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Katie31619003ocer
Participant
February 27, 2026
Question

Open PDF with CMYK images

  • February 27, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 52 views

In InDesign 2026, when you go to use the new “Open PDF” option, all the images open as 72dpi and in RGB mode. Is there a way to change the preferences on the images so the PDF opens in InDesign with a higher dpi and in CMYK mode?

    3 replies

    JR Boulay
    Community Expert
    JR BoulayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 28, 2026

    Image resolution (dpi) is just metadata that does not determine the number of pixels it contains, which is the only thing that really matters.
    Copy and paste this URL into Google Translate if you want to understand why you are wasting your time with this outdated concept of dpi:

     https://www.abracadabrapdf.net/?p=6451

    Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 27, 2026

    all the images open as 72dpi and in RGB mode.

     

    Hi ​@Katie31619003ocer , When you check the image’s Link Info in the Links panel are both the Effective and Actual PPI 72? The Effective PPI is the scaled output resolution.

     

     

    K
    Katie31619003ocerAuthor
    Participant
    February 27, 2026

    Actual PPI is 72, Effective PPI is 300

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 27, 2026

    In that case, if you print the page the output resolution of the image is 300 PPI (not 72PPI)

      BobLevine
      Community Expert
      BobLevineCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 27, 2026

      I could be wrong, but AFAIK, InDesign will open the PDF with whatever is in there. Are you sure the images are CMYK? 

      K
      Katie31619003ocerAuthor
      Participant
      February 27, 2026

      I thought so to. 

      Basically what I’m trying to do is I have this publisher file that I’m being requested to convert into an InDesign file. 

      The only way I know how to do that is by making it a PDF first and then opening it in InDesign. *Everytime I export the publisher file as a PDF, it publishes in RGB mode. Even when I use printing preferences, it’s still RGB- I can’t figure out that part but I found a work around.

      I then took the PDF file, and converted it to CMYK using the Print Production→ convert color feature.

      After that I double checked it, it was in CMYK mode. 

      I went to open it up in InDesign using the Open PDF feature, and all the links are back to RGB. 

      I’ve looked everywhere for a preferences option and tried researching it, and I’ve had zero luck solving this problem.

      leo.r
      Community Expert
      leo.rCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 27, 2026

      Yes, I can reproduce the color problem.

       

      I’ve just opened a PDF with a CMYK image in InDesign, and the image in InDesign is RGB. Plus, InDesign saves the image as PNG, so it can’t be CMYK anyway.

       

      I don’t know if InDesign handles images this way in all PDF files, but that’s what I witnessed in this one test.

       

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