Pantones disappearing

jonkovach

Well-known member
I print all my PDFs to an Onyx RIP, to HP DesignJet printers.

I have the spot color matching table on. When it is on, I get all kinds of problems, but my colors match the Pantone book. Sometimes I get transparency issues, and sometimes the objects with the Pantone values disappear altogether. Once I turn the color table off, all my problems go away, but my colors do not match the book.

My question is, is there a setting I can change in my software (InDesign, Illustrator, etc...) or in Distiller, or on the RIP, that will eliminate these problems, without throwing my colors out of whack? I've been around and around on this, and can't figure anything out.

Thanks,
Jon
 
Re: Pantones disappearing

I obviously cannot answer to Onyx RIPs, but in terms of PDF creation from Adobe applications, we recommend that when you use spot colors for convenience only (i.e., you are not really printing with spot color inks), use the option to use the Lab alternate color space, not CMYK! Furthermore, when you export the PDF for InDesign (or save PDF from Illustrator), use the "convert all spots to process" option such that spot colors do not appear in the PDF file. (Note that we do +not+ recommend creation of PDF via distillation of PostScript!!!). The resultant PDF file will not have any spot colors and the objects that were created with spot colors are now Lab. When printing the PDF to your HP DesignJet's RIP, the Lab colors will better convert to the ink set of that printer than if you used the CMYK alternates. Also note that flattening spot colors is handled very differently than flattening process colors which is one of the reasons why using spot colors for convenience purposes and not letting them be converted early (i.e., before flattening) can result in visual anomalies.

- Dov
 
Re: Pantones disappearing

We have seen this problem repeatedly when there is transparency used over a spot color. Some RIPs can handle this and some can not.

The best answer is to have the PDF re-created after having the spot color converted to the CMYK color space. If that is not feasible, you will have to edit the PDF and make that conversion yourself before sending it to the RIP.
 
Re: Pantones disappearing

I am not totally understanding... sorry.

How do I edit the PDF to make the conversion? I guess I just don't know how to do that.... But you're right, it's not feasible to convert all my spots to process - the colors will not be true to the Pantone book.

I can understand using spot colors for convenience only - trust me, if I had my druthers we'd be using all process colors.... or at least converting the spot colors... but they are so much more vibrant on the HP's when they are spots! How do I use the Lab color space instead? I can't say that I've ever tried that. Don't know how to do it. If I use the "convert all spots to process" option, that will essentially turn everything to CMYK, will it not? Maybe I am not understanding you correctly... are you saying to convert all spots to process USING the Lab color space? If so, how the heck do I do that??

Thanks for your patience and help!!!
Jon
 
Re: Pantones disappearing

Hi Jon

Are you running v7.1 Onyx?

If so there may be a problem with the program causing this issue.

I have a beta dll file from Onyx that solved similar issues for my customers - it may work for you as well.

There have been no reports of any problems with it so far but if you use it don't overwrite your existing jawsdll.dll file without saving a copy somewhere first so you can go back.

Let me know & I'll email it to you.
 

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