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Damon253788521rhd
Participating Frequently
August 19, 2025
Question

Interactive PDF Colours not matching between indesign and photoshop

  • August 19, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 389 views

When I create a documentin indesign and then export as an interacvrive PDF, the colours, when the file is opened in photoshop don't match.

 

The example is this:

Background colour is #d6002a. Colour profile is set as sRGB IEC61966-2.1, Conversion Options as Adobe (AVE) and intent as Absolute Colouremtric.

 

When I open the file in Photoshop from the PDF the #d6002a has now changed to #f90027

 

I checked my profiles and everything matches. When I export the file as a PDF normally, but with settings set for web, the colours match exactly. The lack of ability to choose any colour settings when exporting as an interactive PDF is quite irritating when I know the colours are right, but the export process is obvioulsy changing something.

 

Anyone have any ideas as to how to solve this, because it's driving me mad.

2 replies

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 20, 2025

Hi @Damon253788521rhd, When you export the Print PDF try setting the Profile Inclusion Policy to Include All Profiles rather than Don’t Include Profiles—with an Interactive PDF the export is a conversion to sRGB and all objects get the sRGB profile assigned.

 

 

Here my interactive and print PDFs opened into Photoshop have sRGB assigned and the RGB vales match

 

 

    D
    Damon253788521rhdAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    August 20, 2025

    yeah mine didn't match when the "intent" was set as Absolute. Now that Absolute has been turned off the colours now match correctly.

     

    The error only happened with interactive PDF because the interactive PDF export settings give you no colour options in the export dialogue box. This does seem like a bit of a mistake from Adobe now to not include that but I exported as a traditional PDF (Print) and just changed the settings there to allow for colour matching etc etc. and for web use and web colours. That output everything perfectly as it should've done.

     

    Anyway, it's all now resolved so if anyone else is having issues they should check the colour profiles settings and the assign colour profiles setting in indesign to see what is there because, as mentioned, the interactive PDF export options are severly limited and give you no control of colour output in that dialogue box.

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 20, 2025

    Hi @Damon253788521rhd ,

    in case you want some other interactive elements like buttons in your exported PDF Interactive file, do the following:

    [1] For color consistency export to PDF Print

    [2] For all interactive elements do another export to PDF Interactive

    Open file from [2] in Acrobat Pro.

    Switch to section "Organize Pages".

    Use the "Replace" option to replace all pages in [2] with the pages of [1].

    The interactive elements will be preserved by this method.

     

    Regards,
    Uwe Laubender
    ( Adobe Community Expert )

    Anubhav M
    Community Manager
    Anubhav MCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    August 19, 2025

    Hello @Damon253788521rhd,

    Are you using InDesign on Windows? If yes, would you mind trying the suggestions shared in this community post (https://adobe.ly/41g4PLb) to check if they help.

     

    If you're on macOS, please try recalibrating your monitor for sRGB (https://adobe.ly/4mgR3Ai), restarting your computer, and then relaunching Illustrator to see if it helps.

     

    Also, kindly synchronize color settings across Adobe applications by following the steps here (https://adobe.ly/419G4Af) and share your observations.

    If the problem persists, kindly share a link to a sample INDD and PDF file along with screenshots of the export settings used, so I can try and replicate this on my end.

     

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Anubhav

    D
    Damon253788521rhdAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    August 20, 2025

    Hi @Anubhav M 

     

    colour settings are synchronised across all apps in Bridge as normal. There are no colour options when exporting as an interactive PDF. I have my colour settings based on Euro General Press 3 with a change to Conversion options as Intent: Absolute Colormetric instead of Relative Colometric.

     

     

    As mentioned, if I output as a normal PDF, utilising web settings then the colours match (see screenshot 1)

     

    Below are the interactive PDF settings screenshots.

     

    Looking forward to seeing what's the best way forward. Just an FYI, I had the exact samne settings on my Macbook Pro and only have had these problems since moving to an M4 Mac Mini, which shouldn't really be any difference, same OS, just different processor. My Macbook Pro was also hooked up the same external screen, hence using the same colour profile.

    leo.r
    Community Expert
    leo.rCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 20, 2025
    quote

    As mentioned, if I output as a normal PDF, utilising web settings then the colours match (see screenshot 1)


    By @Damon253788521rhd

     

    Do you have any specific reasons to export to Interactive PDF instead of the regular (print) PDF?

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