Skip to main content
sarap28261535
sarap28261535
Participant
March 26, 2021
Answered

Trouble printing a pdf (from Indesign) with the transparency of a PSD placed.

  • March 26, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 1810 views

Hi! This is my problem:
I created a drawing in PSD with no background, therefore transparent. I placed it in an InDesign file with a dark background that I need to print. But, when I made a first printing proof, I can actually see the drawing frame. So it is like the transparent area seems to have like a tiny percentage of white, since still dark but lighter than the background in InDesign.

When I use the eyedropper in InDesign and click on the drawing frame area, it says it is white, while if I select the frame with the Selection tool, it says transparent. I don't know if that's ok.

One more point: my original CMYK colors in Photoshop have different color codes in Indesign. That can affect, even if a little bit, the print result.

Please, I really cannot find a way out... any suggestion? Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer rob day

The application Color Pickers don’t necessarily show you the image or document output values. It looks like your CMYK PSD and InDesign document have conflicting CMYK profile assignments, which would likely cause different values at output. To get accurate output values use Photoshop’s Info panel and InDesign’s Separation Preview.

 

Also, you might consider leaving the PSD as RGB—you’ve made the conversion to CMYK in Photoshop, but the same conversion can be made from InDesign either at export or print. In this case the only reason for converting to CMYK in Photoshop would be if you wanted a custom black build (i.e. 0|0|0|100) that you can’t get from a regular conversion to CMYK, but you are not doing that.

 

So here the image is RGB and Photoshop’s Info panel set to Actual Color shows 0|0|0 RGB

 

If I place the RGB file and set my Proof Setup to the document’s assigned CMYK profile, the Separation Preview shows the CMYK output values I will get on a PDF Export to Document CMYK:

 

 

The output values of the image and the background, which are both 0|0|0 RGB match:

 

2 replies

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
March 26, 2021

The application Color Pickers don’t necessarily show you the image or document output values. It looks like your CMYK PSD and InDesign document have conflicting CMYK profile assignments, which would likely cause different values at output. To get accurate output values use Photoshop’s Info panel and InDesign’s Separation Preview.

 

Also, you might consider leaving the PSD as RGB—you’ve made the conversion to CMYK in Photoshop, but the same conversion can be made from InDesign either at export or print. In this case the only reason for converting to CMYK in Photoshop would be if you wanted a custom black build (i.e. 0|0|0|100) that you can’t get from a regular conversion to CMYK, but you are not doing that.

 

So here the image is RGB and Photoshop’s Info panel set to Actual Color shows 0|0|0 RGB

 

If I place the RGB file and set my Proof Setup to the document’s assigned CMYK profile, the Separation Preview shows the CMYK output values I will get on a PDF Export to Document CMYK:

 

 

The output values of the image and the background, which are both 0|0|0 RGB match:

 

    sarap28261535
    sarap28261535Author
    Participant
    March 26, 2021

    Thank you so much for your help with colors! 

    By the way, I imported the file with a transparent background, as in the picture here... so, do you think the issue with color would affect the print problem either way?

     

     

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 26, 2021

    If there’s any transparency on the page, the document’s Transparency Blend Space can affect the output values.

     

    In my example where the placed art is RGB, the blend space would not have an affect—both the PSD and InDesign RGB blacks will convert the same—doesn’t matter whether the blend space is RGB or CMYK.

     

    If you choose to convert the PSD to CMYK in Photoshop and use a CMYK background in InDesign, you’ll need the blend space to be CMYK, and make sure the CMYK profiles used in Photoshop and InDesign match, otherwise the original CMYK values might change.

    sarap28261535
    sarap28261535Author
    Participant
    March 26, 2021

    sarap28261535
    sarap28261535Author
    Participant
    March 26, 2021

    ... Ok sorry! I just saw the difference in colors was really like nothing! 😄 I got distracted from the code instead of the percentage! 
    So no big deal at all! :-)))

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices