InDesign export to PDF to final print on plotter Canon iPF770

[a.andre]

Hi.

I wonder if some one could explain or show me a web link tutorial on how to correct export final PDF from InDesign to be high quality printed on Plotter (brand CANON iPF770)

This are the explanation on how i do our works, as always, but recently i am struggle with artifacts on final print PDF.
We are an Architecture Office in Lisbon-Portugal. Our main goal with our work/clients is to get Autocad Vector drawings exported to PDF to insert in InDesign.
After we get the vector drawings from Autocad (2018) we made a post-production in Adobe Photoshop were we complete that vectors with background, trees, vegetation, cutout people, so the final result would become more presentable. Normal procedure this days..

After that we compose "Sheet Size Format for Print" and import all files inside InDesign were we create multiple layers to get the right drawing order.
For example:
InDesign Layer order
Top Layer = which contain "Front Trees Cutout" + "People Cutout" (built in Photoshop and save a merge file with transparent background)
Middle Layer = which contain "Autocad PDF with some hatch (Built in Autocad and export to PDF)

Bottom Layer = which contain "Sky and Environment Background" (built in Photoshop and save a merge file with transparent background)

The exported PDF with High Quality and Flattening High quality on our monitor screen show us the pretended result.
Then when we send that PDF to any our plotter or Pro Photo Printer the final result is inaccurate with artifacts or missing some parts of the drawings.

We have read so many thread with similar questions, but any of those could help us resolve this.

best Regards

[rob day]

Have you tried exporting using the PDF/X-4 preset?

[a.andre]

Thanks for your answer.

Yes we have tested all PDF/x presets possible. Unfortunately nothing get better.

[rob day]

The default PDF/X-4 preset keeps all transparency live (no flattening) and color is left unchanged—document CMYK color exports with no color profile. CMYK without a profile would likely cause color problems on a plotter where the driver expects profiled RGB and doesn't usually print document CMYK values without additional conversions.

You might try exporting a flattened RGB PDF and see if the printer driver was having problems with live transparency or converting color. Something like this where there's no transparency and all of the color is exported into a single RGB space:

[Jeffrey_Smith]

For the missing parts of the drawings: Have you checked in the CAD vector file if strokes have a weight applied or a very light (.0001 pt) weight applied? A stroke with no weight can appear in Acrobat/Reader, but is so light it doesn't print.

For the artifacts: You mentioned "High Quality" and flattening. What is the colorspace of the elements RGB or CMYK or both RGB+CMYK? If both colorspaces are present and you are flattening during PDF creation, this could create results that are considered inaccurate.

[a.andre]

Hey Jeffrey.Woukard

Yes, we have some Autocad lines with 0.00mm pt but in color 7 which is RGB black.
InDesign with only RGB colors.

This is awkward because we have made this before and never had this kind of issues.

[Mike Witherell]

Some digital printing devices can take tiny stroke thicknesses and not print them. Too thin!

[a.andre]

Hey Rob.
I am gone test that method.
I will come back soon to report.
Thanks.