Images with ICC convert to DeviceCMYK

Question

I exported a PDF with CMYK images (Euroscale Coated v2) with the High Quality Print preset (No color conversion, Include Tagged Source Profiles).

But Output Preview>Object Inspector in Acrobat indentifies these images as DeviceCMYK. I also inspected the document with the Pitstop plugin and it sees no ICC profiles, as if they were striped.

Then I checked Image Properties (by right clicking the images in Acrobat) and under Advanced>Photoshop Properties it says: ICCProfile Euroscale Coated v2.

Then I opened some of the images from the PDF for external editing in Photoshop and there it says: Euroscale Coated v2.

So why is this happening and what can be the consequences if this is sent to print?

Visually (on the screen), the colors in the PDF look right.

Thanks.

rob day · Accepted Answer

@rob day, thank you for your answer, very informative as always, but I think that some things here are not good.

If the settings read "Include Tagged Source Profiles", I naively expected that this will actually include them.

I just tried to make a tidy document where things are clearly defined, like: this object is "John" and that object is "Paul". But I got an undefined situation.

I don't know if they specifically wanted a document like this. They said 'Euroscale' and that's what I expected to get in the end, not this.

If the settings read "Include Tagged Source Profiles", I naively expected that this will actually include them.

The setting’s full meaning is really Only Include Tagged Source Profiles that Conflict with the Document’s CMYK Profile, but that would obviously be a problem in the UI.

I just tried to make a tidy document where things are clearly defined, like: this object is "John" and that object is "Paul". But I got an undefined situation.

Right, the PDF/X standards solve that problem—[High Quality Print] is an outdated preset. The PDF/X Output Intent clarifies what’s meant by DeviceCMYK.

Also, how are you calibrating and profiling your monitor? The display of profiled CMYK is a managed conversion from CMYK to Lab to your monitor profile, so the accuracy of the CMYK display depends on both the system’s monitor profile and the CMYK profile assignment.

Willi Adelberger · Answer

To avoid these problems, you should place RGB images and convert upon PDF export.

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