Overprint setting removed when saving as PDF

[btempleton1982]

I have an AI file containing shapes with a Black Process Global swatch applied and Overprint Fill checked.

I save this file as a PDF using the "High Quality Print" preset, but uncheck "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities."

When I open the saved PDF in Illustrator, the Black on the art has been changed to a C=0, M=0, Y=0, K=100 process swatch and the overprint fill setting has been unchecked.

I need to be able to save these PDFs this way and maintain my overprint setting.

This issue is not consistent. I have attached a file with two sets of type and outlined type which are the same, but the overprint setting is maintained on one set and discarded on the other.

I've attached two files saved from the same AI file.

1 Without AI compatibility. The overprint setting is not maintained on the left set of type.

2. With AI compatibility. The overprint setting is maintained on the left set of type.

However, one other odd thing I've noticed as a set up these files:

On the left set of type, when I duplicate the live type with overprint and then convert to outlines, the overprint setting is applied to the group, but not to the individual character shapes.

Performing the same steps on the live type on the right, the overprint setting is applied to the group, but also each individual character outline. This really seems to be the significant difference. But I can't determine what is different between these two type objects that would cause them to convert to outlines differently.

[Monika Gause]

If you want to check your PDF, use Acrobat (Pro, not the Reader).

Illustrator is not a general purpose PDF editor.

"Illustrator editing capabilities" just saves an additional AI file nto the PDF. When opening this in Illustrator, you are not even touching the PDF.

[btempleton1982]

Illustrator editing capabilities enabled creates a file that works fine. That file is just to demonstrate that the AI portion of the file is fine.

Our workflow involves opening the PDF in Illustrator. Overprint should not be removed from an object when saving to a PDF. The overprint is removed whether the file is opened in Illustrator or Acrobat.

[btempleton1982]

And since editing posts seems to be broken, I should also note that we're not editing the PDF in Illustrator, but we do need it to open correctly.

The issue is how Illustrator saves the PDF. And as my sample file shows, it's not consistent. Two different objects in the same file with the same settings save differently.

[Monika Gause]

Wild guess, but can you turn off "Save in background" in the Illustratoe Preferences"?

So the overprint is also gone when opening the PDF in Acrobat? That should not happen. As for having a workflow that does PDF editing in Illustrator on a regular basis: that is not a good idea.

[btempleton1982]

It's not background saving, and we're not editing PDFs.

We are editing AI files, but since we can't attach AI files to posts, I had to save a PDF with AI compatibility.

We do however, need to open PDFs saved from Illustrator in Illustrator. We do not edit them.

You are correct, this should not be happening. It seems like a bug. That's why I'm posting about it.

[Monika Gause]

I cannot reproduce this.

Exactly how do you apply the overprinting to the text?

[btempleton1982]

I click the box for overprint fill in the panel.

You can recreate it using the files I supplied.

Open the PDF with Illustrator compatibility. Look at the overprint set correctly on all objects.

Save this file as a new PDF without Illustrator compatibility.

Close the file.

Open the PDF you just saved without compatibilty again in Illustrator.

Look at the overprint removed from the objects on the left side.

The PDF I attached without compatibility above is what I get when I perform those steps.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

OK. I see in the appearance panel that youapply additional fills to your text.

in one case this fills is below the characters. Soyou have to expect weirdness to happen.

[btempleton1982]

OK, thank you. I see what you mean and removing that extra fill and applying the overprint to the Type layer does fix the problem.

But the next question is how that extra style was added in the first place? I have been unable to reproduce steps to create that particular arrangement of styles.

[Monika Gause]

You probably copied it from some other object with the eyedropper tool or with the help of a graphic style