InDesign PDFs and transparent objects on gradients

[Paul_Dieterman@adobeforums.com]

I have some InDesign files with a lot of transparent RGB PSD images on top of CMYK gradient fills. When I export these files to PDF (1.3 or 1.4) they show up fine on screen, but on printing from Acrobat 6.02 to our Xerox 790 it results in color shifts in the transparent part of the PSD's. I only can get it to work properly when I print as image in Acrobat and not as postscript. Also the postscript/distiller route works fine. Is this a structural problem with PDFs directly exported from InDesign? I know the workarounds with rasterized gradients, but that's not an option here. I'm using InDesign CS 3.01, transparency flattening high resolution, blend space CMYK.

Cheers
Paul

[Bob_Levine]

Mixing RGB and CMYK along with transparency is asking for trouble.

Bob

[Paul_Dieterman@adobeforums.com]

But it still distills fine Bob... I have to convince some designers that they can produce press-ready PDFs directly from InDesign and not through the postscript/distiller route (they will happily grab every opportunity to stay put with product X....)

Cheers
Paul

[Bob_Levine]

It's still an improper (IMO, anyway) workflow. You're going to get very
inconsitant results that way.

You can try playing around with color management and transparency
flattening in Acrobat, but I would stongly suggest simply using CMYK
images instead.

Bob

[Scott_Falkner@adobeforums.com]

would stongly suggest simply using CMYK images instead.




Don't they teach you that on day one?

[Paul_Dieterman@adobeforums.com]

I already was afraid that in the end it would finally mean batching a lot of Photoshop files. I have no experience with this printer, and for the simple reason this is a pilot InDesign project for our company, I don't want to take any changes. I know I could always send InDesign files but that's the last thing I want to do.

Thanks
Paul

[Bob_Levine]

If you don't want to take any chances then convert them to CMYK. Then,
if you're using an up to date printer, export as PDF 1.4.

Bob

[Bob_Levine]

> Don't they teach you that on day one?

They should.

Bob