Black text with colour spots in PDF from EPS 1

[ajarantes]

I'm using Illustrator CS and Distiller 6.0 on windows XP.

My customer gave me an ESP file. I opened it in illustrator and printed with no problems. Then I created two PDF files, one with Illustrator and another using Distiller.

In both case, the same problem happens. The black text is partially printed as full colour. The problem with that is that it gets fuzzy and when I look closer, I can see colour dots all around the text, i.e., the text, although black, is printed as full colour. Any ideas why and how to stop it from happening.

 

[itchybug]

If it was an ESP file, you'd be better off opening it with Crystal Ball 7.8

Bert Philippus -

http://www.itchybug.com

 

[itchybug]

Really, though, it may well be that the color used for the black is actually c=100 m=100 y=100 k=100, an approach that renders an "extra" black shade of black in certain print processes. Commonly used, it can be an annoyance as you can see. Try selecting the color and look at the settings in the color picker. They may not all be set at 100%, but I bet some of them have high percentages...

HTH

Bert

Bert Philippus -

http://www.itchybug.com

 

[fizzak]

Also

Window>Swatch Libraries>PANTONE Solid Coated>Black swatch

Is the text placed as a raster image in the EPS?

If so Illustrator>File>Print Setup>Adobe PDF>Properties>Default Settings> Set to High Quality or Press Quality.

You can fine tune these settings in Distiller>Settings>Edit PDF Settings>Images tab>All Downsampling to off.

Also Fonts tab>Embed all fonts checked>Subset unchecked.

While you are there add your whole fonts folder to the Embedding Fonts area in there. This will avoid all those headaches we are all fond of.

 

[signal49]

It could also be if there is a transparency effect in the eps file and the text overlaps it, the text may be rasterized when translated into pdf. (If there is a drop shadow, blur or an effect like that applied in Illustrator, that's considered a transparency.) The rasterization would also change the text from 100% Black to CMYK. You can play with outputting transparency settings in Illustrator; how much to keep as vector vs raster. (I'd read the help file for that one.)