Transparency/Overprint Error?

Question

Not sure if this is a bug or a default settings issue. I've been placing this vector (.ai) file into InDesign and printing with no issues for months. We placed it on a very simple certificate (less complex than previous files we'd used it on), and it appears InDesign had issues processing the transparencies within the vector file. (I personally haven't seen this issue in 10+ years.) To fix it, I exported the vector to a transparent high-resolution PNG and placed it instead of the illustrator file. Printing from InDesign to a Konica Minolta 3070L with Fiery Command Workstation/RIP software.

(Sidenote: I thought best practice is to place native files into InDesign whenever possible--is this wrong/changed?)

Brad @ Roaring Mouse · Accepted Answer

I think you just got lucky in that it printed before. It's actually a very complicated file with a multitude of redundant shapes that could stand some simplifying, but mostly, you have built it very large (it's 45 inches across), so to place it in an InDesign document at a 2" diameter it needs to be reduced to less than 5%. With all the tiny circle objects you have, and then reduced to that size, I can see it easily choking a RIP.

In fact, if you try and scale the whole thing down in Illustrator, you can only go so far before it warns you that it can't make it any smaller due to the size of some objects. (essentially, it's all your tiny halftone dot circles)

My suggestion. Use the Pathfinder tool on some things, like the pattern background, to Crop off all the extra stuff you don't need. The inside halftone "dots" has many redundant shapes that can also be simplified by using Unite.

Scale your artwork down to 25%... that will help in your file size because the attached preview doesn't have to be 45" across!!! (hence why your EPS was 16MB).

Brad @ Roaring Mouse · Answer

Without seeing the file, I'm going to guess it's a RIP error (I see that "some" of the dots printed in the darker blue, while the rest dropped out white. If this is the same object, that makes no sense except for a RIP issue), especially since you say you've used it in the past. Do old documents still print correctly?

Are you using spot colours on these objects or are they all CMYK/etc?

Are you printing directly or using PDFs to print?

Can you upload the .ai file?

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