Why are my images appearing different when exporting from Indesign to PDF?

[jillianb8996300]

Hi Adobe Forum,

I am at the final stages of a coffee table photography book.

The printer has advised the following, which I have followed:

1. Photoshop is set to Fogra 39. This is done under edit, colour settings, (CMYK should be set to Fogra 39)
2. Save your jpegs as High res after colour corrections has been made.
3. Indesign to be set to Fogra 39( Same steps as per photoshop.)
4. When exporting the pdf, choose pdfx-1a
5. In the Dialouge box that comes up, under ‘’output’’, ensure convert to destination is selected and fogra 39 under destination is selected.

Making sure the above steps have been applied, I saved into PDF and all images appear different, the once warm toned images are now cold.

Any advice please?

Thank you so much in advance.

Jilly

[BobLevine]

PDF/X1-a is an archaic PDF standard that does not support color management or transparency. If you had come here before starting this project I would have advised you to find a different printer; one capable of handling a color managed RGB workflow using PDF/X-4.

As it is, it's pretty hard to tell what's going on with your files. We've got some real color management experts floating around here that may be able to help but in the meantime, have you talked to the printer about getting some proofs?

[rob day]

As it is, it's pretty hard to tell what's going on with your files.

Hi Bob, usually when a poster complains about a cool gray balance it is a good bet the default US SWOP has been assigned—SWOP is noticeably cooler than other press profiles like FOGRA or GRACol. Here the top image has FOGRA assigned, and the bottom image is SWOP

[BobLevine]

Nice demo of the issue.

[rob day]

Make sure the InDesign document's CMYK assignment is Fogra39—the document CMYK assignment can be different than the Color Settings' CMYK working space, and in both Photoshop and InDesign it is the document profile that matters. Color Settings is the application's color preferences for new documents, and Assign Profiles... is the active document's profile setting.

the once warm toned images are now cold.

It sounds like your document's assignment might be US Web Coated SWOP?

Should be this:

Check to make sure your placed images either have no profile assigned, or the matching Coated FOGRA39 profile. In the Link Info panel they should be listed as either Document CMYK or Coated FOGRA39

In the Export>Output tab, make sure the Destination is set to Document CMYK, which should be Coated FOGRA39:

[BobLevine]

Right on cue!

Well done, Rob.

[jillianb8996300]

Hi Rob, thank you so much, I will follow the above instructions.

I wanted to ask if I was to save the PDF into another version:

PDF/X-4:2010

PDF/X-3:2003

Would I follow the same steps as per your response above in the Output section to get the same result?

[Gusgsm]

PDF/X-3 is an obsolete standard that was replaced by PDF/X-4. The last variant of PDF/X-4 is PDF/X-4:2010.

[rob day]

I wanted to ask if I was to save the PDF into another version:

PDF/X-4:2010

PDF/X-3:2003

Would I follow the same steps as per your response above in the Output section to get the same result?

I would not use PDF/X-3, the only difference between it and PDF/X-1a is it allows profiled RGB objects (transparency still gets flattened) and it sounds like your printer is asking for an all CMYK PDF.

Is the printer requiring PDF/X-1a? PDF/X-4 works well in cases where the color is mostly RGB, it is unclear what the final destination CMYK space is, and there is a human preflighting the PDF who you are in communication with.

Most online printers have a fully automated print flow (no one is going to check the file for you) and for that reason they often require flattened CMYK (PDF/X-1a). That forces the client to see the color in its final destination space, and the effects of transparency flattening before the PDF is submitted and printed.

I have not completed your set of instructions but I did want to bring this up. If there is a dark shadow across a womans profile the shadow on PDF looks dense and unrefined in comparison to the soft and more refine Photoshop and Indesign File.

You might see that if there is a CMYK-to-CMYK color conversion on export, (i.e. SWOP to Fogra39). If there are no conflicting CMYK profiles—the InDesign document's assigned profile is FOGRA39, and all of the placed images are listed as either Document CMYK or FOGRA39—then you shouldn't see any preview difference when the export is to PDF/X-1a.

Make sure you check the PDF in AcrobatPro with Output Preview open.

[jillianb8996300]

Hi Rob

Looking and comparing pictures from InDesign and PDF the obvious difference apart from the greenish tones is the too heavy black density on the PDF compared to Indesign.

I have not completed your set of instructions but I did want to bring this up. If there is a dark shadow across a womans profile the shadow on PDF looks dense and unrefined in comparison to the soft and more refine Photoshop and Indesign File.