Quark 9: Exporting a PDF with DCS links, doable?

[Gregg]

I have a very old backlist title that is switching to a new print vendor. The 2/c interior (originated in Q4) is now in Q9 and contains DCS links (Grayscale + Spot). I've run through all the export color options (As-Is, Composite CMYK + Spot), neither of which will give me what I want, which is a single PDF that contains the black and Pantone plates. Instead, what I get is a RGB Lo-Rez image within the PDF.

I can export the individual seps, which works, but would like to have a composite + Spot PDF.

I've also tried going to .ps and distilling, but I get the same results as when trying to export.

Any advice?

 

[toronar]

If I remember correctly, Quark does not have a DCS-recombiner to output DCS files as composite.
If you export as separated PDF, you should get your wish of a PDF that contains black and pantone plates.

You could also try to open the DCS in Photoshop and resave as PSD and place that in Quark, you might be able to get the correct PDF by that.

Or place the DCS in InDesign, export as PDF, place that in Quark. InDesign contains a DCS-merger that combines the preseparated image to a composite one.

Or if you have a lot of DCS files, try DCS-Merger Impressed - Produkte: Impressed DCSMerger.

 

[Glenn McDowall]

toronar remembers correctly that Quark has never been able to produce a composite pdf with placed DCS.
Resaving as psd used to work with quark 8.1 but I have a feeling that psd import XT was broken with one or two of the dot upgrades later on. If you save the DCS as a pdf and place that in Quark its still dependant on Quark understanding the PDF as it isn't simply passed through upon Export, my guess is that it would fail to give a correct result.

I used to use Prinergy to produce a composite pdf from separated postscript, I guess most of the pdf workflows still have this feature.

Since its Quark 4 you could open it directly in InDesign.

Third option is to save the DCS as a PDF, then open the PDF in Acrobat, then Save As from there as an EPS, you can usually place this into Quark and get a composite spot colour PDF out of the other end… but life's too short

 

[mattbeals]

Pay the money and get DCS Merger. It's worth it.

 

[Gregg]

I was pressed for time and had to get these files half-way across the globe by this morning, so I went with the 2 separate PDFs: one for Process Black, and one for the Pantone.

Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely look into DCS Merger.