Color Replacement

[HerrDerToene]

Looking for a color replacement tool. Here's my scenario:

I import pdf file vector graphics from a music notation software. Unfortunately this program is unsuccessful in exporting cmyk-colors which are absolutely needed for print. With Indesign I could search through the whole document including all linked PDFs and replace any specific rgb-color with a cmyk-color.

I'm totally not a fan of the subscription model of Adobe, so this feature would make me switch to Affinity Publisher. I'm already using Designer and Photo since Day 1. Replacement presets would be killer.

Any chance that's a future feature?

[walt.farrell]

When Designer and Photo get to the 1.7 build versions, you will be able to invoke either of them easily from Publisher, and either of them should be able to do the color replacement that you need.

[HerrDerToene]

Not so sure about that. Actually I can't find a color replacement tool in either of them. If anybody knows how to do that I'd be very happy to know.

[walt.farrell]

12 minutes ago, HerrDerToene said:

Not so sure about that. Actually I can't find a color replacement tool in either of them. If anybody knows how to do that I'd be very happy to know.

If you were meaning that you need a tool that will find a particular color anywhere in the document, rather than on a specific page or image,  then you're right that Designer and Photo won't help, and I should have read your post more carefully. Sorry.

[Wosven]

I suppose converting to CMYK at PDF export isn't enough ?

[HerrDerToene]

@walt.farrell: yes, that was what I meant! No problem

@Wosven: It would but the music notation software doesn’t have an option to export cmyk. And changing the pdf to cmyk in another software will result in colors far off.

[Wosven]

I did some interesting test:

• Once you import a PDF in a picture frame, you can click on it and the (embedded) PDF will open in as another document in APub.
• I added a Black & White adjustment layer to this PDF (OK for general colors in text and logos but would need specific B&W layers for each picture since we need them to be more punchy).
• I copied-pasted this layer on each page of the document.
• When I come back to the first document with the imported PDF page, it looked B&W as modified. Then I exported this PDF.
• The interesting part is that when I opened this exported page in Designer, all the elements were here and B&W (no rasterisation!), the PDF imported page too.

(I exported as PDF 1.7. I think there's a bug while exporting for print — PDF/X-1a:2003, since the PDF imported page was rasterise to a B&W image BUT below there was the pictures in RVB !!!).

 

There's something to use here, while waiting for them to add color replacement.

• Import PDF in APub document
• Modify PDF with B&W layer
• Export PDF 1.7 (nice convertion to B&W without RVB pictures inside)
• Open this PDF in APub and export again with proper PDF settings if 1.7 isn't the final one).

 

[walt.farrell]

8 hours ago, Wosven said:

• Once you import a PDF in a picture frame, you can click on it and the (embedded) PDF will open in as another document in APub.
• I added a Black & White adjustment layer to this PDF (OK for general colors in text and logos but would need specific B&W layers for each picture since we need them to be more punchy).

Interesting approach; thanks. However, how did you do that second step? I haven't found a way to add adjustment layers in APub. (I can copy them from another .afdesign or .afphoto document, if I have that opened, of course, but doesn't sound like you did that.)

[Wosven]

The same icon for layer adjustments appear at the bottom of the layers panel depending of the selection.  I'll add screenshot when at home.

[walt.farrell]

40 minutes ago, Wosven said:

The same icon for layer adjustments appear at the bottom of the layers panel depending of the selection.  I'll add screenshot when at home.

No need for the screenshot; that's enough of a pointer. Thanks, Wosven!