Is this an Acrobat 6 separation preview bug?

[jon_gallet@adobeforums.com]

This started out as an output pdf problem in indesign but it now turns out to be a problem in Acrobat 6.02 professional.

An Indesign file was showing correctly in its separation preview that black type was not knocking out the background. However when I exported the pdf and viewed it in Acrobat Pro 6.0.2 and looked at the separation preview, Acrobat was showing that the black type was knocking out the background.

Thinking this was an Indesign 3.0.1 export problem I spent all day on it until someone suggested I run out one of the problem separation. Lo and behold even though the preview in Acrobat shows knockout, it printed without any background knockout just as is is supposed to and not how it appears in Acrobat separation preview, or the print preview either.

Is this a known bug? Or is there some setting in Acrobat that causes the separation preview to display incorrectly?

[AlFerrari]

jon,

Your post omits the possibly important information that you are using a little non postscript Brother printer as you mentioned on the InDesign forum on this problem.

Al

[jon_gallet@adobeforums.com]

OK Thanks but the separation preview available from the Menu>Advanced is independent of any printer isn't it? As opposed to the other sep preview that is shown in the Advanced print dialog box. (image enclosed)

Here's a link to a test file <http://www.functuck.com/test/testx.pdf> in case anyone wants to see how it previews in Acrobat 6.0.2 I have been told it previews without knockout in Acrobat 7.0.8

[jon_gallet@adobeforums.com]

Here is a magenta sep preview from Acrobat 7.0.8



Can someone check it in Acrobat 6.0.2 if possible? and confirm that it shows knockout?

I really find it very very difficult to believe that this could really be a bug because it would basically make the entire sep preview function completely useless.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

>OK Thanks but the separation preview available from the Menu>Advanced is independent of any printer isn't it?

This is a rather complicated point.

If you allow Acrobat to make separations, then the preview should
match the printout. (I have found bugs here, however).

If you ask Acrobat to request in-RIP separations, or send it off for
separation in some other way, or place it and separate in some other
program, the separation technology will be different. This MAY PRODUCE
DIFFERENT RESULTS, especially in the area of overprinting process
color, and the conversion of non-CMYK values for separation.

Aandi Inston

[Luke_Jennings@adobeforums.com]

You did not mention if you have Overprint Preview turned on.

[jon_gallet@adobeforums.com]

Overprint preview makes no difference to the apppearance of the magenta plate, it just makes the composite image look slightly different.

Is it possible that someone could open this file I've linked to earlier in Acrobat 6.0.2 to confirm that it shows knockout for the type? Thanks.

[MarkATS@adobeforums.com]

Can someone check it in Acrobat 6.0.2 if possible? and confirm that it
shows knockout?




It shows as overprint in Separation preview and the print dialog box, the same as it does in Acrobat 7.

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

>It shows as overprint in Separation preview and the print dialog box,
the same as it does in Acrobat 7.

I can confirm the black text overprints under Acrobat 7 ...

Jon

[jon_gallet@adobeforums.com]

MarkATS,

OK thanks for checking that. So to be clear when you look at the magenta plate in the "testx" file, in Acrobat 6.0.2 you do not see any knocked out type on it.

That would indicate that there is some setting in Acrobat 6 that is different on mine than on yours. Which means that it is *not* a bug.

Now I need to find out why my preview shows knockout and yours does not. What setting is causing my incorrect display. Then I can die in peace.

Here is a screen shot of my preflight results for overprint. I don't know if there is a clue here or not. I hope I can get to solve this problem.

[MarkATS@adobeforums.com]

Now I need to find out why my preview shows knockout and yours does not.




I'm curious as to how you get to choose separations with the printer you have chosen. I installed the HL-2040 series Brother printer driver, but it's not PostScript, and seps in Acrobat aren't an option.

[jon_gallet@adobeforums.com]

In the "Print" dialog box I clicked on the 'Advanced' button and I then had the option to select seps, even though it's not a postscript printer. And I could also output the seps as well! And these seps came out correctly I might add, not as indicated on either the print preview or the separation preview.

This whole business is really bothering me.

[MarkATS@adobeforums.com]

But why are the settings in that dialog grayed out? very odd. Have you updated to 6.0.5 yet?

[jon_gallet@adobeforums.com]

They are greyed out because I've used snap and drag to capture the screen. Here's another shot using a timed screen capture. Nothing is greyed out. After I press OK on the advanced print set up, the 2040 print dialog opens, which also has the same sep view. The final shot is an actual printout from the 2040, without knockout.

Even without going through the print dialog boxes the separation preview window in the menu also shows knockout.

I've also just updated to 6.0.5 with no difference.