Exporting print logo package and both uncoated and coated Pantone colours are exporting almost grey?

[Hayley5CA0]

I am currently working on a client branding project. My document is CMYK and I have chosen Uncoated and Coated Pantone colours to use. These are as follows:

-7688 C, -2191 U

-3015 C, -2196 U

-7717 C, -321 U

-7465 C, -2398 U

I use the Logo Package to export and the Pantone coloured artboards are exporting as PDFs as AI files. Once I export, these two formats for all Pantone coloured artboard are EXTREMELY desaturated... almost grey. When I open the PDF fully, it stays desaturated. When I open the AI file it loads in Illustrator the colour it's meant to be. Images below...

If anyone could help here - that would be awesome! Thanks!

[Monika Gause]

How is your color management set up?

Do you use these colors as spot? Or as process?

[Hayley5CA0]

How do I check this? I'm still new to the print terminology - as I usually only export for digital purposes. 🙂

[Monika Gause]

It's in Illustrator > Color settings.

This is a rough overview of what color management does. https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/using/setting-color-management.html It barely touches the surface, but it's a start.

[Hayley5CA0]

Looks like that's a Photoshop article - not Illustrator. There's also no 'Colour settings' under the 'Illustrator' tab. (I've searched it and can't see it under any tab. Weird 🙂

[Monika Gause]

Yes. Color management is universal. It even works the same outside the Adobe Cloud.

And sorry, the Color settings are in Edit > Color settings. It might also matter how you set up the monitor profile in the system.

[Ton Frederiks]

What do you use to view the pdf?

[Hayley5CA0]

Oh strange! When I view it in Apple's 'Preview' it's that grey colour. But when I view it in Adobe Acrobat it's the brighter colours (what it's supposed to be). Any ideas?

[Ton Frederiks]

That is because Preview supports a limited set of PDF features. Overprint Preview is not supported in Preview..

[Hayley5CA0]

So does it matter that the platform 'Preview' and the actual previews of both the PDF and AI files are undersaturated? Will signwriter/printers have any issues with this?

I've exported previous client logos in Pantone before and never had this issue, so just not sure what I've done different here.

[Ton Frederiks]

As long as they use the specific Pantone inks mix for the color, the preview does not matter, they will mix the ink and use that.

When they use a CMYK simulation, I would not use a Pantone color but give them CMYK percentages.