Adding Solid Color (Volltonfarbe) to CMYK for printing (Affinity Designer)

[JSR* 1]

Hi everyone. I looked through the forum but wasn't able to find a guide on this one.
Here's my issue: I'm creating a business card for printing through an online printing company. There's a special effect we want to add (partial clear paint for a special haptic). This effect requires the document to have a separate layer with a fifth (additional) solid color (Volltonfarbe) besides CMYK. I did find the funtionality to add global colors, did check the box for "Schmuckfarbe" and "Überdrucken" (very important for the effect) and assign this color to my shape. Once I export, however, to PDF/X-3:2003 and i run the file through Adobe XI Pro Preflight, there's no "überdrucken" and no "Volltonfarbe" detected. I've been trying different things and googling the issue since yesterday, but haven't had any success.

If you need anything from me for better analysing my issue, please let me know.

 

Thank you so much!
JSR*

[stokerg 454]

Hi JSR*,

Can you attach the .afdesign file for this, just from doing some tests this end it's working as expected and the named colour is showing up when checked in Acrobat.

[JSR* 1]

5 minutes ago, stokerg said:

Hi JSR*,

Can you attach the .afdesign file for this, just from doing some tests this end it's working as expected and the named colour is showing up when checked in Acrobat.

Definitely, thank you for your help!

Visitenkarte - Cleaned.afdesign

Visitenkarte - Cleaned.pdf

[stokerg 454]

Thanks for the files

This is mainly due to the spot colours being on an embedded document.  If you copy and paste them into the main document, delete then the embedded document, it should then show up, as it does in my attached screenshot.  You do need to have the layer on show but if you see the attached screenshot the Spot Colours are showing up  

 

[JSR* 1]

17 minutes ago, stokerg said:

Thanks for the files

This is mainly due to the spot colours being on an embedded document.  If you copy and paste them into the main document, delete then the embedded document, it should then show up, as it does in my attached screenshot.  You do need to have the layer on show but if you see the attached screenshot the Spot Colours are showing up  

I'm really sorry for being inexperienced.. Your screenshot looks great and I read your response like 4 times now, but I'm lacking the experience to fully understand it. Would you be able to give me a play-by-play runthrough the nessesary steps?

Thank you 

JSR* 

[stokerg 454]

Hi JSR*,

I've attached the file i've been working with to this email.

In the Layers panel, open up the 1st layer in the list and you'll see the embedded document (the layer with the two objects you've assigned the colour to).  Now double click the embedded document layer and this will open up in a new tab.  Now copy these objects and close this tab (there will be an X along the top) this will get you back to the main file.  Now delete the embedded document layer and click Edit Paste.  Move the two objects into place and size as needed.  Then publish to PDF.  If you check Preflight it should now show the spot colour should now show.

If you publish my attached .afdesign and check it, you should see it working.  Make sure you untick Simulate Overprint in preflight, otherwise it won't look right.  Also please don't get my version printed, as i may not have put the objects in exactly the correct place   Well you can get it printed, but just make sure everything is in the correct place first  

Visitenkarte - Cleaned (2).pdf

[JSR* 1]

2 hours ago, stokerg said:

Hi JSR*,

I've attached the file i've been working with to this email.

In the Layers panel, open up the 1st layer in the list and you'll see the embedded document (the layer with the two objects you've assigned the colour to).  Now double click the embedded document layer and this will open up in a new tab.  Now copy these objects and close this tab (there will be an X along the top) this will get you back to the main file.  Now delete the embedded document layer and click Edit Paste.  Move the two objects into place and size as needed.  Then publish to PDF.  If you check Preflight it should now show the spot colour should now show.

If you publish my attached .afdesign and check it, you should see it working.  Make sure you untick Simulate Overprint in preflight, otherwise it won't look right.  Also please don't get my version printed, as i may not have put the objects in exactly the correct place   Well you can get it printed, but just make sure everything is in the correct place first  

Visitenkarte - Cleaned (2).pdf

Hello and thank you again! I'm losing my mind! I'm opening it in Adobe XI Pro and I don't see any layers! If I do go to Print Preview it does, however, show me the color you added. I think it would be super helpful to see the .afdesign file.

 

Thank you so much!

 

Edit: you were referring to the layers in your .afdesign file, that's where my confusion stems from. i just figured that out

Edited July 11 by JSR*

[JSR* 1]

I got to the point that you were describing. I removed the curves from the embedded layer and placed them on a separate layer of the main .afdesign file. I then filled the curves with the "Globale Farbe 3" color you used in your example. I still, however, after exporting don't get the same results.

[stokerg 454]

27 minutes ago, JSR* said:

I then filled the curves with the "Globale Farbe 3" color you used in your example. I still, however, after exporting don't get the same results.

Can you attach the latest version of the .afdesign file and i'll take a look  

From the screenshot it all looks correct so i'm surprised it's not working

[JSR* 1]

Sure thing. I'm just as confused as you are.

 

Thank you!

Visitenkarte - Cleaned.afdesign

[thomaso 330]

Might different PDF version presets create the confusion?: In default PDF/X-3 preset the export option "include layers" is off and greyed-out:

PDF print preset (pdf 1.7):

PDF/X-3 preset:

 

@JSR, another subject I run into with your file:
Although you haven't mentioned yet: the red and blue shapes might not export with colors as expected.

embedded:
red 10 / 100 / 100 / 0
blue 100 / 0 / 0 / 0

exported:
red 2 / 95 / 83 / 5
blue 93 / 0 / 1 / 0

I assume it is related to different color spaces of embedded (US web coated v2) versus final .afdesign (ECI coated v2 300%).
In my opinion this is a bug in color management of Affinity.

[JSR* 1]

3 minutes ago, thomaso said:

Might different PDF version presets create the confusion?: In default PDF/X-3 preset the export option "include layers" is off and greyed-out:

PDF print preset (pdf 1.7):

PDF/X-3 preset:

 

@JSR, another subject I run into with your file:
Although you haven't mentioned yet: the red and blue shapes might not export with colors as expected.

embedded:
red 10 / 100 / 100 / 0
blue 100 / 0 / 0 / 0

exported:
red 2 / 95 / 83 / 5
blue 93 / 0 / 1 / 0

I assume it is related to different color spaces of embedded (US web coated v2) versus final .afdesign (ECI coated v2 300%).
In my opinion this is a bug in color management of Affinity.

Excellent! I exported in a different PDF-Standard with layers and it worked! How would I change the color space of the embedded element?

Thank you!

[thomaso 330]

37 minutes ago, JSR* said:

How would I change the color space of the embedded element? 

Double-click on the graphic or its layer > go to its new opened window (named "Embedded") > Menu "File" >  "Document Setup..." > "Colour" ...

Actually it should not be necessary to use 1 color space only if Affinity would handle color spaces correctly.