Can't export to RGB pdf - Indesign CS6

Signaler · Oct 02, 2012

Hi there,

I'm trying to export a web pdf with RGB color settings but it doesn't work. Everything looks good in the Indesign document and I've switched to RGB transparency blend space. When I export to a interactive pdf it comes out as a CMYK pdf and when I try a print pdf i just get the error: "1 problem (1 failure) was found with a background task: mydocument.pdf"

What could be wrong??

Signaler · Oct 29, 2012

BTW, I did choose Web as the Intent from the New Document dialog for the four test images posted above. That didn't change the outcome.

Signaler · Oct 27, 2012

As a test, I exported another version of the same file from InDesign and I ran into the same issue. Even though the problem appears in Acrobat Pro it still seems like this is a problem with the ouput from InDesign.

Have you tried a new document where you choose Web as the Intent from the New Document dialog?

Signaler · Oct 03, 2012

Since you mention RGB, PDF and InDesign CS6, just thought I should mention that if you ever need to convert PDF to InDesign CS6, Markzware PDF2DTP can do that.

Signaler · Nov 28, 2012

I have been trying to export RGB green 255 from InDesign to PDF without much success.

After reading through this thread, I've decided the work-around of exporting to Interactive PDF,

then converting the 'Output intent' within Acrobat to Adobe 1998 (or sRGB, take your pick) does the trick for me.

Also, I've converted the RGB green 255 to process, not spot. Not sure if this makes a difference to my work-around.

Signaler · Dec 11, 2012

This has been frustrating me all day! Working on a client document in InDesign RGB and Acrobat keeps rendering incorrect colour space.

Is there any way to remove this as a default once you export as Interactive PDF? It seems rather painful to have to change the Transparency Blend Space manually for each document.

Signaler · Dec 11, 2012

Is you client viewing in AcrobatPro? I think you can expect most of the world will be viewing an interactive PDF in AcrobatReader, Preview, or a Browser plugin where a simulation profile won't be a problem.

Signaler · Sep 24, 2013

Hey dude,

Try: Edit > Colour Settings : Working Space (and if set to anything other than adobe RGB then change to adobe RGB). that could be the problem.

Signaler · Sep 24, 2013

All objects in interactive PDFs get converted to and tagged with sRGB on export. You can see it in Acrobat Pro's Output Preview>Object Inspector:

Signaler · Oct 09, 2013

I was also having this issue. I had Edit > Transparency Blend Space set to "RGB" and my placed PSD's were being flattened using what looked like CMYK. I tried a variety of different color settings with no difference. It may have something to do with the file type, because if I used something other than PSD (eg tiff, pdf, etc) I would get other results. Still, this didnt make sense to me and I dont want to have to save a sepereate file type just to place in indesign. It doesnt make sense.

Finally I came up with a little fix: If I take the objects that I want RGB color and set the opacity to 99.99% in the effects pallette, it seems to force the RGB blend space. This worked for me anyway. Not perfect but it did the trick and you cant notice any actual transparency.

Hope that helps anyone else experiencing frustration with this.

Signaler · Oct 31, 2013

I toiled with this for several hours yesterday. Some pages would render in RGB as expected and desired - while others would only display in CMYK. I tried everything that was recommended above. I should also mention that the document looked fine in Apple's Preview - only had the issue in adobe Acrobat Pro (and presumably reader - but I didn't have reader to test it on).

I couldn't find any logic to deduce why some would and others wouldn't display properly, but I noticed on one of the pages that did work, I had a text box with some text in it, set in the default "black" (C:0 Y:0 M:0 K:100) color from the color pallete, and it was set to 50%. I tried placing this same Text box on a page that was rendering incorectly - re exported the page. It worked.

So I tried adding that same text box to the master page - it failed.

I tried again, this time setting the opacity to zero, but leaving the element on the top layer on the page (not on the master). It worked.

