PDF files

[PhilM]

We are constantly having problems with our pdf files printing on the IGEN 4. It can be layering issues, colors dropping in or out, or even the box around type. Is there a consistant way to set up the files? Any hep would be greatly appreciated.

 

[buckeye]

You say "the box around type" - do you mean a white box? What version of pdf's are you sending to your iGen? Have you tried flattening them?

 

[PhilM]

I'm sorry. I probably should have included more info. We have the latest and greatest from Adobe and in In Design. What I am looking for is a checklist for opyimal digital printing.

 

[Magnus]

It sounds like you would have to normalize the PDFs or look at your rip-settings. Here you can find alot of good information: GWG | Home | Free tools for Print & Publishing

 

[RickS]

When we received our first iGen 4, Xerox said we needed to supply PDFx-1a PDFs. Which is Acrobat 4 or version 1.3. When I told them that was a 10 year old format, they replied that that was the least problematic format. We do have less problems if we flatten the transparencies which is one of the points of version 1.3. Not all files lend themselves to saving back this far though.
Rick

 

[Printease]

PhilM-

What RIP do you have on that iGen? Fiery, Creo or FreeFlow?

 

[lfelton]

It sounds like you would have to normalize the PDFs or look at your rip-settings. Here you can find alot of good information: GWG | Home | Free tools for Print & Publishing

+1 what Magnus said. We normalise files and have very nearly zero issues related to RIPs.

 

[RickS]

Freeflow at our iGen's.

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

PDFx1a:2003 is still a very valid format, there is nothing that can be printed that can't be saved in this format. IF you have unknown colour management downstream it is the best choice!

@RickS could you explain what you mean by "Not all files lend themselves to saving back this far though."
I know there is stitching, but that is only a problem if PDF is resampled after flattening.

The only issue I can think of that can be problematic is spot colours that should be process (and would give rise to strange transparency artifacts), but that isn't a PDF version problem but a problem of the creator not knowing or preparing the file to the intent.

 

[RickS]

You are right Lucas. I should have said WE have problems flattening some files back. The iGens do a better job converting PMS colors with their lookup tables and toners, so we generally leave them as spot colors. So the conversion to cmyk for the transparencies can get missed. It could very well be something else we are missing. Don't get me wrong, it's not like this is a common occurrence. It just trips us up once in a while.
Rick

 

[davidmwe]

FlightCheck

FlightCheck

Best to preflight before that PDF is even generated:

Print Quality – the Quality triangle for Designers, Layout Artists, Prepress Operators and Publishers alike | Markzware

Tools like FlightCheck have Ground Controls, which will act as a checklist. You can edit, build and share these Ground Control preflight checklists with not only your internal staff, but also your customers. Right things right, the first time.

 

[abc]

Fixing PDF files for iGen

Fixing PDF files for iGen

Ok I'm slightly biased, but here's my solution

Manual or automated, workstation or server depending on the volume of pdf's you want to process

Enfocus - PitStop Pro - The industry standard for PDF preflighting and editing

Enfocus - PitStop Server - The indispensable tool for high-volume PDf preflighting and auto-correction

regards

abc

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

OK, then I get the problem you have spot colours AND you don't want live transparency. Some RIPs can handle this but not all. Some systems you will get very strange effects if you wan't to remap a spot colour that interacts with transparent effecect to a CMYK object. The reason this is problematic is that to maintain transparency the spot colour normally has an aphachannel masking it, and an apha channel to where it is to be knocked out. Converting the spot colour after flattening will destroy the link that says these two masks will match up and overprint.
What it means is that transparency in Spot+CMYK will not work unless overprint is handled very carefuly, converting the spot to CMYK downstream will only work on certain RIPs that have looked at this workflow as a whole (AGFA have a special routine to map colours keeping overprint, I think others have similar solutions, but can't say for sure).
The other alternative is to go PDFx4, but that again requires a good colour management module in the RIP, and if you are planing on using relative colometric, you will want a RIP that has possibility to have BPC (IMHO).
This is ofcurse how I understand the problem, and you may find others that can complete the picture.

 

[PhilM]

We use free flow. Walso have a Nexus RIP.

 

[RickS]

Philm, We are same as you. Nexus PDF workflow, freeflow in front of iGens. What work best for us is export PDFX4 PDF's. Then we run those through a Nexus workflow that flattens and certifies as PDFX1a. Our digital department wants all PMS colors as spots. This does cause the previous mentioned transparency issues. In that case converting all colors to CMYK helps.

 

[ajr]

I had the same problem on our Fiery on a 700, we flattened PDF with acrobat etc still didnt print properly. Was fine through our GMG and Rampage and our 700 is only 6 weeks old. Rampage and GMG are almost 2 years old now!!

AjR

 

[PhilM]

When we change the settings in Nexus PDF-1A , Nexus errors out. Indesign is set for PDFX4. Now what. By the way, Thanks for all the help from everyone on this board.

 

[RickS]

Do you have a PDF flatten module before the certify PDFX1a module? If you need I can help you build a workflow?

 

[PhilM]

Rick,

It does have a flatten module. If you want to help us with a workflow, it would be greatly appreciated.

Phil

 

[RickS]

Email me off line and I will see if I can help you.
[email protected]