Which software can move CMYK curve of a pdf?

[kjp17]

Any good and affordable software that will allow us to ie. input a pdf, modify the CMYK curves and output it as a pdf. Because sometimes we receive the client's pdf and they just want us to match their office laser printer. I know it is all wrong but for this reason, we need to do it.

Thank you.

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

have you looked at the functions in the Color converter in Acrobat Pro? You can recalibrate or convert to a profile (you choose if you just want to include the ICC after). There is also the touch up which means you can right click on images to fix them in Photoshop (Hope you know how to adjust curves with an action).

 

[Schnitzel]

I don't believe such a software exists, because PDF files can contain objects in many different color spaces, such as RGB, CMYK, spot colors, device independent and so on.

In addition to what Lukas said, if you want good color matching you'll have to use ICC profiles - create a profile of your printer and the client's office printer, and convert the incoming PDF. Takes some initial effort, but if done correctly, will save you a lot of manual adjustments and time.

 

[M@CK]

I know Pitstop 12 can do it, but its all manual. Look up this vid below.

Maybe you can setup an action, I'm not sure I have not upgraded yet.

PitStop Pro 12 Image editing - YouTube

 

[abc]

Yep you can automate that in PitStop 12.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

PitStop Pro 12 can indeed edit *images* with a curve. If the OP wishes to edit the entire PDF with a curve (raster and vector content), then I don’t know of a way to do that with PitStop Pro 12.

As Schnitzel mentioned, PDF files can contain many different object types in different colour modes. If the PDF content was all CMYK, then it would be easier to hit the content with the same single curve.

I will not be so uncouth as to suggest that one open any old PDF file in Adobe Illustrator with no problems, however the Astute Graphics Phantasm CS Publisher plug-in does offer curves in Illustrator - among many other high end features for a very reasonable price.

CGS ORIS PDF Tuner can also use global curves, however it should be kept in mind that this product is not a native PDF editor as such, it will interpret a PDF or PS file in a similar fashion to a PS RIP, and then it offers object level edits which can then be exported as PS or Distilled back into a flat PDF.


Stephen Marsh

 

[padrao]

The best form is the Acrobat plugin´s from Heidelberg .
The name for this software is PDF TOOLBOX 2013 .
With that you can lots of things and there is one ColorManagement .

With that you can convert one PDF using any icc profile you need .

Maybe you can ask for a demo , and the best of all is not so expensive .

 

[rich apollo]

Like Stephen said, PitStop is currently limited to curve adjustments on raster images.

Alwan CMYK Optimizer can perform curve adjustments to all PDF content. I think Bodoni Systems' InkWize can do it, too.

 

[naplajoie2000]

Alwan is a great product, but it isn't cheap. There is a learning curve involved and some cooperation from your clients so that you can create the correct icc profiles to plug into the software. We use it all the time and it has saved us a considerable amount of time on press.

 

[elferns]

you can do it in pitstop, in enfocus inspector in color..CMYK.

 

[abc]

Not really, you can't apply an adjustment curve to anything apart from images, at least not at the moment
What's needed here is a calibration curve on the whole page/document

 

[pcmodem]

What about placing the PDF into InDesign and changing the ICC Destination there. Then export to PDF?

Another thought...Not recommended but would get the job done... Open in Photoshop and adjust the color... I know I know bad idea but it gets it done.

 

[kjp17]

Tried all software mentioned above, seems like only Alwan does the trick. But it also comes with a hefty price tag.
Tried Pitstop and it only changes 1 image a time.
Thanks for the replies.

 

[rich apollo]

PitStop will change several images at the same time, but they have to be in the same color mode. For example, you can grab several CMYK images to edit together, but you cannot edit a CMYK and a RGB image together.

 

[abc]

Or you can record the curve change as an action and then run it on all images of that colorspace in a page or whole document

 

[[email protected]]

Using an icc profile for your intended output makes sense - it applies to the entire document, correct? Also, in a Prinergy workflow there is a plugin called Dotshop whereby you can "tag" a reproduction curve of choice to an element of a pdf or an entire pdf that gets applied on output independently of any other repro. curves called for in the output process plan.
-Dan

 

[Stephen Marsh]

I personally don’t think that using Curves, or even ICC profiles for this task is productive.

Using profiles one would have to convert all content to say RGB or CMYK. Once the PDF colour content has been “normalised”, then all colour profiles have to be removed. A global ICC profile then has to be “assigned” to the entire document in order to provide a colorimetric description of the files RGB or CMYK values. One would need to create a custom CMYK profile to “match” the clients colour target - or one would need to have a whole lot of different profiles available and apply a profile and softproof and or output the print in order to find a “close visual match to the customers print”, then repeat again with another profile and another profile until an acceptable match was found (icc profile roulette).

Lots of time, material and money being wasted, when it is the customer’s expectation that “requires adjustment” and not the file.


Stephen Marsh

 

[abc]

You can now apply global curves in any colorspace and any separation in PitStop 12 update 2, released 26th March.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

You can now apply global curves in any colorspace and any separation in PitStop 12 update 2, released 26th March.

Great work Andrew!

Feature requests:

Tie this into the PitStop Inspector / Enfocus Eyedropper for live feedback on the curves edits (I know, easier said than done)

Allow the curve to be imported using the “standard” Adobe Photoshop Curve preset format (.ACV):

http://www.adobe.com/devnet-apps/photoshop/fileformatashtml/
https://github.com/pfdevilliers/python-image-filters
http://coherent-labs.com/converting-adobe-photoshop-acv-to-lut-for-color-grading/


Stephen Marsh

 

[kjp17]

I just installed the new Pitstop 12 Release 2. The new CMYK curve function is very useful. Great work. Thanks