Butt-load of spot colors in a job

[MitchtheMitch]

We're printing a brochure and signage for a cabinet manufacturer that showcases the myriad of paint colors that can be chosen for their products. The brochure file will contain 32 custom swatches created in InDesign. The swatches are named for the individual paint colors that the manufacturers are offering, example: Rave Red, Bermuda Turqoise, etc. The problem we are running into is that the PDF X-4 that we are generating out of InDesign will only output 27 spot colors. We triple checked that all 32 of the swatches are defined correctly in InDesign. Is there a way to allow a PDF to have more than 27 spot colors?

 

[MacTwidget]

The maximum of 27 spot colors is a known limitation for InDesign. Unfortunately, I do not know of a workaround.

 

[curiosity]

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2464409

 

[tommrz]

May have to rip individual pages and put them together in whatever impo software you are using. Had to do this quite a bit in the past. We used a Prinergy/Preps front end. Added each page into the Preps run list one at a time.

 

[abc]

That was my thought. Do you have more than 27 separations on a single page?
If not try exporting as single page PDF files.

 

[Craig]

Why do you need all the colors to be spot? Are you calibrated to a spot color library in a RIP or actually running on press with 27 plates?

 

[wonderings]

Why do you need all the colors to be spot? Are you calibrated to a spot color library in a RIP or actually running on press with 27 plates?

That is what I was wondering.

Are the spot colours CMYK? If so why not just save them as process colours rather then spot. You get the CMYK makeup without all the spot colours

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

I'm guessing there are 27 PANTONE colors. If that's the case, I hope you are getting your money's worth.

 

[wonderings]

I'm guessing there are 27 PANTONE colors. If that's the case, I hope you are getting your money's worth.

I have had that with some banner stands we have done that was loaded with sponsor logos. Each one had a pantone (well the ones that were set correctly). I just convert everything to CMYK, I find our customers are not that picky about the exact colour of their logo and the vast majority would not want to pay extra to get it "spot" on.

 

[MacTwidget]

I'm guessing there are 27 PANTONE colors. If that's the case, I hope you are getting your money's worth.

Years ago, we were running a Mercedes-Benz car book on our new 8-color 40" Sheetfed. One form had the paint options pages. It was 24 plates for each side! A total of 6 passes through the press. What a nail-biter!

 

[SMS]

We're printing a brochure and signage for a cabinet manufacturer that showcases the myriad of paint colors that can be chosen for their products. The brochure file will contain 32 custom swatches created in InDesign. The swatches are named for the individual paint colors that the manufacturers are offering, example: Rave Red, Bermuda Turqoise, etc. The problem we are running into is that the PDF X-4 that we are generating out of InDesign will only output 27 spot colors. We triple checked that all 32 of the swatches are defined correctly in InDesign. Is there a way to allow a PDF to have more than 27 spot colors?

Next year perhaps you should advise them to consider SMS colors as their base colors - www.spotmatchingsystem.com

 

[MitchtheMitch]

That is what I was wondering.

Are the spot colours CMYK? If so why not just save them as process colours rather then spot. You get the CMYK makeup without all the spot colours

This job is being printed on digital presses using CMYK. I need them kept as spot colors so that I can control the CMYK builds for each substrate/press. The customer is very picky.

We ended up just exporting individual pages from InDesign.

Thank you, everyone!