how to convert 4 color or more color into single color in prinergy

[kala]

what is the best way to convert 4 or more color pdf into single color or composite...

right now we are just opening the pdf and print into compoite gray and output the file thro prinergy or will refine the file in prinergy and convert mapping all the other colors into black and output...

Is there is any other option in prinergy to convert 4 color or more into single color like mapping the spot color into process options..

Or any other best options to convert or let me know the softwares which convert 4 or more color into single (composite) perfectly

regarrds
kala

 

[Greg_Firestone]

Hi Kala,

Best practices would be to convert earlier on in the workflow for proofing. If you have Acrobat Professional, it does have this ability under Advanced/Print Production/Convert Colors. There are also commercial add ons for Acrobat to help do this.

How often do you need to do this? How many files? If you have a high volume, you may want to look into an automated solution.

I'd be careful to use the word "perfectly". You'll find different solutions have different capabilities. A lot will come down to your specific settings and the color engine they use. It's easy to take a good color engine and use bad settings and get horrible results.

Regards,
Greg

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Kala, I think that this Kodak forum is the better place for your post, rather than the original:

http://printplanet.com/forums/prepress-workflow-discussion/29390-4-more-colors-pdf-single-color-pdf

In my opinion, when converting colour to gray - the conversion is best done upstream in the creative software where there is more control over the conversion of ink colours in layout software or image content. Converting colour to grey is more of an art than a science. That being said, with modern PDF workflows one has to do what they can with the PDF without access to native design files.

It is often a trade off between being productive and hand crafting each image or page conversion. If you have time/budget for more manual work, I would use Acrobat Pro touchup images to open the images in Photoshop and perform custom grayscale conversions on critical images and then re-save the PDF as a copy before it goes into Prinergy. As you have Prinergy, I presume that you are after productivity and a more hands off/lights out prepress approach to the conversions.

Firstly, on the Prinergy server, I would install these two ICC profiles (one is CMYK using the K channel only, the other is gray):

http://printplanet.com/forums/prepr.../28312-converting-cmyk-black-black#post178039

EDIT: ( I am guessing that the path to your Prinergy server ICC profiles is similar to: C:\Prinergy\CreoAraxi\data\ICC-Profiles )

Then when you refine your CMYK to Grey work in Prinergy Workshop, in the ColourConvert / Convert to Destination section, use one of the above profiles. You may also wish to explore the "retain CMYK black in" checkbox options. Double check that elements such as text that were originally 100K remain solid after the grayscale conversion.

Hope this helps,


Stephen Marsh

 

[kala]

Hi Stephen

I query is, if we ouput a 4 color job into brisque rip there is a option convert to composite and convert all the 4 color into single color...

the same job, In adobe acrobat at the time of generating postscript file u can select composite gray and it convert the 4 color job into single color..

Like the same, is it possible to do it in prinergy if yes kindly explain me..

i tried but i couldn't, instead of image i got square boxes..

Pls find attached prinergy refine BW settings..



r anyother software can do perfect conversion more colors into single color composite perfectly???

regards
kala

 

[kala]

like harlequin also does the same thro monochrome option in ripping..

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Kala, there is no such thing as "perfect" when it comes to making gray from colour input. It is an artistic decision on what gray level output value is created from colour input. About the the only thing that I would qualify as being "perfect" is pure white and solid black or rich black with solid K translating to the white or 100% black in gray.

Attached is a screen dump from a CMYK to Gray refine.


Stephen Marsh

 

[Doctor_Blade]

what is the best way to convert 4 or more color pdf into single color or composite...

right now we are just opening the pdf and print into compoite gray and output the file thro prinergy or will refine the file in prinergy and convert mapping all the other colors into black and output...

Is there is any other option in prinergy to convert 4 color or more into single color like mapping the spot color into process options..

Or any other best options to convert or let me know the softwares which convert 4 or more color into single (composite) perfectly

regarrds
kala

In Prinergy Evo or Prinergy Connect, to convert 4+COLOR files to Grayscale; just choose the "Generic Gray" profile in the device destination profile during Refine.