Illustrator - export to PDF warning

[ORIGINDESIGN]

I have created a Custom Preset to output an Illustrator file for print based on the PDF X4 2008 already created by Adobe. When I try to use this Preset I get a warning as follows- 

The preset specifies Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4) compatibility.
This will be reset to Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3) to ensure compliance
with the PDF/X (2003) standard with regard to transparency.

Despite the fact the preset uses PDF 1.6 this message appears and no amount of adjusting the settings seems to change it. If I use the same Preset in Indesign there are no warnings.

Using the Adobe Preset for PDF 1.6 (in Illustrator) seems OK, so not sure why when resaved with only a couple of modifications (bleed and compression) it gives this warning. 

[Monika Gause]

Could you perhaps post a screenshot of the warning and when does this appear?

[ORIGINDESIGN]

Hi, yes, of course. The warning appears in the Summary section when I am exporting a pdf. The atatched shows the settings and the warning.

[ORIGINDESIGN]

This is the summary...

The issue arises when the Preset is saved and then used when saving/exporting a pdf. If the settings are changed first the only warning is about colour profiles, which also looks spurious as the colour settings for the document match the output, so not sure why they are being flagged. Maybe the 2 are linked?

I tried making the same preset in Illustrator CS6 and everything works as expected.

[ORIGINDESIGN]

This is also happening which seems odd.

On Mac - Sequoia - latest version of everything.

I go to export simple file as PDF from Illustrator.

I select PDF X4 2008 which uses PDF/X-4 2010 And Acrobat 7 (PDF 1.6)

I get a Summary message with a warning saying: “The preset specifies source profiles that don’t match the current color settings file. Profiles specified by the color settings file will be used”. Even if I change the colour settings the message remains.

If I select another saved preset based on the PDFX4 I also get the warning about the resetting of the PDF output to PDF 1.3, but no warning message about colour.

If I then select the PDFX4 2008 (modified) which is basically the same as the original PDFX4 (but not saved as a Preset) all of the warnings disappear.

The problem appears to be when the Preset is saved and with warnings not being removed when the settings are changed until cycling through the Presets and modified (but unsaved) settings. This makes saving a custom Preset impossible without getting warnings. If I trust all is OK and a print job is ruined who is to blame?

The same file in InDesign exports fine, using the same export/colour settings without any warnings given.

All colour files are synchronized with Bridge.

[Monika Gause]

I have trouble reproducing that.

How is your color management set up and which color profile are you using when exporting?

[ORIGINDESIGN]

I have document set up as CMYK using PSO Coated V3, although the issue arises no matter what colour setting I use. I have colour synchronised in Bridge. Exporting in the same way from inDesign works as expected.

There is a post about a similar issue in InDesign from 2020 where a modification to the Preset removes the warning.

If I export the file using the Adobe Preset PDFX4 I get the error - if I modify the Preset by including bleed and then switch back, the warning is gone.

[ORIGINDESIGN]

Sorry for all the messages, but just realised that when I get the error with the Preset I created OR the Adobe Preset I can remove the error message by making a change to ANY of the settings, even those with no reference to colour or file type (the Preset is then followed by "modified"). If I then switch to another preset and then back the warning is gone. 

[ORIGINDESIGN]

So this means something isn't working correctly and that using a preset is impossible in Illustrator without taking lots of extra steps.

[Monika Gause]

As I said, I cannot reproduce it.

Can you perhaps share a demo AI document (does not need to be your original one) that triggers that warning when saving a PDF/4?

In order to upload an AI file in this forum, please change the file extension to .PDF

[ORIGINDESIGN]

Hi, I have attached a file but it is any file, not just this one that causes this. I have also attached a screen grab of the process in which the issue occurs. If I save or export to PDF and select X4 I get the colour matching warning. If I then switch the preset to one I saved previously based on X4, I get the warning about saving as 1.3 etc, but not the colour warning. If I then change any setting (eg bleed) so the preset is now called (eg Preset 1 modified) the summary warning is still there. Now, if I select any preset and then switch back to the modified preset, the errors are gone, even though the preset previously reported a problem.

[Monika Gause]

I can't get those warnings.

Maybe you want to try if resetting the preferences helps. You could quit Illustrator and rename the preferences folder. That way nothing gets deleted.

[ORIGINDESIGN]

I removed "Adobe Illustrator Prefs" form Library - relaunched and new Prefs file created.

I still get same issue. I have tried with different settings and issue persists.

it is always when I save a Preset and then go back to use it a second time. The first time after I modify an existing preset and save it gives no warning. If I go to export or save the file again as PDF I do get the warning. At this point if I make a further change to the settings (but don't save) and then select another preset and then reselect the previous one, it works OK.

[ORIGINDESIGN]

Hi, yes, the pdf created does seem to be 1.6 so "should" be OK, but pretty lame that this happens on such expensive software. The real test is when a file is commercially printed, but this isn't an ideal way to test if I am paying for the reprint. Having a warning message but ignoring it is always slightly concerning, just in case it is occasionally genuine.