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Dr Mick Mach
Dr Mick Mach
Inspiring
August 14, 2018
Answered

Artifacts in PDF?

  • August 14, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 10514 views

Working on a book cover to be printed through IngramSpark. Outputting as a pdf  PDF/X1a:2001 as required by IngramSpark.

Getting some weird lines on the resulting pdf file (pictured below) that seem to correspond to the bounding boxes of the images.  I've printed it out on my home inkjet and they don't seem to be showing up there, but not sure if a commercial printer will show.

Any thoughts on why this is happening/does it matter/how to fix?

Thanks

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer BobLevine

These are stitching artifacts from flattening and shouldn’t print to a high resolution device such as a press. An ink jet? Entirely possible.

That said, if I know the client needs artwork spec’ed for archaic formats, I design accordingly and avoid transparency.

2 replies

Dov Isaacs
Dov Isaacs
Legend
August 14, 2018

To amplify on Bob Levine's response, PDF/X-1a is a very archaic standard designed as a standard prior to transparency being part of the PDF imaging model. The recommendation by Adobe for a number of years and by virtually all print associations and standards groups is to export PDF/X-4 and to print from that. PDF/X-4 supports live transparency and full ICC color management, i.e. transparency isn't prematurely “flattened” and colors are maintained in their original ICC color spaces until the RIP process.

Every modern day RIP (including those used by IngramSpark) actually produce much higher quality output when presented with PDF content as PDF/X-4 than when presented with PDF/X-1a when the original content is anything other than opaque CMYK content. Requiring conversion of all content to CMYK and flattening of transparency is indicative of a Luddite and “blame the customer” mentality. So sad!

          - Dov

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)
    Dr Mick Mach
    Dr Mick MachAuthor
    Inspiring
    August 14, 2018

    Thanks Dov, just as a quick follow up I noticed Ingram Spark also allows upload in  PDF/X-3:2002   Is this newer (tho still archaic) format a better bet for my files?

    This has been my first big project in Indesign and it's been a very 'on the job' software learning experience, hence using transparency and other errors I've learned the hard way.

    Dr Mick Mach
    Dr Mick MachAuthor
    Inspiring
    August 14, 2018

    Not any better. PDF/X-3 supports color management but since IngramSpark prohibits anything other than CMYK as handed down from Mt. Sinai (with the tablets), use of PDF/X-3 buys you absolutely nothing over PDF/X-1a since it likewise doesn't support live transparency.

              - Dov


    Hah great! (I mean, not great but funny.)  Thanks Dov.  This file conversion stuff is breaking my brain a little.  Much appreciated

    BobLevine
    Community Expert
    BobLevineCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 14, 2018

    These are stitching artifacts from flattening and shouldn’t print to a high resolution device such as a press. An ink jet? Entirely possible.

    That said, if I know the client needs artwork spec’ed for archaic formats, I design accordingly and avoid transparency.

    Dr Mick Mach
    Dr Mick MachAuthor
    Inspiring
    August 14, 2018

    Thanks Bob, good words as always

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