Transparency / PDF issues

[S.A.M.@adobeforums.com]

(Using InDesign CS2 on Mac 10.3.9)
Cover art (mainly text and some vector art) was created in InDesign and exported as Press Quality PDFs, then placed in ads and brochures, which are also exported as Press Quality PDFs. (It was suggested that the cover art should be exported out as EPS.)

The cover art looks like a cookbook where the tabs stick out, and to give it depth, drop shadows are used. Of course, text is below the drop shadow, on the second bank of tabs. The first bank of tabs is the top layer, the drop shadow is the next layer, and the second bank of tabs is on the third layer. To complicate matters, a small EPS logo with a spot color is used.

The service bureau once output at high res and the text below the drop shadow finally didn't create outlines, but they still have trouble outputting the file. Should I just get rid of the drop shadows (which would look odd), or convert all the text on the cover art to outlines and not worry how long it takes to RIP? Also, I've tried setting the Transparency Flattener Presets to High Resolution but it never saves.

(Another issue is the drop shadow is too close to the spot color, and in the PDF it changes to CMYK? I checked the Separations Preview and did separations on the laser printer which prints OK; so I don't know what's going on there!)

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Bob Levine]

If you can't find a new printer, you're going to need to dumb down your
approach to this project and provide a PDF X/1-a file. Be very careful
about the transparency flattening.

Without overprint preview on in Acrobat you'll get white boxes where
transparency interacts with spot colors. Make sure the printer
understands this.

Bob

[Glenn McDowall]

IDCS2 export PDF "Press settings " out of the box are pdf v1.4 which supports transparency. So no matter what you do to your flattening settings they have no impact on the pdf.

Dumb down your pdf to v1.3 or PDF X and the transparency flattening settings kick in and its crucial you set them correct for the output device either 2400dpi or 2540dpi is common ASK your printer.

The EPS having a spot colour can be a problem IF you intend this to be converted to process colours upstream in the workflow. The white boxes are caused by the CMYK drop shadow fading to nothing, only its not nothing its 0%C 0%M 0%Y 0%K on overprint when it sits on top of a spot colour. If you later on convert the spot colour element to CMYK these 0%'s have no option but to knock out the new cmyk object because you no longer have the option to set the top object to "darken" (without something like pitstop). You may need to edit the EPS to get rid of the spot colour before placing into InDesign