Convert existing document from CMYK to RGB

[Yzerwing]

Greetings InDesigners,

I am producing a document for my club which started out as a document to be printed I used CMYK colorspace.

Now they want to post it online and email in PDF format. 

How do I take an existing CMYK colorspace document and convert it to RGB?

I am new to Indesign and have been told by others that it can't be done. I am looking for a second opinion.

Thank you, any assistance is appreciated.

[BobLevine]

It's pointless. Just use it the way it is.

[JR Boulay]

File menu : Export : PDF : Interactive PDF

[Yzerwing]

I'm sorry, I don't understand. What will that do?

[BobLevine]

Won't do anything much but convert cmyk to rgb but you've already done the damage by converting to cmyk in the first place.

[Yzerwing]

So I bungled this one but in the future to produce a document to be Emailed in PDF format I should choose a web document instead of a print document. Correct?

I apologize I am trying to get a handle on things and there is a bit of a learning curve.

Thanks your input helps just some of it doesn't make sense to me yet.

[rob day]

I should choose a web document instead of a print document. Correct?

The Intent option in Document Setup doesn’t force you to use RGB colors, it simply sets up the default swatches and Transparency Blend space to RGB—you can still use Lab and CMYK color in the document.

So, if the primary usage of the document is print you would want the Print Intent, but in either case the export for your screen and email PDF should convert all color to sRGB, which I’m showing how to do in the export dialog capture below.

[rob day]

InDesign documents don’t have a colorspace—a document or page can have a mix of RGB, Lab, or CMYK colors and swatches, you can also place RGB, Lab, CMYK, or Grayscale images.

You can export a PDF into a single color space via the Output tab. So you might want to convert all CMYK color into a uniform RGB space in case the viewing browser does not color manage CMYK color correctly. So an Output setup like this would convert everything to sRGB. Exporting to an Interactive PDF as JR_Boulay suggests also forces all color into sRGB:

[Kate_McGee9612]

Or go to Edit, then Transparency blend space, then you can select RGB or CYMK

[JR Boulay]

No, the logic of an INDD document is to keep the original as it is and only modify the output when exporting.
This allows you to export in RGB, CMYK, with or without spot colours, etc., depending on your needs.