Affinity Publisher output to PDF

[Graphics Chris]

Does anyone know how to output PDFs to contain Spot colours only?  I work for a commercial printer and require some artwork to be setup in spot colours for use with an Offset Printer.  I have selected the spot colour required from the swatches, (it shows a tiny triangle in the swatch, which is supposed to represent aspot colour), and made sure my objects are using these spot colours, but when I output it to a PDF, everything is converted to CMYK.  No matter what settings I use within the output window.

Has anyone had any success in producing a PDF showing spot colours in the breakdown?  After searching online, I can't see anyone being able to produce an output with spot colours.  Either this is a bug, or it is very confusing as to how you go about producing a PDF with PANTONE Spot colours.

[MikeW]

Make sure you are choosing spot colors from an actual spot color palette, like:

Then it will display using a stupid naming convention, like:

But, you can right-click on the swatch and choose:

And it will be renamed automatically to the Pantone name like:

Then, when you create the pdf, make sure you see the checkbox below is checked:

And then in Acrobat, Prinergy or whatever RIP software you use, you should see the spot color:

Mike

[Graphics Chris]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for that info.

I have discovered I was using the colour model called "PANTONE + CMYK COATED".  So I don't know what this colour model is used for as it is only CMYK.

But after using "Pantone Solid Guide Coated V4" I could see the swatch show a tiny dot, meaning it is a spot colour and when opening it up in Adobe pro I can now see the spot colour breakdowns when using "Output Preview".

In regards to the swatch name issue, I think Affinity may have fixed this issue in version  1.10.5.1342, as it is showing the correct pantone name.  This version has only just come out a few days ago and well after my original first post.  Let me know if this is the case for you?

[MikeW]

12 minutes ago, Graphics Chris said:

Hi Mike,

Thank you for that info.

I have discovered I was using the colour model called "PANTONE + CMYK COATED".  So I don't know what this colour model is used for as it is only CMYK.

Pantone supplies those swatches for people who know they are not going to print using the solid inks. Most Pantone spot colors cannot actually be reproduced in cmyk, but for some purposes, they are close enough. 

I'll take a look at APub latest release. Thanks. 

[Petar Petrenko]

On 2/28/2022 at 5:21 AM, MikeW said:

And then in Acrobat, Prinergy or whatever RIP software you use, you should see the spot color:

I followed strictly your instructions, but the PANTONE color was not shown in "Output Preview".

[MikeW]

1 minute ago, NNN said:

I followed strictly your instructions, but the PANTONE color was not shown in "Output Preview".

Create a new file, or supply your working file, and upload here and I'll take a look.

However, are you certain you are using one of the two palettes identified above and not forcing a conversion? Or not outputting to an rgb pdf?

[Petar Petrenko]

43 minutes ago, MikeW said:

are you certain you are using one of the two palettes identified above

Yes, I use the coated one. But, what with others? They not work, or...?

BTW, here is the image for an example. What I am trying is to add PANTONE color to it, to simulate duotone. Can you see if there is a problem with the image because I use all the settings you displayed.

[MikeW]

With an image like that, it would need to have each part that is to be a separate Pantone color isolated--as in separate images, made to be black only, then colored and use overprint.

In all likelihood, very difficult to accomplish in Affinity software. At least, it would be time consuming.

[Petar Petrenko]

Thanks, Mike. But, why you insist on only those 2 PANTONE libraries, is something wrong with the others?

[MikeW]

7 hours ago, NNN said:

Thanks, Mike. But, why you insist on only those 2 PANTONE libraries, is something wrong with the others?

I don't insist. What gets most people in "trouble" when picking spot colors is choosing one of the palettes that are not spot colors. Only about half are actual spot color palettes.

You can figure out some of which are / are not by the names of the palettes...the words coated/uncoated mean they are actual spot colors, for instance. Then there are the visual clues. Spot colors in a chosen color from a particular swatch will show a small dot in the lower right corner.