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jennaf23721024
jennaf23721024
Participant
July 31, 2018
Question

InDesign file looks different when exported to a PDF but looks right when printed

  • July 31, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 4940 views

I have an InDesign file in which I've placed Illustrator files. When I export the InDesign file to a PDF the Illustrator picture doesn't look right, but it prints right. I need the file to look the same both on screen and in print as it'll be used for both purposes.

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    4 replies

    Eugenio.NYC
    Eugenio.NYC
    Participating Frequently
    July 31, 2018

    Hi Jenna

    Are you using a pantone color?

    Could you share the file with us?

    Best

    E

    Bill Silbert
    Community Expert
    Bill SilbertCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 31, 2018

    Have you made sure that your pdf was made with high quality? Also make sure that in your Export Adobe PDF dialog window that the Standard is set for PDF/X-4:2010.

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 31, 2018

    Hi Jenna,

    what's your or the client's PDF viewer?

    PDFs for print using overprint or transparency and different color spaces can only be viewed reliably with Acrobat Pro DC or Adobe Reader DC for Mac OS X or Windows.

    If you want the same look with every PDF viewer, there is a way to simulate transparency or overprint all rendered in sRGB, but this PDF must be a different one compared to the one you are going to press with.

    Regards,
    Uwe

    Eugenio.NYC
    Eugenio.NYC
    Participating Frequently
    July 31, 2018

    Hi there,

    Please if you can take a screenshot or tell us more about diferences

    Regards

    E

    jennaf23721024
    jennaf23721024Author
    Participant
    July 31, 2018

    This is what the portion of the file looks like in high quality display in InDesign:

    This is what it looks like when exported to a PDF:

    As you can see, when it's exported to a PDF the sort of feather that was on the leaf pattern is gone. When I print from the PDF it prints out like the first image.

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 31, 2018

    If I understand the problem correctly, what you see in ID in high-quality display is what you see when printed.

    So, I would think the display setting in Acrobat are the "problem".

    See if Acrobat Pro is using Overprint Preview.

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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