Convert spot colors to process

[doris_clark@adobeforums.com]

Using 6.1 on Mac 10.3 - received pdf with spot colors and process colors to be printed in process. We checked the box to convert the spot colors but it did not work. Our solution was to open the pdf in Photoshop. Is there a way to convert these spot colors?

[Gary_A.@adobeforums.com]

We checked the box to convert the spot colors but it did not work.




You mean you selected "Convert All Spots to Process" from the drop-down list next to "Plate Control" on Acrabat's advanced print dialog? Or something else?

This seems to work for me. What output device are you printing to?

[doris_clark@adobeforums.com]

We print to an AGFA RIP - we have to import the pdfs into Quark to get our layouts - you know - head-to-head, crop marks, cmyk marks, color bars for the presses, side guides, page size 25.5" wide, etc. I was trying to resave the original pdf with spot colors into a cmyk pdf by selecting in-rip separations and convert to cmyk but the new pdf still showed the spot colors. Do you mean I could have placed the original pdf in the Quark document and sent to RIP and it would have converted correctly?

[Gary_A.@adobeforums.com]

Ah. That workflow won't fly. You won't be able to use Acrobat to convert spots to process in the way you describe. I'd recommend a tool like Quite A Box of Tricks or Enfocus PitStop. While you're on the Quite web site, have a look at Quite Imposing. You may be able do your layouts without involving Quark at all.

[Anita_F_Martin@adobeforums.com]

Doris -- I'm having the same problems. I was using the process you described (using the Ink Manager to convert spot to process), outputting a composite ps file and distilling it to a new pdf, and it worked as little as 3 weeks ago. Now it suddenly does not work. This is the way Acrobat Help tells us to do it. I'd love to get quite a Box of Tricks, but as a freelancer, the price tag is pretty steep.

Anyone have any other ideas? Is there a cheap shareware conversion program out there somewhere?

[Gary_A.@adobeforums.com]

When you output composite color PostScript from Acrobat the ink manager isn't used so I don't see how this could ever have worked. Even if you chose In-RIP seps to enable the ink manager, Distiller won't honor it.

[Anita_F_Martin@adobeforums.com]

I've found a very good (based on the demo) and very reasonably priced solution to this problem. It's an Acrobat plug-in called PDFWIzard available at <http://www.jolauterbach.com/products.htm>. It works within Acrobat (no need to start up a new app), and converts spot to process with a composite output in one step. Cost is 49 euros (approximately $80). Hope this helps!