PPD for mac on illustrator 2025

[camilap77700559]

Hello everyone! I really need help saving some pdf, I need to export just some spot colors but I have a mac and the PPD I used to work with for 2023 and 2024 version doesn't work on 2025. How can I make the poscript without the ppd or where can I find the ppd? Thank you

[Ton Frederiks]

You can create separations by printing to a PostScript file and use the Distiller PPD

In the Illustrator Print dialog choose: Printer > Adobe PostScript File.

For PPD select: Other and choose the Distiller PPD: ADPDF9.PPD

Then you are able to select: Mode > Separations (Host Based) in the Output tab.

You can save the PostScript file and use the Acrobat Distiller to create the separated PDF.

But...

It will be a grayscale document that does not contain halftone dots, your printer needs to support printing halftone dots if you want to print anything else than flat solid colors.

The direct download for the PPD:

https://helpx.adobe.com/content/dam/kb/en/852/cpsid_85257/attachments/ADPDF9.zip

[camilap77700559]

Hi! I’m having an issue working with spot colors in Adobe Illustrator in MacOs. 

I’m preparing a file for printing using spot colors and I need to keep them as separate plates. However, the options “Preserve Spot Colors” and “Separation Preview” do not appear so I can’t click them.

This happens even though:

• My swatches are set as Spot Color (not Process).

• The artwork is using only those spot colors.

I also cannot generate a PostScript (.ps) file because Illustrator shows no PPDs available.

When I open the Print dialog and choose “PostScript File” as the printer, the dropdown for selecting a PPD is empty.

Without a PPD, Illustrator will not let me create the PostScript file I need in order to impose the document into printer spreads.

Because of these issues, I’m unable to:

– preview spot color separations,

– export a PDF that preserves spot inks,

– or generate a PostScript file for imposition.

Could you please help me understand why Illustrator is not recognizing any PPDs and how I can restore the ability to generate PostScript files and preserve spot colors?

[Ton Frederiks]

To save a PDF that preserves spots you don't need a PPD or a PostScript file, just save asPDF and use the Press Quality preset.

[camilap77700559]

Hi Tom! Thanks for the answer. This is what I needed the final pdf to look like:

That was exported in the print window, by my friend who uses Windows.

As I show in one of the screenshots, the option for preserve colors, so I can separate them in acrobat, doesn't appear when I export:

On the other hand, I already have the PPD file in my Illustrator folder, I even used it last year in Indesign, but apparently (this is what ChatGPT told me anyways) Adobe stop using PPD with Mac or something like that, but there is not other option besides those two.

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

As described above, you can use the Print dialog to select a PPD when choosing other.

[camilap77700559]

As I said earlier and as it shows in one of the photos THERE IS NO PPD OPTION. If the solution where the basic, I would have already found it. But it's not. So if you know a real solution that would be very helpful, but the obvious stuff has already been tried. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Here is a PPD you can download and install:

https://helpx.adobe.com/content/dam/help/en/indesign/kb/add-acrobat-ppd/jcr_content/main-pars/proced...

[Ton Frederiks]

Dave, I had that one also bookmarked, but the link does not work anymore.

Here is the direct download for the PPD:

https://helpx.adobe.com/content/dam/kb/en/852/cpsid_85257/attachments/ADPDF9.zip

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Dave, I had that one also bookmarked, but the link does not work anymore.

Here is the direct download for the PPD:

https://helpx.adobe.com/content/dam/kb/en/852/cpsid_85257/attachments/ADPDF9.zip

By @Ton Frederiks

Weird--I was on the page and I downloaded the PPD yesterday. I might have copied the link wrong.

[Ton Frederiks]

You need to select the Otro... option to select the ppd.

[camilap77700559]

No, I don't. This is what it should say 

The PPD works brilliantly in Indesign. It just doesn't work in Illustrator. I know you're just trying to help but I already try the basic stuff that I can find googling the problem. 

[Ton Frederiks]

Thats what it says when I select the PPD in the link I gave.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Worked fine for me in Illustrator. 

Can you detail your steps?