black text in pdf is cmyk

[DavidT]

More and more these days, files are coming in as pdfs. Black text in many of these files is separating as cmyk. What causes this?

Looking at the pdfs' properties tell me that they're coming from a variety of sources, such as ID, QXP, Publisher, Pagemaker etc. One was Distiller 5.0 for Windows.

Opening some of the text in Illustrator shows it as being 100% K, greyscale.

I'm pretty sure this topic has been covered before but I'm blowed if I can find the threads.

Woe is me.

[Thomas G. Madsen]

David,

Are you using Acrobat 7 Pro's Output Preview to conclude this?

There is a "gotcha" hidden in Acrobats Output Preview if you are
viewing a PDF with an ICC profile embedded. You have to set the
simulation profile to the same as the one embedded. Unfortunately
it doesn't happen automatically and if you don't, you will see a
simulation with black on all four plates, because Acrobat is doing
a conversion from the embedded profile to the simulation profile.

--
Regards
Madsen

[DavidT]

Thanks Thomas but I'm looking at the pdfs in ID's separations preview.

[wa veghel]

In short: Color management settings! Search the forum for more on this problem as it is asked over and over again...

[DavidT]

wv: pdfs I produce and bring back into ID separate fine, black text is just on one plate. The trouble I'm having is with other peoples' pdfs.

My colour management settings have remained the same for some years now and are syncronised thoughout the suite. Please advise. You're saying I should now change them?

[Bob Levine]

Output preview and separation preview are the same thing. You need to
make sure you've got the right profile selected.

Bob