Black colors appear as dark brown when viewing the PDF.

[Mateomono]

Hello,

I am designing a small book using InDesign that will be for print. I am using this color profile (requested by the print service): PSO Uncoated v3 (FOGRA52).

However, I noticed that when I view it as a PDF, all the black colors seem to appear as dark brown (both text and graphics). Why is this happening? Will it also look like that in the final result?

Due to my inexperience with print design, I'm not sure if this is normal or not.

  

[Flo_8580]

This could be a simple display difference of the two programs. Check the InDesign preferences for Appearance of Black. It's likely set to Display all Blacks as Rich Black, i think that's the default. That would explain why you are seeing a darker color in InDesign.

Also, check the color seperation of your PDF in Acrobat via Use print production > Output preview.

Are you seeing a 100% black value in your text? You can hover your cursor over different parts of the PDF to get a color readout in the panel.

[Mateomono]

@Flo_8580  Thank you for your respone. This is what I got:

[Flo_8580]

Then it really only comes down to a display difference between InDesign and Acrobat. Which you can change in the mentioned preference setting.

Though you should only be seeing a slightly lighter shade in Acrobat, not brown. Is your monitor set up correctly?

[Mateomono]

@Flo_8580It will then be printed in full black since, when I hover, it says 100%, right? I'm not sure how to set up my monitor, just the regular macOS setup.

[Mateomono]

@Flo_8580 Could it also have to do with these export settings?

[Flo_8580]

Your export settings are correct. The important part are the values in the PDF. If you are still seeing 100% black (or whatever other color you're expecting) then everything's fine.

Images will get converted, if they had a different profile embedded other than PSO Uncoated, or were even in RGB. This is expected and wanted. So you will see different color values in them, if that's the case.

If you absolutely want to preserve color values in images (because they are logos or something similar) you need to make sure they have the same profile as your intended output (eg PSO Uncoated), OR, quick hack: Don't have a profile associated with them (CMYK without Tags). This also applies to vector artwork from Illustrator, so beware!

[Mateomono]

@Flo_8580 Thank you! 

So, just to summarize: By doing this step in Acrobat,
also, check the color separation of your PDF in Acrobat via Print Production > Output Preview.
Are you seeing a 100% black value in your text? You can hover your cursor over different parts of the PDF to get a color readout in the panel.

If all my colors are 100% black, it will print as 100% black.

Sorry for all the questions. As mentioned, I'm not very experienced with print and just want to make sure I get everything right.

[Flo_8580]

Yes, but additionally check that your PDF always shows the correct profile as Output Intent and you are always previewing with that profile as Simulation Profile. That should be the case by default when you embed a profile in your PDF.

[Mateomono]

@Flo_8580 Thank you for your help and effort! 🙂 

[Peter Spier]

...This is what I got:

By @Mateomono

I STRONGLY recommend that you change that first setting to Display All Black Accurately.

Rich black is a considerably darker color and if your output is intended to be print you should not be deceiving yourself about what you can expect to see coming off the press or printer, particularly when printing on uncoated stock which tends to be much more muted.

The second option, to output all blacks as rich black applies only to RGB or Grayscale printing devices (basically desktop printers). These devices use 100%K output to represent the darker color of rich blacks, and use a percentage of K to represent what in your file is 100%K, which results in ordinary black type that is screened, an undesirable result. Note this does not happen with a press.

[Mateomono]

@Peter Spier Why is it not set up as a default in InDesign? 

[Peter Spier]

@Peter Spier Why is it not set up as a default in InDesign? 

By @Mateomono

Who knows. Just another example of a bad choice.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

I loaded that profile and I am getting the same shift to warm blacks, but as said, if the values you see when you hover over your objects are still correct, you should be fine; you are still just getting 100K on the printed sheet.

My usual is CoatedGRACoL2006, so you can see the difference in the display here:

 

[Peter Spier]

Must be something to do with the paper/inks used to build the PSO Uncoated v3 (FOGRA52) profile.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Very definitely.

I have profiled our own presses for different paper stocks, and depending on the whiteness and surface, Blacks will appear differently when measuring Lab values off the printed sheet.