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Question

Exporting AI file to Simulate Overprint

Forum|Forum|14 years ago
March 30, 2011
12 replies
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I have a logo that I ultimatly need rendered properly in a PDF to send for proofing. It has a overprint effect in it but I can't figure out a way to export it as a tif or jpg with a simulated overprint.

What I have tried:

Export as tif and export as jpg (from Illustrator CS5). Neither export has a simulate overprint option, and both export with a big green blob on top of everything (the green blob is the shape that is overprinting)

Save as PDF, press ready, defaults to view of green blob (not simulated overprinting)

Save as PDF, change to PDF 1.3, in advanced flattening I set overprint to preserve, and high resolution. Same result as above.

In a PDF I can turn on the overprint preview, but I can't make that a default (as far as I know). Additionally, I am sending this to a client, I don't want to have to tell him "Oh, and by the way, here are the 10 steps to simulating overprinting in PDFs!"

Also I have tried to import from PDF to Photoshop and there is no option for simulated overprint there as well.

I don't know what to do anymore. Adobe do you have any answers for this?

Also, I don't care if it is just a jpg or tif placed into a PDF, I don't need to preserve vector for this portion of it. If I can, then great, if there is a solution but I can't fine, It is only for presentation at this stage.

Thanks,

Randy

A

AntMaz13

New Participant

i think i have a fairly painless fix.

1. open your illustrator generated PDF in acrobat.

2. open print production > output preview, and turn on simulate overprinting.

3. save as PDF/X

this will save the file with the overprint preview, and also keeps the layers intact for next time it is opened in illustrator. many of these other fixes flatten the artwork.

you're welcome 🙂

L

Len23108917ul6i

New Participant

Open PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro with the Output Preview pallette open and Simulate Overprint turned on.

Save as an EPS using the Adobe PDF driver, make sure "Simulate Overprinting" is checked.

Open the EPS in Adobe Illustrator.

Save as PDF using one of the built in presets to reduce file size.

Bingo!

Ton Frederiks

Adobe Expert

Bingo, but the overprinted areas are converted to CMYK.

stevenw71478383

New Participant

There is a simple solution. I have to write pdfs that are layered and have transparent overprints over the top all the time to simulate varnishes and white underprints for packaging artwork. After a recent Illustrator update I suddenly found I could no longer save PDFs out showing overprint so that clients can view. The trick is to use the free ESKO dynamic Xchange plug-in for Illustrator. This allows you to write pdfs with all overprints visible by a/Exporting as an ESKO PDF or b/ just saving as a pdf. When I didn't have this plug-in, my pdfs wouldn't show overprinting and I realised the reason I could do it was that I'd had it installed in earlier versions of Illustrator. The two pdfs attached below were both written with each of these methods, Export and Save as. ESKO is software used by the packaging industry and the free plug in is available on their website. The effect on these is obtained using overprint alone, no transparency effects were used although they can be used in conjunction with overprinting though they tend to cancel each other out somewhat at the print stage.

Overprint_Test.pdf

Overprint_Test_copy.pdf

DDespault

New Participant

You can always turn off the overprint and set the transparency to multiply then export as a jpeg. Does the same thing if you need to use it on the web or in an unprinted format.

andreakaye316

New Participant

I had the same problem and agree, that there should be a way to show overprints. While they may be considered outdated by many (as onscreen effects can simulate, and many print digitally so that is fine), they are a great technique for creating additional effects when using only two spot colors (especially when screen printing).

I also could not get the PDF to show the overprints by default (even though it was preserving them).

FINALLY - I found that if you Print to PDF and change to composite instead of separations under Output, then you can select Overprints: Simulate under Advanced.

Phew! That is all I wanted for quick and accurate PDF proofing for clients (and actually for my students to share their overprint designs with me).

Cheeky Creative

New Participant

If your sharing files and like them to display on the other end correctly then just save your PDF/X (X-4 or X-1a). Since I think version 9 the default setting in Acrobat/Reader is to automatically display PDF/X files with overprint simulation on. I'm usually setting things for print so I'm normally in PDF/X anyways.

