Interactive PDF Export is shown in Adobe Acrobat in CMYK, in MAC Preview in RGB. Why?

[Jan_Asks_The_World]

Dear Community, 

I created a document, all color swatches are set in RGB. I export it as an Interactive PDF. When I open it it MAC Preview, the purple looks good. But when I open it in Adobe Acrobat, it looks like it has choosen CMYK. 

Does someone know where this is comming from? 

[Eric Dumas]

Hi, We need a bit more information to help you:

• Can you confirm the exact version of your operating system and software
• What software did you use to create the document before exporting it to PDF (InDesign?)
• What export settings did you use?
• In Acrobat, with your document opened, open the 'output preview' panel, move your corsor to hover the design. What inks are listed?
• Finally, in PhotoShop (for example) what display setting have you selected for Edit > Colour Settings. Your display might not be told the 'correct way' to show colours.

[Jan_Asks_The_World]

Hi there,

• I work with Mac Sonoma 14.1.1 and InDesign 19.1
• I exported it as Export > Adobe PDF (Interactive) > Standard Settings (see attached)
• When i open Output Preview, it's indeed wild that there is written CMYK (see attached). I can put the Simulation profile to for example Apple RGB, then the document looks right. 
• When I open my exported PDF in Photoshop, it looks the right way. (As in other PDF readers)

Does this help you? 

Is it maybe only my preview in Adobe Acrobat? 

[BobLevine]

Sonoma is now at 14.3 and InDesign at 19.2.

[rob day · Accepted solution]

If you open an Interactive PDF in AcrobatPro your Page Display Use Overprint Preview Preference would affect the intial view:

With Output Preview open Preview>Separations doesn’t tell you what the object’s color space is, it simply uses the selected Simulation Profile to simulate an output. You can switch to Object Inspector, click on an object, and get the object’s actual color space. With Interactive Exports all color exports as profiled sRGB, so to simulate typical web browser output I have to set the Simulation profile to the matching sRGB color space:

[Jan_Asks_The_World]

Rob, that's it! Thank you very much for taking the time & helping me. 

[rob day]

Hi @Jan_Asks_The_World , Make sure your Transparency Blend Space is set to Document RGB.

[Jan_Asks_The_World]

Hi Rob, Transparancey Blend Space is Set to Document RGB. 

[Luke Jennings3]

The Acrobat simulation profile on the Output preview tool will show the existing colors converted to the selected profile, In addition to Rob's good information above, another way to determine if the colors are actually rgb, cmyk or a spot color, click on the "Show" button. I believe a pdf exported from InDesign as Adobe PDF (Interactive) will convert all colors to rgb only, (although an interactive pdf can contain other colors).

Rob, I cannot duplicate the Acrobat overprint preview preference issue you are seeing, I am using Acrobat version 2023.008.20533.

If you are still having issues, can you upload a sample pdf here? You might need to update or re-install Acrobat, when you see the question about replacing your preferences, say yes (although this will remove any custom preflight profiles or Actions, so export them first, then re-import).

I suggest keeping the Acrobat and Reader overprint preview preference set to "Always".

[rob day]

Rob, I cannot duplicate the Acrobat overprint preview preference issue you are seeing, I am using Acrobat version 2023.008.20533.

Hi Luke, Just to clarify I’m referring to Preferences>Page Display>Use Overprint Preview and not Output Preview’s Simulate Overprinting. Can you show a capture of your Page Display Preference?

[Luke Jennings3]

Attached. I'm wondering if the lack of rgb display when the overprint preview preference is "Always" was an Acrobat bug that has been fixed in the latest version, what version of Acrobat are you using? 

[rob day]

22.1.20112.0—my production OS is Mojave so I don’t think I can get 2023. Acrobat reader does the same.

[Luke Jennings3]

OK, thanks, perhaps someone else can check this in the latest version. I just updated to Acrobat 2023.008.20555 and rgb still displays correctly with the preference set to "Always". 

Jan, which version of Acrobat are you using?

[rob day]

I don’t see it as a bug, I expect Overprint Preview to work the same as it does in InDesign—RGB colors display in the document CMYK space when Overprint/Separation Preview is turned on—RGB colors don’t overprint:

[Luke Jennings3]

Perhaps you are correct, however, I think rgb should display as rgb, regardless of the overprint preference, which is what I'm seeing in the current version of Acrobat & Reader. I have posted a request for confirmation in the Acrobat forum to see if other users are seeing what I see. The Overprint Preview preference "never" should probably not be used to check pdfs which will eventually be printed, IMHO

[rob day]

I just checked the latest version on Ventura and the Preference is working the same for me—I have to close the Preferences dialog in order to see the effect of the selection:

I think you could argue that the name Overprint Preview is misleading, but it has always soft proofed RGB color as Document CMYK in InDesign.

[Luke Jennings3]

Jan, apologies for hijacking your thread.

Rob, after some testing, I determined the InDesign file I was using was the cause of my issue, I could not pinpoint the cause. I posted some additional information and attached a pdf and InDesign file in the Acrobat forum, if you are interested.

Thanks and best wishes.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/use-overprint-preview-acrobat-amp-reader-preferen...