Convert Spot Color Gradient to Grayscale in a CMYK document - Possible?

[samB]

I'm looking for a way to convert PMS 877 logo (though named something ridiculous) to grayscale within a full color piece. I can convert it to CMYK using the built in features, but I want it grayscale as its CMYK equivalent is a terrible to hit color. I know this is ok to do because the customer has a grayscale version. 50/50 chance that they used the correct logo. It's one of the customers they don't want me talking to.

Instead of correcting it once with the customer, I have to correct it a million times in pdf's with every copy change. (Welcome to printing)

I usually select it (using Acrobat's features), edit in illustrator, and convert to grayscale. Problem is that it's very hard to select buried in the middle of a million other paths, and on top of a background. I do this, but it takes a while.

I've tried making actions to select color, and select color range; using the color picker to select a "spot color from pdf", with a tint range from 0 to 100. I think the problem is that it's a gradient. When I run the action nothing happens.

I've tried actions to select "separations" and choosing the spot color with the same effect.

Any advice? In the meantime I'll do it the old way.

Thanks in advance.

 

[WI-Flexo]

Should be easy unless I am missing something. Take a new 877 SPOT swatch and change the CMYK value of that swatch to your desired grayscale value. Paste that swatch into Illustrator doc., merge swatches, then convert that swatch to a process swatch. Your 877 is now a grayscale. This could also be actioned out. Other, even easier way to do it would be in the RIP while processing your proofs but depending on your RIP steps would vary.

 

[kyle]

No Title

This would probably be easier with Enfocus Pitstop, but here's one possible solution with Acrobat:

Create a preflight fixup that redefines the alternate color of the spot color (to CMYK, with values of zero for CMY). Unfortunately, this forces you to do a complete resave as fixups always do. I tried to combine it with a fixup that then converts the spot color to process, but it seems to always do the conversion to process before changing the alternate color space. Attached are screenshots of example fixup settings.

 

[mattbeals]

I'm looking for a way to convert PMS 877 logo (though named something ridiculous) to grayscale within a full color piece. I can convert it to CMYK using the built in features, but I want it grayscale as its CMYK equivalent is a terrible to hit color. I know this is ok to do because the customer has a grayscale version. 50/50 chance that they used the correct logo. It's one of the customers they don't want me talking to.

Instead of correcting it once with the customer, I have to correct it a million times in pdf's with every copy change. (Welcome to printing)

I usually select it (using Acrobat's features), edit in illustrator, and convert to grayscale. Problem is that it's very hard to select buried in the middle of a million other paths, and on top of a background. I do this, but it takes a while.

I've tried making actions to select color, and select color range; using the color picker to select a "spot color from pdf", with a tint range from 0 to 100. I think the problem is that it's a gradient. When I run the action nothing happens.

I've tried actions to select "separations" and choosing the spot color with the same effect.

Any advice? In the meantime I'll do it the old way.

Thanks in advance.

You could just use the Remap color action...