Black values change in pdf exports

[dzgnr89]

I am making a pdf file from Illustrator file in which black values should be

c=0, m=0, y = 0, k=100. When I save the pdf file, it shows up with the same colour values in illustrator. However in Adobe acrobat, the values change to c=69, m=67, y = 64,k=74

I even tried it from scratch by making  a new CMYK file from illustrator menu then saving the file but still the issue remains.

I tried the following two settings one by one for each pdf

1. No conversion. Include all RGB and tagged CMYK profiles.

2. Convert to destination. US web coated SWOP v2, Document CMYK.

[Monika Gause]

In Acrobat you need to set the "Simulation profile" to the same profile that you used to make the file in Illustrator and that is embedded in the PDF.

Otherwise Acrobat will do a CMYK-to-CMYK conversion when showing you the numbers.

[dzgnr89]

When I chose onvert to destination. US web coated SWOP v2, Document CMYK, I embedded the profile too. As you can see in the screenshot I cjose that as simulation profild only.

[Monika Gause]

Is that also your working CMYK profile in color management setup in Illustrator?

And if not, is "Preserve Values" furned on in the MCYK conversion setting?

[dzgnr89]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Monika+Gause  wrote

Is that also your working CMYK profile in color management setup in Illustrator?

And if not, is "Preserve Values" furned on in the MCYK conversion setting?

Yes. These are my settings.

[Mike_Gondek]

Sorry to ask, but make sure your .ai file set to File >> Document Color Mode >> CMYK. The Adobe color palette allows you to enter CMYK values on an RGB document, which does no one any good and only creates confusion.

If you still have an issue, can you please post a copy of the .ai file with adjust the art aha has the offending problem, using dropbox or similar.

[dzgnr89]

MikeGondek  wrote

Sorry to ask, but make sure your .ai file set to File >> Document Color Mode >> CMYK. The Adobe color palette allows you to enter CMYK values on an RGB document, which does no one any good and only creates confusion.

If you still have an issue, can you please post a copy of the .ai file with adjust the art aha has the offending problem, using dropbox or similar.

Yes the document colour mode is set to CMYK. I even made a new blank document with CMYK profile and pasted my content into it, and still facing the trouble.

Here is the ai file.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/yy8h4v

Here is the pdf file.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/pzoabo

[Monika Gause]

THat's not 100K in your AI file.

[Mike_Gondek · Accepted solution]

BE CAREFUL: Sendspace LINK from previous post, tries to install a flash player trojan horse.

Dropbox is free, would recommend using that wetransfer or hightail.

Yes your ai file idoes not have 100K. How are you determining what color you have in those shapes?

[dzgnr89]

MikeGondek  wrote

BE CAREFUL: Sendspace LINK from previous post, tries to install a flash player trojan horse.

Dropbox is free, would recommend using that wetransfer or hightail.

Yes your ai file idoes not have 100K. How are you determining what color you have in those shapes?

Wow!!. That's unusual. I am using the colour picker and it shows me c0,m0,y0 and k100. When I go to the colour panel, it shows me something else. Is this a bug in illustrator?

I tried it with other colours and both boxes match. But in this k100 black, the values in the boxes don't match.

[Monika Gause]

Don't use the color picker for this.

[dzgnr89]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Monika+Gause  wrote

Don't use the color picker for this.

Well, of course, I will never use the colour picker. Is colour picker buggy in Illustrator?

[Monika Gause]

It's just not suitable for a lot of things and it can't indicate spot colors. So for print workflows it just can't be recommended.

[Mike_Gondek]

The  color picker,  shows you the color the fill or stroke swatch you have loaded in your tools panel (depends which is in focus). So this is working correctly.

To see color of what you have selected use the color panel.