Overprint not working

[nick@marketingdurango.com]

Hi all.

I posted this under a different thread without anyone offering help. Subsequently, I determined that it is related to all overprinting, so maybe someone has run into it this way. Here's the difficulty:

On AI CS for win2k PC, I create an overprint on artwork with two pms colors. Everything looks great on the screen. The top color is set to overprint. Overprint preview shows it as overprinting. However, when I print it on our proofing printer (using Adobe's RIP), the trap knocks out the background vs. overprinting. The same result shows on a postscript laser printer. We have confirmed this on two different computers using two different pieces of artwork. Our printing company has also managed to confirm it (as we have a job that now must be redone at our expense).

HELP and THANK YOU

~Nick

[John_Kallios@adobeforums.com]

Let us start at the beginning.

Note: Is your head on straight questions will be asked, so bear with them and please answer them without taking offense.

Is this a CS document and not a previous version's document? (I know you posted CS)

Does this artwork contain ANY transparency in it?

Does this document only exhibit this problem or is it with all your documents?

What format are you saving the Illustrator document out to?

What application are you ripping the file from to test the overprints are not honored?

What application did your printer rip the file from?

Is your printer's rip set to ignore overprints?

Why are you handling the trapping and not your printer? (this is just a curiosity question and not one that will help solve your situation)

Once you answer these questions, there will be more. There are various reasons why you will experience this. User error, ppd issues, file corruption, stupid prepress people (I can say that because I am prepress), stu…errr…I mean designers, and so on.

Do this simple test.

New document 8.5x11.
Create 1" square filled with pms 287 with center reference coordinate x=5", y=5"
Duplicate it, change the fill to pms 185 and set the center reference coordinate to x=4.5", y=4.5". Set the pms 185 square to overprint in the attributes palette and ensure that the 185 square is on top of the stacking order.

Turn on overprint preview.

Does it preview the overprint correctly?

Print SEPARATIONS.

Did it overprint correctly.

Are you able to select InRip separations when printing?

When printing as a cmyk composite, you will NOT see overprints in the output. You can SIMULATE overprints (this is a simulation and not true overprinting) by outputting composite and file>print>overprints = simulate.

The following is for another users eyes so please ignore.

Mr Foolery, if any of my questions are referenced in a certain lounge thread, I will know who to come calling on. XD

[Timothy_Foolery®@adobeforums.com]

Who... me? :)

I'm waiting to hear the end of the story.

[John_Kallios@adobeforums.com]

Apparently the problem self-corrected itself?

[Timothy_Foolery®@adobeforums.com]

And they all lived happily ever after?

[Dean Fritzel]

I have had some odd results it EVERYTHING is not set to overprint...even the bottom layer.

Try that...

Dean