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Need .png to be 100%k in pdf

Explorer ,
Apr 22, 2021 Apr 22, 2021

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We have a product that is viewed online and printed in 2 color. Black is one. I can't seem to save a .png out as black only. I have gray scaled the image in Illustrator and I have changed the image to 100%k but importing the image into Word/Framemaker and then saving the image as a pdf still produces an image will all values of cmyk.

 

Saving the image as a .jpeg produces an image image that is only 100%k but the image online and in print appears gray and the file size for the book I am producing balloons up to an unmanageable size.

 

Surely there is some way to accomplish this. The printer is doing a lot of extra work and I have run out of ideas to solve this. Please help!

 

Thanks,

Leigh

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Adobe
Community Expert ,
Apr 22, 2021 Apr 22, 2021

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PNG is an RGB-only file format. So what you want is impossible.

 

Please tell us about how your file will be used and produced.

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Explorer ,
Apr 22, 2021 Apr 22, 2021

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Thanks for your quick reply.

 

The .png images are imported into dita files. Those dita files are used to produce downloadable epubs as well as for use in an online product. Those same dita files are used to create a pdf that is sent to the printer. This particular product is 2 color--black and blue. The text of the files is displaying in the pdf as 100%k and some of the images should also be 100%k but the printer is needing to manipulate the black images so they are only k.

 

What am I doing wrong?

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Community Expert ,
Apr 22, 2021 Apr 22, 2021

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Since you need black and blue in the images, greyscale isn't an option.

You will need to rely on the printer adjusting your files. It *is* possible to convert images with proper color management, but the question would be if this particular printer offers it.

 

Other option: make a separate file for printing that uses a different image type which supports CMYK

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Community Expert ,
Apr 22, 2021 Apr 22, 2021

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Illustrator does not save PNGs with profiles and applications like Photoshop guess sRGB.

But it is possible to convert your PNGs to Grayscale Mode in Photoshop, that will be recognized as black only in InDesign.

I always thought that PNG was an RGB only fileformat, but grayscale seems possible.

Edit: According to the W3C PNG specification: Indexed-color, grayscale, and truecolor images are supported, plus an optional alpha channel. Sample depths range from 1 to 16 bits.

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Explorer ,
Apr 22, 2021 Apr 22, 2021

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My understanding is that a png is only RGB but when it gets saved in a document to pdf, it is cmyk. The images that I am dealing with are only black (there are other images that have spot color and I am letting the printer deal with those). I just tried to save the png in Grayscale Mode in Photoshop. Inserted the new .png into Word and saved as a pdf and I got the same thing. The image in Acrobat shows as cmyk instead of just black. Thoughts?

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Community Expert ,
Apr 22, 2021 Apr 22, 2021

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quote

My understanding is that a png is only RGB but when it gets saved in a document to pdf, it is cmyk.


By @leighb61493055

 

Not necessarily. This depends on the options.

 

You'll have to contact the printer about this or you can also try and get a prepress expert who does the conversion for you if you don't have the necessary tools.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 22, 2021 Apr 22, 2021

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In Illustrator and InDesign it is perfectly possible to use grayscale PNGs (without transparency) and to export them as black or colorized with a spot color as PDF.

But you are using Word and or FrameMaker, the Illustrator forum may not be the right place to help you in that workflow.

Maybe someone in the FrameMaker forum can help you better.

  FrameMaker 

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Explorer ,
Apr 23, 2021 Apr 23, 2021

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Thank you for the suggestions. Grayscaling the image (Edit>Edit Colors>Convert to Grayscale) did not change anything but I'm not sure how to "export as black or colorized with a spot color". Can you elaborate on that process?

 

The images are created in Illustrator so I assumed there was some way to save out the images (in Ilustrator) so these only black images truly are black when they get inserted in a file and a pdf is created to send to the printer. The printer is doing a lot of work to get these "black" images to be just black (just k--instead of cmyk). I was trying to save cost and time. 

 

I don't think it is a Word or Framemaker issue. The text in the pdf that is NOT part of an image is 100% k only. I just feel like I am missing some step and there is an easy fix that I can do to eliminate this extra imagae work at the printer.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 23, 2021 Apr 23, 2021

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Word is operating in RGB only. I don't know about Framemaker.

 

So if the Word generated PDF has 100 K, that would mean that either Microsoft have implemented some sort of correction in their export or the print service has already done some conversion on that file.

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Explorer ,
Apr 23, 2021 Apr 23, 2021

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When I look at the pdf (in Acrobat) that I saved out from FrameMarker or from Word, the Output Preview (Print Production>Output Preview) shows that the text is 100%k only but all the images are cmyk (not 100%k only).

 

A pdf produced from Word and from Framemaker display the same results.

 

This is why I feel like something is up with just the images and how I am creating or saving them.

 

 

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Community Expert ,
Apr 23, 2021 Apr 23, 2021

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The PDF export from Word might just treat text differently than images. Illustrator generated PNG without a color profile attached could add to that.

 

The Word PDF export doesn't use the Adobe color engine and you will need to find someone who knows the Microsoft export engine inside and out.

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Explorer ,
Apr 23, 2021 Apr 23, 2021

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Thanks Monika. For the most part, I am working in Framemaker. I am saving the dita to fm files and then saving from FrameMaker to pdf so maybe I will stop over at the FrameMaker forum to see if they have any other suggestions (unless you do).

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Community Expert ,
Apr 23, 2021 Apr 23, 2021

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Illustrator and InDesign can import a grayscale PNG that was saved from Photoshop and therefore includes the grayscale profile. You can give those images a (spot) color and export/save the file as PDF. Acrobat will correctly see those images as black or spotcolor.

I suppose FrameMaker can do the same (but that can be verified in the FrameMaker forum).

gray PNGs.png

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Explorer ,
May 03, 2021 May 03, 2021

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Saving out the png as grayscale in Photoshop worked! Not sure why it doesn't work when I save it out as grayscale in Illustrator. At least I have a bit of a work-around for now. Thanks!

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Community Expert ,
May 03, 2021 May 03, 2021

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Good to hear that helped.

Why it does not work when saving a png as grayscale in Illustrator?

Probably because Illustrator does not save an icc profile with the png export and other apps (including Illustrator) guess it is (s)RGB.

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