Interactive PDF in CMYK inDesign

[ccarey1]

Does anyone know of how you would export an interactive PDF as CMYK? Using Indesign 2022. It always wants to change the colour profile to RGB when I export?

[Frans v.d. Geest]

Sadly, the iPDF outport does not have an option to set colour profiles, it wil be (s)RGB always...

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

An interactive PDF is intended for use on screens, not for printing (other than printing to a desktop laser printer for personal use, not commercial printing). The "Interactive" part means the user must be able to click or do something with the PDF file, like fill in a form, access it for accessibility purposes, make comments, or sign a document.

Digital screens are only RGB.  CMYK is for printing devices, especially commercial printing presses.

As @Frans v.d. Geest said, you'll never find CMYK or other color profiles in interactive PDF.

If you need CMYK color, then use Export / PDF (Print) instead, but the PDF will not have any interactive features.

Designers who create layouts that are destined for both printing and online / screen viewing make 2 separate PDFs from their INDD layout: one for print, and a second for interactive. The print version will most likely have the CMYK color space and be sent to a print shop, while the interactive version will use RGB and be posted on a website or distributed electronically such as via email.

Although both PDFs will look identical, each is custom-made for its specific purpose, print or digital (and never both).

[Logan38303972a3kd]

What would your solution be if required to create a PDF for client with editable fields that will be printed?

[leo.r]

What would your solution be if required to create a PDF for client with editable fields that will be printed?

By @Logan38303972a3kd

And what kind of client is that? If it's a printer, they should be able to print your PDF any way they want.

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi ccarey1,

you can create what you want, but it requires some extra steps.

[1] Export to PDF Interactive ( where of course all colors are converted to RGB )

[2] Export another PDF to Print where all colors stay intact or are converted to CMYK.

[3] Open the PDF from [1] in Acrobat Pro.

[4] Go to category Organize Pages

[5] Use the button command Replace to replace all pages from that PDF with the ones from [2].

The interactive elements will be maintained.

Save the result PDF to a new name.

Regards,

Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[ccarey1]

Thanks! That worked 👏

[Frans v.d. Geest]

Still... why should you want a CMYK colour space for an iPDF that is viewed in screens???

It will mean colour rendering problems...

[ccarey1]

I didn't my client did, despite my explanation. I am well aware that digital applications use RGB, and print uses CMYK. Don't worry.

[Willi Adelberger]

But the fields, when filled, will still be RGB. There is no way to make them CMYK.

[Frans v.d. Geest]

Ah yes, clients... sigh. 😉

[Bruce224229592gmg]

Thanks, Uwe Laubender!