Print Production Question – PDF color trapping.

KN
Posted By
Ken_Nielsen
Nov 21, 2008
Views
469
Replies
10
Status
Closed
I know I’m in the wrong forum, but the folks who know the answers hang out here mostly.

I’ve got numerous jobs that come in for printing that are spot color, two color on many, line art that was created in Illustrator most likely, but are sent to me as a pdf only and the original art is not available.

My question is: When I send this art, placed in Illustrator or InDesign for placement, a placed pdf which is composite color, when it gets to plate it often previews with no trapping. This cannot be used for printing. Short of creating new artwork, which the customer will not pay for, is there a way to create trapping on two-color pdfs that are sent to me as composite art?

My apologies for not posting this in the Acrobat forum, but many of those are not concerned with issues like this, and most of our print production experts hang out here.

Thanks In Advance,

Ken
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AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Nov 21, 2008
CS4 Acrobat Pro 9 includes a tool to set traps but I don’t know how well it will work on your files.
B
Buko
Nov 21, 2008
well you can trap in Photoshop.

image > Trap
NK
Neil_Keller
Nov 21, 2008
Ken,

Follow Ann’s lead — if I recall, it’s in the print setup dialogs. Then I recommend that you do ask specific followup in Acrobat. There have to be at least a few production types who hang out there.

Thanks!

Neil
KN
Ken_Nielsen
Nov 21, 2008
Thanks. Will follow up with your input here.

Happy Holidays All,

: )

Ken
MO
Mike_Ornellas
Nov 21, 2008
is there a way to create trapping on two-color pdfs that are sent to me as composite art?

it depends…

send me a sample file.
KN
Ken_Nielsen
Nov 21, 2008
Over to you.
KN
Ken_Nielsen
Nov 21, 2008
As you’ll note. I placed the pdf into Illustrator CS3 for output. This gave me control in placing elements in the pdf to line up with printing on standard Avery labels. So really, this job is a pdf that outputs from Illustrator.

I usually place pdfs from customers into either Illustrator or InDesign to give me some control on placement on the page.
KN
Ken_Nielsen
Nov 23, 2008
Mike, overprinting black still did not resolve the fact that the spot color is butted up against the black but not expanded to give a trap.

We’ve gone back to the customer to request originating files so we can build a trap there. The quickest solution until I learn what methods work in a situation like this, using a customer supplied ‘no trap’ pdf.

I’m sure this will be a problem that will come up again and again in a pre=press production situation like I’m in now. I’ll start collecting information and learning the pros and cons of the different ways of dealing with it.

Thanks for all input on this subject.

Ken
MO
Mike_Ornellas
Nov 24, 2008
Copy the black overprinting circle, paste behind, reduce the thickness and designate the object as the spot color. This will bring in the red spot color object under the black.

I gave you the first quick and dirty solution, then this fix. There are other ways to trap the PDF with PDF specific workflows such as prinergy.
KN
Ken_Nielsen
Nov 24, 2008
Your initial fix of overprinting black worked! The customer sent new art but with same old problem. I just hadn’t used ‘overprint black’ before (File>Edit colors>overprint black – and that while the black item is selected.) This created a perfect trap.

Very neat Mike, Have extra stuffing this Thanksgiving please,

: )

Ken

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