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Posted

Dear All... I have a simple document with images and some black text. I have created a new colour swatch which is 100% black only. This is set to overprint. I use this for the text. When I preview in Photo, the text is shown as a CMYK black.
When I export to PDF, the text is NOT overprinting.

This seems to have a been a problem forever with this programme. Please can someone help!

Posted

Please upload a sample document.

MacBookAir 15": MacOS Sonoma > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // MacBookPro 15" mid-2012: MacOS El Capitan > Affinity v1 / MacOS Catalina > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // iPad 8th: iPadOS 18 > Affinity v2

Posted

Yes.
If it's not confidental, upload the the affected document here.
If there's sensitive data, create a new sample document that replicates the issue.

MacBookAir 15": MacOS Sonoma > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // MacBookPro 15" mid-2012: MacOS El Capitan > Affinity v1 / MacOS Catalina > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // iPad 8th: iPadOS 18 > Affinity v2

Posted

Also:

  • Why do you "preview in Photo"?
  • Which PDF export setting are you using?

MacBookAir 15": MacOS Sonoma > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // MacBookPro 15" mid-2012: MacOS El Capitan > Affinity v1 / MacOS Catalina > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // iPad 8th: iPadOS 18 > Affinity v2

Posted

Hi Loukash... will do... I'm using the pdf (for print)... but was trying all of them yesterday... PDF/X etc...
File uploaded.... however, between repro and myself we apparently managed to make the text overprint but I still don't know how! So couldn't replicate it.

The png files I can't make overprint at all.

I preview in Photo because there is no preview in Publisher... in the way that you had Pre-flight in InDesign. However, I'm not sure it gives the right information as it shows this document breaking the 100% K colour to CMYK black!

New Eden (6 panel digifile) text black artwork.afpub

Posted
2 hours ago, Andrew Heath said:

I'm using the pdf (for print)

That should actually work…

2 hours ago, Andrew Heath said:

between repro and myself we apparently managed to make the text overprint but I still don't know how

Sometimes it's tricky. Along with other, er… "enthusiasts", we've done quite a few tests and experiments on similar topics in the past few month:
See e.g. forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?search/&q=black overprint&author=loukash&search_and_or=and&sortby=relevancy
(Personally, I wouldn't even use Affinity for print jobs yet if I hadn't a working installation of Acrobat X to double-check all PDF output before sending anything out. Sad but true. :()

2 hours ago, Andrew Heath said:

The png files I can't make overprint at all.

Use the "K Only" button, then assign the overprint tint.
See e.g. the "PNG" thread in my link above.

I would rather look for vector versions of all those logos, and then paste them into Publisher as native curves so that you can losslessly color and scale them to your liking.

2 hours ago, Andrew Heath said:

I preview in Photo because there is no preview in Publisher... in the way that you had Pre-flight in InDesign.

I thought so. ;)

2 hours ago, Andrew Heath said:

However, I'm not sure it gives the right information

Nope.
Use only as a "last resort" out of sheer desperation… :D

2 hours ago, Andrew Heath said:

These are the PDF settings I generally use

Turn "Convert image color spaces" off!

(P.S. You're obviously discogs.com/artist/1377988-Andrew-Heath, right?)

MacBookAir 15": MacOS Sonoma > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // MacBookPro 15" mid-2012: MacOS El Capitan > Affinity v1 / MacOS Catalina > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // iPad 8th: iPadOS 18 > Affinity v2

Posted

Hi Loukash, yes that's me... oh dear. I rather thought that might be the case. I started using Quark many years ago and then switched to InDesign, but hate the fiddly interface of Adobe stuff and the subscription model! When Publisher came along I though great!... I find it's fine for digital print but litho... hmm, that's when the problems start. Happy with it all except the way it handles colour! I don't do much design work now though, just my own CDs etc... Huge thanks for your help here!!!! I'll look at those links and try and make sense... ;-)

Posted
5 hours ago, loukash said:

Turn "Convert image color spaces" off!

Does it work for you with the preset "for print" to achieve K-only black + Overprint? To me it causes 100-K but doesn't overprint.

