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C
ChuckCordes
Participating Frequently
August 29, 2018
Answered

Images become opaque when printing from Publisher 365 to Adobe PDF printer

  • August 29, 2018
  • 3 replies
  • 1054 views

Many transparent images become opaque when printing from Publisher 365 to the Adobe PDF printer. The installations of Windows 10 Pro and all MS Office programs are fresh. Does the Adobe PDF printer have some driver issue that is causing the images to become opaque?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Dov Isaacs

On behalf of Adobe, to summarize and expand on the thoughts presented here:

(1)     Any PDF produced via creation of PostScript and distillation to PDF is by definition going to lose live transparency and any color management. The PostScript imaging model doesn't support transparency. There are no plans to update PostScript further (that is what PDF is for). Anything that is apparently transparent in a source document is flattened into opaque objects. There is no workaround for this.

(2)     Professional quality PDF from publishing products really requires direct production of PDF such that attributes such as transparency, color management, tagging, links, etc. are not lost. This is why for Adobe's authoring / design tools, we strongly encourage PDF export / save and discourage Luddite workflows that involve PostScript

(3)     Adobe has no control over the PDF that Microsoft produces. Complain directly to Microsoft.

(4)     Quite frankly, Publisher is almost universally reviled amongst print professionals given the “issues” it has. Those who love it tend to be corporate bean counters. 

          - Dov

3 replies

Dov Isaacs
Dov IsaacsCorrect answer
Legend
August 29, 2018

On behalf of Adobe, to summarize and expand on the thoughts presented here:

(1)     Any PDF produced via creation of PostScript and distillation to PDF is by definition going to lose live transparency and any color management. The PostScript imaging model doesn't support transparency. There are no plans to update PostScript further (that is what PDF is for). Anything that is apparently transparent in a source document is flattened into opaque objects. There is no workaround for this.

(2)     Professional quality PDF from publishing products really requires direct production of PDF such that attributes such as transparency, color management, tagging, links, etc. are not lost. This is why for Adobe's authoring / design tools, we strongly encourage PDF export / save and discourage Luddite workflows that involve PostScript

(3)     Adobe has no control over the PDF that Microsoft produces. Complain directly to Microsoft.

(4)     Quite frankly, Publisher is almost universally reviled amongst print professionals given the “issues” it has. Those who love it tend to be corporate bean counters. 

          - Dov

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)
T
Test Screen Name
Legend
August 29, 2018

Yes, it is absolutely true. It is impossible to send transparency to most printer drivers. But of course you can design in transparency, so how does that work? The answer is that the app which prints "flattens" the transparency first and sends an opaque page with the elements mixed. If Publisher isn't doing this, Publisher is at fault, but it's a very common fault. Surprising if only some images go bad, you could compare the details, or try a Publisher forum.

T
Test Screen Name
Legend
August 29, 2018

Publisher must make everything opaque before printing. The driver won’t see transparency. Try Save as PDF instead.

C
ChuckCordesAuthor
Participating Frequently
August 29, 2018

That can't be true because it doesn't make everything opaque. Also, Publisher's version of "Save as PDF" ruins the color accuracy so we can't use it.

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