If your really hung on rasterizing files in Photoshop, for whatever reason, photoshop will honour the PDF/X overprint only if the overprints are process (CMYK). If you got any spot plates or process and spots with overprinting then it will choke and treat it like a knockout. Like mentioned above if you use the objects transparency setting as multiply instead of using the overprint settings then save a PDF/X-4 you will get a PDF file which retains the spots, if you look at your separations it has treated it like a overprint but is flagged as a non-knockout transparency with a blend mode of multiply. Any modern rip should handle the separations correctly and photoshop will also rasterize it correctly. For older rips you'll need to go PDF/X-1a and that will flatten the transparency back to an overprint which will separate properly but won't play nice with photoshop if spots are involved.

Maybe that helps?

Cheers

L

lamanzuf

New Participant

Great answer Cheeky Creative! Over the years I've found the default setting in Acrobat Reader for most of my clients is to display overprints only for PDF/X files. Whenever I create PDF proofs for review/approval I always save them as PDF/X-4. I no longer (or vary rarely) receive frustrated calls about the graphics not displaying correctly.

I've found the following is the default setting in most installations of Acrobat Reader:

A

AndyQ

Known Participant

Here's what I do....nasty and complicated...

1) save the illustrator file as a PDF using the Illustrator default settings

2) Load the PDF in Acrobat Pro then select the Advanced->Print Production->Output Preview option and make sure "simulate overprint" is on

3) in acrobat select file->export->postscript->encapsulated postscipt (EPS) [in Acroabt X this is "File->Save As->More Options->Encapsulated Postscript"]. Make sure "simulate overprinting" is on in the "output" subsection. Keep all colours inc. spot colours (i.e. do not convert spots to CMYK).

4) export the EPS file from Acrobat

5) drag-and-drop the EPS file into Photoshop to rasterise it. You should find that the rasterised image reflects the overprint preview.

The downside to this that you get a flat PSD file (no layers). If you need separate layers you'll have to export 'em and process them one-by-one and combine them in Photoshop

Figuring this out took a lot of pain....

K

K34n0

New Participant

You are such a lad. This was perfect, thanks.

C

CHMprepress

Inspiring

Rusty, just do what Larry said, swish to transparencies instead of using overprint.

Overprint dates from the postscript time and can now be changed to transparencies. This is a more flexible way of working and gives you a direct result in Illustrator and in Acrobat (when you save the pdf).

I speak of experience, we have been actively removing and replacing overprints for more than 5 years now.

S

strawberryluna

New Participant

I perpetually have this same problem and it's really frustrating. I agree that there must be an ACTUAL way to export a fullsized file from AI with overprints intact, and yet all I can find are sloppy work-arounds.

Definitely looking for a proper solution and haven't found one yet.

R

rustystewAuthor

New Participant

Ok this is still hack, but it seems to do a pretty good job.

Step 1

Save your EPS or AI file

Step 2

Open InDesign

Step 3

Place EPS or AI file into the new InDesign document

Step 4

export as pdf

Step 5

make sure you set compatability to Acrobat 4 (PDF1.3) in top right corner

Step 6

Select "Output" in left column

Step 7

check the "Simulate Overprint" option in the "color" portion of the dialog window.

This option is only available to you with the acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3) compatability.

Step 8

export

This will serve my purposes for now, but I'm not going to close this thread until I can export a PDF or something from Illustrator that does this.

Note: When you save as PDF in illustrator the dialog windows are diffrent from indesign and so it doesn't work.

Monika Gause

Adobe Expert

Don't save the PDF but print it from Illustrator. In the Print-dialog you can also "Simulate" overprint.

S

strawberryluna

New Participant

Thanks!

I've tried that, and I can see from the preview that the Overprints are lost already before I go any further.

I'm a silkcreen printer, and at times it's necessary to be able to make a full sized, hi-res JPG with overprints showing perfectly as they do during the illustration and design process. Unfortunately, it's super hard to do, unless there is a special magical setting that I've been missing for a few years.