Gradients on Images Not Exporting to PDF Corrcetly

[MorganKadric]

Hello,

I am trying to fulfill my dream of becoming a children's bilingual book author. I illustrated my pages in AI, exported them as PDFs, and everything looks great when I combine the PDFs into a new file with Adobe Acrobat.

However, when I upload the PDF/X file to Kindle Direct Publishing, my illustrations containing gradients are messed up. Some parts of the illustration are missing color, some have blocks of colors rather than a gradient transition, and some are void of color altogether. I don't know what else to do.

I've done the following:
-Raster at 300ppi
-CMYK color
-Flattened the AI file
-Made sure no images were needing embedding

Please help. I am so close to finishing my book.

[Mylenium]

Screenshots of the issues could certainly help to figure out what may be causing this. On a hunch I'd say they want their documents in RGB rather than CMYK, so that would be the first thing to try.

Mylenium

[Eugene Tyson]

I agree with @Mylenium I was about to say the exact same thing.

[MorganKadric]

I've tried both RGB and CMYK. This is what my page looks like in Illustrator:

 

Here it is when I upload it saved as RGB:

 

[Eugene Tyson]

In Illustrator if you go to View>Overprint Preview - how does it look?

How does the image look in Acrobat when you view the PDF?

Can you share the image as an .ai file here?

Thanks

[Monika Gause]

And this has been rasterized?

You said that you tried rasterizing?

[MorganKadric]

I think it may have something to do with Amazon's preview viewer... when I look at it online through Amazon KDP's website, the images are missing color.  However, when I actually download a PDF from them as an official "proof", the color is all there. I ordered a physical copy to arrive at my house this week... I'll keep you posted whether the proof copy has the colors correct or not. Turns out, this may be an Amazon issue, not a "Morgan's not good with Adobe" issue.

Thank you so much for your quick response! 

[Mylenium]

I'm with monika here. I don't get the impression that you actually flatteened/ rasterized the layer inside AI, but are solely relying on the flattening of the PDF engine, which with stuff such as complex gradients simply is unreliable. This has always been an issue even before freeform gradients, so you may want to revisit and double-check your procedures.

Mylenium

[MorganKadric]

Update: still having issues. It looks great in Overprint Preview, and also looks good when I export it as a PDF. However, when I get it back from amazon's PDF preview, now chunks of the image are missing. Here is the AI file, and the PDF after I rasterized in AI. I've also attached the screenshot with the top of the leaf color missing. The AI file and exported PDF look great.. I also was sure to flatten in AI before exporting to PDF. @Mylenium @Eugene Tyson @Monika Gause 

[MorganKadric]

ok it's not letting me attach the .ai file

[Ton Frederiks]

You can try to share the .ai file using CC filesharing, DropBox, Google, WeTransfer...

[Monika Gause]

If the PDF looks good in Acrobat, then there is nothing you can do.

You will need to hire a Kindle Self Publishing expert to guide you through this. You could try if someone over in the InDesign forum can answer your Kindle questions. When asking you should make it clear that you have already asked over here, but are now searching for Kindle tips specifically. Otherwise they will move your question back here. https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/ct-p/ct-indesign?page=1&sort=latest_replies&filter=all&lang=...

[Eugene Tyson]

Hello

I can see the issue - the Gradient has a 'transparency'

Try make a copy of your file and try flattening  your image in Illustrator first

https://illustratorhow.com/how-to-flatten-image/

If this works you know the issue.

Honestly my recommendation for your whole book should be to do the Flatenning in Acrobat.

You can find the Flattener Preview here

Make sure all pages in document is selected (bottom right of image)

Let us know if this fixes your issue. 

[Eugene Tyson]

@MorganKadric 

What I am seeing is the gradient is made up of an odd object.

I'd suggest recreating the gradients properly - and ditch these background elements - that are non-native art

If you turn off the 'eye' beside these layers they show up

I'd say it's best to create proper gradients - as don't seem to be compliant.

Either that - or flatten the image in Illustrator as per my earlier link.

[MorganKadric]

How do you properly create gradients? What do you mean by them not being compliant?

I tried flattening the image but it didn't work.

[MorganKadric]

@Eugene Tyson 

[Eugene Tyson]

All Illustrator shows me is that they are non-native art.

And there's no further info in Illustrator - but that way of applying a gradient is weird. 

https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/illustrator/using/gradients.html

I'd delete these large rectangles and recreate the gradients.

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

These could be Freeform gradients, they result in non native art in a pdf.

Rasterizing the gradient (Object > Rasterize) can solve it.

[Larry G. Schneider]

Thanks, Ton. I remember the non-native art in a PDF but couldn't remember how it is created.

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

Or as I was saying earlier to use the transparency flatener

[Ton Frederiks]

Flatten Transparency still keeps the non-native items.

[Derek Cross]

Presumably this is. FXL ePub, not a Reflowable ePub?

Your images should be in RGB color mode (which will make the illustrations appear r much brighter than CMYK) and the resolution is irrelevant.

I suggest you export your book directly from InDesign to ePub, rather than via PDF.

I suggest you take one of the excellent online video tutorials on LinkedIn Learning - you can get 30-days free access.

Also, with many thousands of self published childrens books on the market now, consider how you will promote your title, otherwise it may disappear. 

[MorganKadric]

Thanks Derek!

Don't worry, I have an actual Bachelor's degree in Marketing... my marketing skills are far superior to my Adobe skills 🙂

[Derek Cross]

Do you have much experience in promoting books?

[MorganKadric]

Thank you all so much for your help! I rasterized the object itself, and then flattened the transparency of the whole artboard. This solved my problem.

Random question, but how did I accidentally create this type of gradient? What is non-native art? Asking so that I don't do it again in the future. It seemed to cause me all kinds of problems.

I created the image by using Adobe Capture to turn my drawing into a vector, and then created the gradient with colors I grabbed from an actual image online using the eyedropper tool.

@Eugene Tyson @Ton Frederiks