212807534_presetfprprint-100k-butnotoverprint.thumb.jpg.408680444aee1c7bc83b38b6d34ed5e6.jpg


I need to use PDF/X-4 to achieve both, K-only black text + Overprint:

307921312_X4-100koverprint.thumb.jpg.277ad36f06bf73e0639bfb7618a62ca8.jpg

 

• MacBookPro Retina 15" |  macOS 10.14.6  | Eizo 27" | Affinity V1  
• iPad 10.Gen.  |  iOS 18.5.  |  Affinity V2.6

  • Staff
Posted

Hi all,

overprint works as expected but there's a catch with Acrobat. 

Acrobat Object inspector will show that the overprint flag is set, but Acrobat will only preview the overprint if the colour does not have a colour profile.

Use Output Preview in Acrobat, and make sure the Simulation profile is correct. If you preview Separations, then it will show without overprint. However, if you switch Preview to Colour warnings and check Show overprinting, then Acrobat does highlight the correct areas as overprinted. If you switch Preview to Object inspector, and click on an area intended to be overprinted, it will list all the colours at that point and the overprinted colour will say "Overprint=true". You will also see that the overprinted colour has a profile.

Posted

Hi Gabe, thank you... but I guess you're referring to the full Acrobat programme. I only have the reader version. It would just be helpful to have a pre-flight in Publisher.

With the help of the two above, I've now worked out how to make overprint work reliably... but still the way Publisher handles colour in general is very flaky.

Thank for your input though.

Posted
1 hour ago, Gabe said:

overprint works as expected but there's a catch with Acrobat. 

(...) Acrobat will only preview the overprint if the colour does not have a colour profile

How do you mean this? In the 2 screenshots above both PDF are exported with "U.S.WebCoated" and both have it selected as simulation profile in Acrobat. While the upper PDF, exported with preset for print, does not show overprint for black text (in what cases has black text a profile, in what not?) the PDF below, exported as PDF/X-4 does show overprint for the same items (black text).

So I don't quite understand whether you want to point out an issue of Acrobat or an issue of Affinity appearing in Acrobat or no issue but a matter of settings when viewing the PDF in Acrobat. Please, can you try to explain once more? … (or maybe someone else who understood Gabe's hints?)

• MacBookPro Retina 15" |  macOS 10.14.6  | Eizo 27" | Affinity V1  
• iPad 10.Gen.  |  iOS 18.5.  |  Affinity V2.6

Posted

The settings I used to create a pdf that the black text overprinted is as follows. First, I created a 100%K colour set to overprint. Made sure all the text was that colour. Then exported as pdf using the PDF/X 4 setting. Include bleed obviously, colour space and profile 'as document' then make sure the 'convert image colour spaces' is set to off. Then check the overprint black. That seems to work. I only have Acrobat reader so can't see separations....

 

Hope this helps.

Posted

Confirming on my Mojave Mac.

When viewing PDFs with with Acrobat's (10.1.16) Separation preview, neither "For print" or "Press ready" presets show black text overprinting. But as @Gabe mentions, when viewing in the Color Warnings preview, the text objects indicate they will overprint.

So…we're saying it's an Acrobat issue?

With that rare jewel, PackZView, all PDFs look fine in separation view.

Posted

Hi Prophet, as I mentioned earlier. I only have Acrobat reader. So can't see separations. Previously, I had used the preview in Affinity Photo but that did not give an accurate separation as far as I can see. I am only going from what the repro people at the printers are telling me is the situation with the pdfs I have been sending. If, the settings that I have mentioned above work... then it looks like overprinting the text in black can work.

  • Staff
Posted

@thomaso If you export with a PDF/X preset, then the PDF gets a colour intent which has a DeviceCMYK profile. When you export to non-PDF/X versions, the ICC profile used for the document gets added to shapes/text.It been logged with our developers as an improvement. Currently PDF export control over whether colour profiles is a single check-box, all or nothing. There maybe should be a way to include profiles for sourced images, but not for shape and text colours.

However, I'm not sure why Acrobat won't show the overprint correctly. 

I hope this makes more sense :) 

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