Adding greyscale color profile to Indesign CC2015

[Mike Diehl]

I recently rebuilt a QuarkXPress document I'd used for years in InDesign. This is a document that is output in black-and-white for the print version, and color for the online PDF version. I seem unable to output a PDF as greyscale to see how a "standard" conversion might look, something I could do easily in Quark (v. 9 even). I saw one post indicating three or four profiles at the bottom of the list, but I don't have them. There are no greyscale profiles available to me in my color settings. Where can I find them or how can I add them, so I can output a greyscale PDF?

[Steve Werner]

Here's an article I wrote a long time ago about how to export a grayscale PDF in InDesign:

https://indesignsecrets.com/finding-export-pdf-to-grayscale-in-indesign-cs6.php

[Mike Diehl]

I appreciate that, Steve -- but I do not have any greyscale profiles to choose from.

[rob day]

There are no greyscale profiles available to me in my color settings.

InDesign does not have a grayscale color space—grayscale objects output to the CMYK black plate with their values unchanged. The document’s assigned CMYK profile handles the preview for the black plate.

You can convert all of the color in an InDesign document to a Gray profile on a PDF export, and any Gray profiles installed in the system’s profiles folder should be at the bottom of the list. At a minimum Photoshop’s default Gray profiles should be there. This is a PDF/X-4 preset.

[Mike Diehl]

I had the need to print a greyscale PDF yesterday and inexplicably, several greyscale options appeared at the bottom of the profile list. Why they weren't visible before, why they were yesterday, I haven't a clue. Maybe they'll stick around.

[rob day]

They would not be there if you chose Convert to Destination (Preserve Numbers), you have to choose Convert to Destination in the Export>Output dialog.

[Mike Diehl]

That was never clear to me. Seems confusing, if not intentionally. But now I know. Thank you.

[rob day]

You are converting all document colors to grayscale so it would be impossible to preserve the document’s CMYK color values (numbers).

[rob day]

Preseve Numbers only preserves native inDesign CMYK swatches and colors—all placed color with embedded profiles still get converted.

It would be useful if you needed to convert to a CMYK space other than the assigned document CMYK space. You could convert all the linked RGB and CMYK profiled color to the Destination space without converting the native CMYK builds. For example, black or a black only gray that you don’t want converted to a 4-color mix. There are not many cases where you would need to do that.

[Steve Werner]

Thanks for clarifying, Rob. My original article said, "Select the Output panel, then choose Convert to Destination from the Color Conversion menu."