Deceiving Pitstop Inspector

[slush11]

Recently, I had a huge run of posters come in with supplied art. I ran it through Pitstop Inspector as usual, which told me the colors were CMYK. I also opened it in Illy which said CMYK mode. SO I hit print. It printed horribly and I knew right away that it was RGB. I opened it in Photoshop and guess what? Photoshop said RGB. I've never come across two out of three Adobe products stating CMYK, but not the third.
Anyone know what gives?

 

[M@CK]

Can you share the file ?

 

[abc]

Do you mean PitStop Inspector or Acrobat Output preview?

Was it a PDF, if so why illustrator?

Can you post a sample PDF?

 

[slush11]

Do you mean PitStop Inspector or Acrobat Output preview?

Was it a PDF, if so why illustrator?

Can you post a sample PDF?

Pitstop Inspector that was within Acrobat?? Sorry I'm not sure how to answer that one lol.
I always open in Illy to add or adjust crop marks and do one final color check.

 

[slush11]

How do I attach the file...I'll see if I can still find it. It may have been deleted but I'll look.

 

[abc]

1. Don't open and edit a PDF in illustrator, that's just asking for trouble. Do it all in Acrobat.
2. What told you it was wrongly CMYK, a or b?

a. https://esko.box.com/s/vejogf5tp4z7uu83sdoh9170wt5evbuj
b. https://esko.box.com/s/hqq6njmo7wkpprcx0ygyogcwre02p81d

 

[slush11]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwFlduS8xbDlUVJlRkZRTF9PcDQ/view?usp=sharing

Hoping this works??
I have removed all logos and identifying characteristics.

 

[slush11]

1. Don't open and edit a PDF in illustrator, that's just asking for trouble. Do it all in Acrobat.
2. What told you it was wrongly CMYK, a or b?

a. https://esko.box.com/s/vejogf5tp4z7uu83sdoh9170wt5evbuj
b. https://esko.box.com/s/hqq6njmo7wkpprcx0ygyogcwre02p81d

If I remember correctly, it was both. But I could be mistaken.
And, normally I always just use Acrobat, but this particular client has been known to have messed up files, so I like, for myself, to have a second check. I don't save the Illy file, I just open it and check things out. Occasionally I'll have to add crop marks or die lines, but just once in a while.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Perhaps it was the Enfocus Eyedropper and not Enfocus Inspector?

The Eyedropper can show CMYK values for an RGB object when set to the left hand side “ink coverage” option, rather than the right hand side “basic object” option (just as Adobe Output Preview can show CMYK values for RGB object in Separation Preview vs. Object Inspector).

Illustrator is RGB or CMYK only, you have to make a choice and colours in the other mode are converted.

Photoshop rasterizes PDF files to either RGB or CMYK (just as for Illustrator, not a mixture of both modes in the same file). I can’t tell you how/why it decides to offer to open the document directly into an ICC tagged RGB or CMYK space, or “device” untagged RGB or CMYK - as the content in the PDF may be RGB, CMYK, Lab etc.

Bottom line:

Trust the Adobe Object Inspector, Enfocus Inspector and Enfocus Eyedropper Basic Object, make use of but don’t trust the rest. Also use preflights to check for RGB, CMYK, Lab etc.


Stephen Marsh

 

[slush11]

Perhaps it was the Enfocus Eyedropper and not Enfocus Inspector?

The Eyedropper can show CMYK values for an RGB object when set to the left hand side “ink coverage” option, rather than the right hand side “basic object” option (just as Adobe Output Preview can show CMYK values for RGB object in Separation Preview vs. Object Inspector).

Illustrator is RGB or CMYK only, you have to make a choice and colours in the other mode are converted.

Photoshop rasterizes PDF files to either RGB or CMYK (just as for Illustrator, not a mixture of both modes in the same file). I can’t tell you how/why it decides to offer to open the document directly into an ICC tagged RGB or CMYK space, or “device” untagged RGB or CMYK - as the content in the PDF may be RGB, CMYK, Lab etc.

Bottom line:

Trust the Adobe Object Inspector, Enfocus Inspector and Enfocus Eyedropper Basic Object, make use of but don’t trust the rest. Also use preflights to check for RGB, CMYK, Lab etc.


Stephen Marsh

This is most helpful. I was always told to use the eyedropper tool that lies under the "Inspector" category in Acrobat. Can you tell me where to find the "ink coverage" and "basic object" options? (So sorry, I'm very green when it comes to prepress, obviously LOL.)

 

[Stephen Marsh]

This is most helpful. I was always told to use the eyedropper tool that lies under the "Inspector" category in Acrobat. Can you tell me where to find the "ink coverage" and "basic object" options? (So sorry, I'm very green when it comes to prepress, obviously LOL.)

The Print Production Tools Output Preview window has different features depending on the version of Acrobat Pro.

The attached screen capture is taken from Acrobat X.


Stephen Marsh

 

[slush11]

The Print Production Tools Output Preview window has different features depending on the version of Acrobat Pro.

The attached screen capture is taken from Acrobat X.


Stephen Marsh

THank you Stephen!

 

[spoocobra]

So uh this file you uploaded is that the file you printed from? Cause I see absolutely no RGB in there what so ever. What are you using to print? What RIP are you using?
According to Acrobat is was made in Illy CC 14 (Mac). Checked in il was all CMYK, I ripped it in our rip (Rampage) No RGB errors came up, callouts of green bar at bottom match in Rampage AND Acrobrat.

Are you sure when you "imported" it into Photoshop you forgot to change RGB to cmyk? see photo -->

But everything looks CMYK to me if that is indeed the Original file they sent you.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwFlduS8xbDlUVJlRkZRTF9PcDQ/view?usp=sharing

Hoping this works??
I have removed all logos and identifying characteristics.

The file is CMYK.

How did you remove the extra bits?

By opening in Illustrator, deleting and resaving?

Or by using the object selection tool or PitStop selection tools and deleting in the PDF?


Stephen Marsh

 

[slush11]

The file is CMYK.

How did you remove the extra bits?

By opening in Illustrator, deleting and resaving?

Or by using the object selection tool or PitStop selection tools and deleting in the PDF?


Stephen Marsh

By opening in Illy and deleting. Sorry I'm so not proficient with Acrobat tools yet. Perhaps when I did that, I saved it in CMYK but I'm sure that I didn't. UGH! So confused!

 

[Joe]

In your original PDF, open Output Preview and set the "Show" menu in the Output Preview pane to RGB and if everything disappears there is no RGB.