TL/DR: Try this - create a type box, use the default black (C:0 Y:0 M:0 K:100) in the colors pallete - set in some text at 0% opacity (I used 10 pt "©mycompany" for example) and place on the top layer of your page. (in this case, it was overtop a placed PSD backgound - in case that matters)

I hope this works for others dealing with this issue.

B.

Signaler · Nov 01, 2013

only had the issue in adobe Acrobat Pro (and presumably reader - but I didn't have reader to test it on).

Keep in mind that AcrobatPro is a print program and by default will usually show a print simulation (CMYK) of the page. So when you export an interactive PDF all of the objects get converted to sRGB and AcrobatPro defaults to softproofing the conversion from sRGB to your AcrobatPro CMYK Working space. You have to set the simulation profile in Output Preview to sRGB to see the original ID preview

That will not happen with Reader. Reader doesn't have a print output simulation. Here's the same interactive PDF in Reader and AcrobatProXI:

If I set AcrobatPro's simulation profile to sRGB and the displays match:

Signaler · Feb 14, 2015

Had the same inconsistent problem in several different documents and tried all suggestions. Only this one seems to work!

TL/DR: Try this - create a type box, use the default black (C:0 Y:0 M:0 K:100) in the colors pallete - set in some text at 0% opacity (I used 10 pt "©mycompany" for example) and place on the top layer of your page. (in this case, it was overtop a placed PSD backgound - in case that matters)

Question now remains is, why?

Is it a lucky solution (by trial and error) for a bug, or is there reason behind it?

Signaler · Feb 15, 2015

Question now remains is, why? Is it a lucky solution (by trial and error) for a bug, or is there reason behind it?

I don't see any problems in AcrobatPro. With or without transparency on the page the color correctly responds to the Output Preview's Simulation Profile. If I export an interactive PDF and set the simulation profile to sRGB, the AcrobatPro and InDesign previews match (see #35).

In InDesign your Transparency Blend Space needs to be RGB and in AcrobatPro the simulation profile has to match your InDesign document's RGB profile.

Signaler · Feb 04, 2015

Came here because I have the same problem. I know this is an old thread, but I found a simple solution:

In Adobe Acrobat Pro click File -> Save as -> Optimized PDF. Then on the left check Transparency and set it to High Resolution. Save the new PDF.

This worked for me, hope it will help someone else!

Signaler · Feb 23, 2015

Hello,

I am working on a document in InDesign CS6 and also having a similar problem.

I am creating a document for iPad which includes high res photography which is converting to a different desaturated colour when I export for interactive use.

All the links within the file are RGB and the Indesign document is set up to RGB, but still I'm having a problem.

I'm working to a deadline so would appreciate anyones feedback! Also does anyone know if this is a problem with Indesign CS6 or Acrobat? Does CC have a better system with this kind of problem as I'm considering updating if so.

Thanks

Signaler · Feb 23, 2015

Did you try:

TL/DR: Try this - create a type box, use the default black (C:0 Y:0 M:0 K:100) in the colors pallete - set in some text at 0% opacity (I used 10 pt "©mycompany" for example) and place on the top layer of your page. (in this case, it was overtop a placed PSD backgound - in case that matters)

Still have no idea why, but this worked for me after trying basically everything!
PS placing in master-page doesn't have the same effect. So copy- paste it is.

Signaler · Feb 23, 2015

When you export to an interactive PDF all color (CMYK, Lab, RGB, spot color) gets converted to calibrated sRGB. You can check this in AcrobatPro by opening Output Preview and clicking on any object and looking at the info in Preview>Object Inspector.

AcrobatPro is a color managed app, so the color preview will depend on the Simulation Profile you choose in Output Preview. To see the sRGB color in an interactive PDF unchanged in AcrobatPro set the Simulation Profile to sRGB and not a CMYK profile. If you are preparing files for interactive PDF your document's assigned profile should be sRGB and placed art should also be sRGB.

On top of all that iOS doesn't have any system level color management, so you have to expect some color shift but sRGB generally produces the best results.