PDF color separations

[Timothy_Young@adobeforums.com]

I am having trouble getting a two-color document to come out on the service provider's side as two colors, rather than CMYK. He is printing film directly from the PDF file, but for some reason it's coming out CMYK.

I have to add that there are communication problems that prevent me from understanding the situation better. I am in Japan, the printer is in Korea. We don't speak each other's language, and I am having to communicate with him via someone in Korea who doesn't know anything about CMYK, spot colors, etc. Time is short -- the document needs to be completed by May 13.

I checked the original document in InDesign, and the two colors used there are set as Color Type-Spot, Color Mode-CMYK. I'm not sure what Color Mode means, but it seems to me if the Color Type is set as Spot, then the printer should be able to get spot-color separations out of Acrobat. For the cover of this document I've already had to create separate blue-plate and gold-plate files and send it that way; I'm trying to avoid having to do the same for the interior pages. Any ideas??

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

OK - even though it is spot in InDesign - you need to check the PDF ...

If you are running Acrobat 6 Professional - go ADVANCED/Separation Preview
If you are running Acrobat 7 Professional - go ADVANCED/Output Preview

Otherwise, download Enfocus Pitstop Professional from
[url]http://www.enfocus.com[/url] - then come back ..

Jon

[Timothy_Young@adobeforums.com]

Actually, I'm using Acrobat 5... maybe it's time to upgrade...

[Timothy_Young@adobeforums.com]

It sounds like the printer in Korea has a workaround, but I'd like to get this ironed out for next year. Maybe upgrading Acrobat would do the trick?

[james_corbran@adobeforums.com]

Make sure Distiller is set to Leave Colors Unchanged - No Color Management.

Jim

[Timothy_Young@adobeforums.com]

From discussing this in another forum, it appears that the problem was that the Color Mode of the two colors in question was set to CMYK. I had assumed this wouldn't matter if the Color Type was spot, but I guess it does!