Bad quality affinity designer x3 pdf, cutcontour and Versaworks

[Federicocentrocopie]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to solve this problem I have using Roland versaworks 5.

This suite has many problems with transparencies.

The file I am sending is composed by a png image and the cutcontour sign.

I attach 4 files trying to explain: 

the first one is the original (.af design)

The second one is called affinity designer pdf for print.

This one has perfect quality, but the cut is no recognized.

To avoid this, the only solution seems to be to save the file as a x3 pdf.

If I save it on affinity designer, the cut is recognized, but the quality is very very bad (file affinity designer pdf x3)

totally flattened, no contrast at all.

If i save it on illustrator, the cut is recognized, and the quality is perfect (file illustrator pdf x3).

So my question is: why there is so much difference between this 2 results?

Do I need to process the files with Illustrator to have an acceptable quality?

Thank you in advance,

have a good day.

Illustrator pdf x3 cut recognized, optimum quality when printed.pdf Affinity desginer pdf x3 cut recognized, but very bad quality when printed.pdf Affinity Designer Pdf for print no cut in versaworks.pdf original.afdesign

[Dan C]

Hi @Federicocentrocopie,

I can confirm that PDF (for print) will be using the RGB colour space, which your document has been created using - however the PDF X/3 preset will export the file to the CMYK colour space, which converts the colours in your image, hence the difference you're seeing in colour tones between these 2 PDF files.

However I'm a little unsure what you're referring to in regards to 'quality', as both PDFs exported from Affinity are using the same image, at the same resolution in your PDF files.

Can you please try my attached PDF and let me know if this is correctly detected by Versaworks?

original_F.pdf

[Federicocentrocopie]

Hi,

the file you attached is correctly detect by versaworks.

How it is done?

The difference between the x3 pdf created in Illustrator and the one created in affinity is incredibile if you see the stickers printed.

[Dan C]

Thanks for confirming that for me, as I have specific RGB printer profiles installed on my machine, I'm able to export to PDF X/3 in the RGB colour space from Affinity, essentially matching the export from Illustrator.

I'm logging this with our developers now for further investigation, as I don't believe the printing profile should be necessary to create this type of document.

I hope this helps

[Federicocentrocopie]

My intention was to understand why the parameters of the affinity pdf x3 preset produces a so bad result,

compared to the illustrator pdf x3 preset,

and if there could be something i could do to obtain better results.

 

[Dan C]

As I've mentioned, the PDF X3 file I have provided is exported in the RGB colour space, which is why you're not seeing the colour conversation, as you've seen in your exported file - however the parameters required to export a PDF X3 RGB file in Affinity don't seem to match Illustrator, and therefore I have logged this as a bug with our development team.

In regards to the 'quality', the image in all your PDFs provided are the same size and DPI as one another, and I cannot see any perceived difference between these files.

Perhaps Versaworks or your printer manufacturer would be able to confirm further, as the image itself is the same quality in all PDFs uploaded here, so I cannot confirm why you may be seeing differences currently.