Unable to save file as PDF from Adobe Illustrator 2018 CC when file includes duotone
We have a problem with saving files with duotone features as PDF files from both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Has anyone else encountered and resolved this?
Adobe Illustrator
We have tried two different methods to create pdfs with duotones attached.
When the duotone is linked or embedded in the .ai file and the PDF is created directly from Illustrator the duotone files do not appear.
The duotone can be 2 tone, 3 tone or 4 tone, it does not matter none of the images appear. Most of our files our created with duotones but we do, on occasion use tritones and quadratones.
We have also created post script files from Illustrator, then run those files through distiller and none of the duotones, tritones, quadratones appear.
Our pdfs are used primarily for viewing purposes only. PDFs are used to review artwork for approval or attached in Windchill for review purposes.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Techs may hear the word duotone and think we are referring to the Adobe Photoshop Duotone Mode. (We do not) Photoshop has a Duotone file mode. In this mode the file is saved out as a .eps file. I have not tried to see if this file format has an issue. (because this is not the type of file we use.) I think this type of image is a single channel image with different curves used for each color.
Our files are named as “Duotone” images. But, the Photoshop mode is multi channel. Each channel is used for a separate color. Our images are Black and Spot Yellow. When saving the multichannel file we save it out as a DCS2.eps
It appears the images are not truly being seen as being in the Illustrator file. When you turn overprint preview on in Illustrator the image completely disappears. Seems like just a low resolution image preview is shown. But the true image is not there.
Please advise. Thanks
AdChoices