Images print differently between pages

[netcast]

Hi,

I've read a number of posts that talk about colour management etc. I have a problem that I've been trying to solve for a while... I design doublesided brochures with many images. When I export to pdf they look great. When the client prints them, the images on the front of the page look great, the backside of the page look dark, muted or "RGB" as she likes to call them. All images used are converted to CMYK in photoshop prior to placing in ID. I have tried various output options - and the Transparency Blend space is CMYK. Sometimes I just cut and paste everything into a new ID file and it works. Sometimes it doesn't. The client is printing on a Minolta 8050 with all the bells and whistles. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[1712]

Hi Nestcast,

It seems to be a process of eliminating possibilities:

1) is printer alsways printing bad on backside?
2) have you tried an other printer to see if doc or printer is cause?
3) maybe you have a memoryproblem in your machine. I know for a fact that Quark can do strange things but Indesign??
4) maybe try different pdf settings?

I cannot exactly say something definite but elimating is the proces to try!

Peter G5 10.4.3 mac

 

[netcast]

Thanks 1712,

I agree, process of elimination is a good idea. To that end, I know that if there are no transparent images on the pages, they print ok - both back and front, so it doesn't seem to be an issue with the printer.

So, it seems to be an issue with having overlapping images...the transparency flattener. - but even so the first page will flatten correctly, but subsequent pages don't. I have tried various output options for export to .pdf - we typically use the version 7 settings. Is there a way to pre-flatten the file before exporting? Also, on screen .pdf's look fine.

Thanks again for your assistance.
Netcast

 

[Ekwoman]

If you export to Acrobat 4, the file will be flattened...then you should be able to see any problem areas and their printer won't have to do the flattening.

 

[netcast]

Thanks for your suggestion,

I did try using version 4, but with no change. I thought though that version 7 does it automatically and that's why it greys out the transparency flattener option on export.

My belief is that it hinges on the fact that there is a filled object behind my images, therefore I am trying to apply the Knockout Group setting. I'm just testing whether all objects on the page should be selected when I check "Knockout Group" on the Transparency Control, or if I should only select the photo images I have placed "on top". Any thoughts?

Either way I will report back with my findings.

 

[Ekwoman]

No...saving above Acrobat 4 leaves the file unflattened, and that's why there's not the option to choose a flattener setting. The flattening is done by the RIP at that point.

If the problem is visible in Acrobat 4, then the problem lies within the file itself, and it's not an output issue. Without seeing the file, I couldn't say, but if the images are on top of different objects on the front than on the back, of course that will play a major role in the different appearance.

Knockout group is used when you have a group of transparent objects (and they have to be grouped) and you want them to interact only with objects below them in the stacking order and not with other objects in the group. Again, without seeing the file, diagnosing the problem is difficult. Can you post the PDF you made, saved to Acrobat 4?

 

[netcast]

Thank you for your replies, I tried all your suggestions, and using Acrobat 4, the .pdf was ok.

AND NOW FINALLY A SOLUTION!

We finally got our print quality issue resolved by routing directly to the printer. Apparently because the PC was connected to the Minolta printer via a print server, it was the print server that was processing the CMYK data on some pages back to RGB. That's why one page would be fine and another wouldn't, even within a document.

Talk about cryptic... this had me pulling out my hair.

Thanks again