colours in my test runs and the client isn't happy. There are so many options when exporting to Acrobat and I'm thinking this may have something to do with this....dunno ;-)).
It's more likely a color management problem. Do you have good color management in place? A well calibrated display, corresponding monitor profile, a CMYK profile for the destination press. If your test proofs are to a composite proofer, are you using the correct profiles for it?
If you are confident about your CM setup then the PDF/X1-a preset will export your Kuler CMYK values unchanged.
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2. Re: How do I decide which PDF version for print?
auctioneer Jun 11, 2010 12:46 PM (in response to rob day)Thanks Rob
I'm using a iMac 24" and have calibrated using the tools provided in the OS. The proofs are being printed by a pro print shop in town. I initially sent the proofs to a Staples Office Depot, didn't like the results and decided to pay the extra dough and have them done professionally. The PDF was sent with the CMYK, bleed, crop marks etc. Should I talk with the print shop or can I try anything to correct this on my end?
Thanks..
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3. Re: How do I decide which PDF version for print?
Mr. Met Jun 12, 2010 6:01 AM (in response to auctioneer)I've found kuler colors to be next to useless and stopped using it. Aren't all the colors RGB in kuler anyway? I seem to remember drastic color shifts when importing kuler color swatches into ID. I tested it for a week or so around the time it first came out and I could never get good color match.
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4. Re: How do I decide which PDF version for print?
BobLevine Jun 12, 2010 6:07 AM (in response to Mr. Met)For print, it can be iffy. But with the new interactive features intended for screen it can be a very useful tool.
Bob
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5. Re: How do I decide which PDF version for print?
Mr. Met Jun 12, 2010 6:41 AM (in response to BobLevine)For sure. I used it for onscreen interactive design a few times. Been a while though.
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6. Re: How do I decide which PDF version for print?
rob day Jun 12, 2010 9:21 AM (in response to auctioneer)There are a lot of small problems in your workflow which could add up to big problems on the output end.
Calibrating via the OSX software calibrator is better than doing nothing, but it's not likely as good as a hardware calibrator because it's depending on your empirical judgements rather than a colorimeter reading.
On the other end is the proof you are getting a contract proof? If you are using the default US Web SWOP CMYK profile does the proof match those printing conditions?
The bigger problems are with Kuler. Neither the AIR app or the web app are color managed, so in its color picker there's no way to know how the conversion to the displayed CMYK numbers was made, or what CMYK device is targeted (US SWOP, US Sheetfed, Euroscale?). When you view the swatches in Kuler you are seeing them in your monitor RGB space. When you port the swatches into ID they come in as the listed CMYK values, which are displayed via your doc's CMYK profile, so you won't get a match and the preview will change depending on the profile.
Also, the Kuler CMYK values have a huge amount of black in them—significantly more than you would get making the conversions in PS or ID with any of the default profiles.I think you would likely get better CMYK values by screen capturing the swatches in the Kuler app (OSX captures get tagged with your monitor profile), convert the capture to CMYK in PS using your destination CMYK profile, and use the resulting CMYK values in your ID doc.
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7. Re: How do I decide which PDF version for print?
rob day Jun 12, 2010 10:03 AM (in response to auctioneer)I just noticed that when you save swatches out of the web app the color space of the swatches depends on the space you select in the Kuler color picker. So if you want a color managed conversion from what you see in Kuler (Monitor RGB) to your print CMYK destination you could make the conversion in ID rather than screen capturing:
In ID assign your document's RGB and CMYK spaces as your monitor profile, and your destination CMYK profile respectively via Edit>Assign Profiles.... Import the RGB version of the swatches and convert the swatches to CMYK in the Swatches panel.
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8. Re: How do I decide which PDF version for print?
auctioneer Jun 12, 2010 10:43 AM (in response to rob day)Rob...just to let you know I'm following along on your advice and hard working to make this work.
Thanks for everything.




