how to bulk change total ink coverage to the 240% required by printer

[sand_rose]

Hi everybody,

Got a new conundrum for you.

Still working on my book cover file for the printer, Ingram Spark, but running into trouble figuring out how to lower the TAC/TIC values below 240%. Anybody have a suggestion? Doesn't seem like there are any recent recommendations/posts on this. I did find several folks that said to individually adjust the CMYK sliders for every single swatch. A few problems with this:

• how do you adjust all the sliders to maintain the same color?
• this doesn't do any good for embedded jpegs (like my red background leather effect)
• what happens when you have mutiple layers interacting, like a dropshadow over the jpeg background? how do you adjust the CMYK for both without messing up both color renditions?

Here are Ingram Spark's specs for the cover submission:

• 300 ppi
• PDF COMPLIANCE: Files must be PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-3:2002 compliant. The PDF/X-1a:2001 setting is found in the Professional versions of Adobe Acrobat 6 or above (listed as PDF/X-1a in Acrobat 6 Professional). The PDF/X-3:2002 setting is found in the Professional versions of Adobe Acrobat 7 or above
• We recommend a rich black with CMYK values = 60% Cyan / 40% Magenta / 40% Yellow / and 100% Black. CMYK total value should not exceed 240%. Elements should not be built in ‘Registration’ (100% of all colors). *Files sent with densities higher than 240% may be rejected for correction. Files with densities greater than 240% may process and print without rejection. If these files with densities over 240% encounter print issues in future orders, LS will require a corrected file from the customer.
• CMYK MODE

My color settings, then below that a screesnshot from Acrobat Pro of the TAC areas that are over 240% in bright green.

Would appreciate any suggestions to how to proceed. It's especially confusing as I thought this type of PDF (PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-3:2002) was supposed to flatten all the layers and transparencies anyway...

[sand_rose]

Okay, this is super helpful. I'll save this in my notes as I imagine this will come up again. The small text and barcodes are especially relevant on book covers. THANK YOU!

[Maxime3173562416lh]

Good morning,
Three years later I come across your discussions because I am having exactly the same problem: I am also working on a project with Lightning Source/Ingram (the French subsidiary) and therefore have to produce a cover with an ink rate of less than 240 %. Thank you for all these elements that will help me. Unfortunately, I did not understand all your exchanges because I am a beginner in the use of the Adobe suite, however I downloaded from color.org a color profile which seems to work to create a PDF < 240% ("SNAP 2007 "). There's one issue that I believe hasn't been resolved in this discussion: For the cover barcode, they require it to be 100% black on a white resist. However, the barcode provided by the service provider is not 100% black and I cannot change that. Can you tell me how to proceed?
With sincere thanks for your help!

[Ton Frederiks]

Is the barcode an image? You need to correct that in an image editor (maybe first Unembed it).

[Maxime3173562416lh]

Thanks ! 

[Maxime3173562416lh]

As you told me, I modified the barcode in Photoshop to be grayscale. So, on InDesign, all my cover texts and the barcode are 100% black.

However, when I perform the method proposed in this thread to obtain an ink rate of less than 240% by exporting the file to PDF with the colorimetric profile at 240, it works but: my barcode and my texts at 100% black are suddenly given a whimsical inking rate with CMYK mixed haphazardly.

(On both screenshots, the cursor is over the barcode. On InDesign, 100% black ink, on Acrobat Pro, weird CMYK at 222%).

The Lightning Source/Ingram specifications are clear: my barcode must be 100% black ink on the final PDF. Do you know what I need to do to get the correct result? Thank you again for your help !

[E.31934774fug5]

Hi! Sorry for delay responding--I haven't submitted a book cover in several years so sadly have forgotten everything, but as I hope to be working on the cover for book two in the spring I am following your progress. Wishing you a fast solution--I remember how hard it was to figure this stuff out. This may be totally wrong or unhelpful but can you make an Illustrator file of your cover that you export to get the percentages right then reimport that pdf into illustrator as a new doc and only layer the barcode file on then? Then re-export without messing with percentages at all for final version? All the best!

[Ton Frederiks]

What you are simulating in Acrobat is Coated FOGRA (which would involve a conversion). What happens if you select your SNAP 2007 profile?

[tomh52056997]

I've discovered that if I change a CMYK file's color mode back to RGB and then back to CMYK, very often the total ink coverage will fall within range.

[Ton Frederiks]

If it is the correct profile it will convert the RGB values to CMYK within the limits of the profile.

But it is dangerous, all your black objects (like black text) will be converted to a rich multicolor black instead of 100% K.