Export for screens creates CMYK pdf instead of RGB in *some* artboards

[reinko]

I'm stumped by this, which I assume is a bug. 

I have an AI file with 60+ artboards of logos in RGB using the same RGB swatches. 

I am exporting them with 'Export for screens' as PNG, JPG, SVG and PDF files. They are all meant to be in RGB and the PNG, JPG and SVG files are all fine. 

When I use 'Export for screens', all the files are in RGB EXCEPT the logos with a white (transparent) background; those files are CMYK files. Here's a screenshot of the color settings in the PDF preset I'm using. 

Any ideas how I can prevent the CMYK? 

[Monika Gause]

And you open the PDFs in Acrobat? Can you show a screenshot of them being CMYK?

Can you please also upload a demo file that has the same kinds of objects as your file so we can try and reproduce this? Change the file extension to pdf then you can upload it to the forum.

[reinko]

Thanks for your help troubleshooting this — in making a simplified demo file I have learned something baffling: 

* when I export with the background layer visible, all the files export as RGB

* when I hide the background layer to get a transparent PDF, the one with the hidden white background becomes CMYK

I've tried moving the backgrounds to another (hidden) layer, but this doesn't help. What does seem to work is deleting the background layer entirely. Here's my file, renamed as .pdf. 

[Ton Frederiks]

I cannot replicate your problem, whatever I tried, Acrobat Preflight sees only RGB objects.

Be careful with the default PDF settings for Export For Screens, they are set to smallest filesize.

If you ever have images in your file, they will be reduced to a low quality jpeg.

[reinko]

Thanks, I'm aware of the presets — I created my own with better image quality. 

Re: the acrobat preflight RGB: that seems to be the case, but when I open it in Illustrator it is a CMYK document, and when I place that PDF in InDesign (using RGB blend space), it thinks the Spot colors are CMYK instead of RGB and they do in fact render as the wrong RGB values. 

[Ton Frederiks]

OK, got it this time.

When I turn off the white backround on the Icon on white artboard, I get the CMYK warning when the resulting pdf is opened in Illustrator.

[reinko]

Thanks for following up. Did you see my finding below? Apparently if there is not a single 'process' RGB colored element (not a Spot RGB) in the PDF, Adobe thinks it must be CMYK. 

[reinko]

It seems that as a workaround, I can delete the backgroud layer, export and Undo the delete. But this is prone to human error, and it's so strange that this happens to the layer with the white background and not the others. I just tried extending the blue background under the white one, or the white one under the blue one, but it makes no difference. 

[reinko · Accepted solution]

I think I've found the source of the problem: 

• I'm using RGB Spot color swatches (so they are picked up in InDesign) 
• When you Export for screens and all the elements have ONLY Spot colors (even if those are RGB Spot colors), Illustrator and InDesign see it as a CMYK file
• As soon as you have one 'normal' RGB-colored element (white in my other color examples), they see it as an RGB file

I'm thinking I will add a white dot behind the icon so I don't have to change the Spot colors and the file will still be recognized as intended. 

[Ton Frederiks]

Looks like you found a bug.

The PDF preset and the way of saving/exporting does not seem to matter.

As long as there are only Spot RGB colors used, Illustrator thinks it is a CMYK document.

You may want to report this problem here:

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/

[reinko]

Thanks, I will! 

[Ton Frederiks]

I saw it here, Reinko:

 https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/48740432

[Ton Frederiks]

One question, is the reason you export as PDF to get the spot colors in InDesign?

You could skip that step by just placing the Illustrator document in InDesign.

The spots are RGB (in an InDesign RGB doc) and are exported as RGB (even if the Illustrator file has no background).

[reinko]

Hi Ton, I'm exporting a logoset and like to have CMYK and RGB vector files. PDF's are the best. They may be used in various applications, in this case I am creating an RGB document in InDesign. I know I can also use illustrator files for this, but for my workflow exporting 70 files in 4 file formats from the same Export for screens dialog just makes the most sense. 

[Ton Frederiks]

I see, it is definitely an Illustrator bug, interpreting an RGB file as CMYK. InDesign reads them correct.