Publisher issue with Export to PDF options for Export and For Print

[brama]

Hi, I have an issue when exporting to PDF a Publisher document with black Backgrounds created with  rectangle box layers (R0-G0-B0), no Transparency:

The export option "PDF for WEB" and "PDF/X4" give always correct Results, but "PDF for Export" and "PDF for Print" produces a grey background instead of a black one.

After unsinstalling (with AppCleaner) and reinstalling Affinity Publisher (Version : 1.7.2),  creating a new File with 3 pages seemed to work well. But after adding either a new page or duplicating a page or master page, the problem reappeared. Once the problem had occurred, no way to get aware of it. Actually, even creating a new file with only one page and master gives a grey instead of balck backround of when exported to PDF for Print.

THX for Your help

 

 

CatalogueBase_PDF_X4_300dpi.pdf

CatalogueBase_PDFforExport.pdf

CatalogueBase_PDFforPrint300dpi.pdf

CatalogueBase_PDFforWeb.pdf

CatalogueBase.afpub

[thomaso]

Hi brama,
Welcome to the Affinity Forums!

In what app do you see gray instead black?

I do see a gray for instance in Acrobat only with the option "Simulate black ink" activated – whereas the black values are all together 295 % with your profile. You have set the black background on Master A as RGB color, that make it result with a black where K isn't 100 % in CMYK. So you might want to change that black color to CMYK in your .afpub document, using a rich black with 100 K included. Your different PDF versions make no difference to me in that point. The "simulation" might appear gray because of K < 100% and the total of 295 % ink. Consider a theoretical max of ink would be 400 % – means you should avoid to see black that way.

Possibly you might want to change the fx of the gray subline on Master A. It appears to force the text to become flattened/rasterized. This effect doesn't look to be applied in purpose anyway. In case you really want to add a stroke you rather use the color/swatches and stroke panel to apply a stroke to the text.

p.s.: please note that there is a particular Affinity forum for Publisher bugs – and also a forum for Questions, which includes issues, too.

[brama]

Hi Thomas

Thanks for your quick reply.

I standardly open Pdf's with Macs Preview.

Indeed, opened with Preview, the background appears grey, opened with Acrobat Reader, it appears black.

For the sub-line on Master A, it was an error, thx.

The appearances of the PDF for Print export in Preview after changing black background master A to CMYK are not changed, but I am not sure with the choice of my "rich black". See attachment please.

How can I be sure, that the print results will be OK?

Sorry, I thought it was a bug and for the bad forum, I saw my error when posted.

Kind regards

Marcel

CMYK@100.afpub

CMYK@100.pdf

[thomaso]

I can't open your .afpub ("file type is not supported"), neither with 1.7.2 nor with beta .475.

Your color panel screenshot shows a value of 4x 100% = 400%. Don't do that. The max ink sum for print should not increase 280-320 %, depending on the profile. Otherwise there is simply to much material on the paper and will make it hardly fit to the further machine's default workflow.

In your PDF I see two values: a total 295% around the image / a total 400% in its margin (ca. 10 mm) and on page 2.

That probably is related to different color settings (could be color models and/or profile of the placed image vs. document vs. export) and/or different color definitions.

A reasonable "rich black" definition could be for instance  60c 40y 0m* 100k.

*EDIT: 60c 40m 0y 100k.

 

Edited September 16, 2019 by thomaso

[brama]

Indeed, the color models are different and I think it will not be possible to have the same black on the background as on the image.

I will change the background to a dark-grey value.

Thanks a lot for your help

[thomaso]

> Indeed, the color models are different and I think it will not be possible to have the same black on the background as on the image. 

Why not? I am rather sure it will. You can double-click on your placed resource (the fruit image) and in the opening document window set the documents color space to that of your main document. Possibly you even can set the black background color behind the apple? What file type is the fruit, and does it have the black included?

If you like upload your recent .afpub once more. (Maybe it just had been corrupted during upload process before)

[brama]

Double-click doesn't open any window. The image is a Jpeg-file with Adobe-RGB profile.

I have reduced the .afpub to one page to reduce the file size and attached to the reply.

Actually, the background is set to C60M0Y40K100.

Katalog TitelPage.afpub

[MikeW]

20 minutes ago, brama said:

Double-click doesn't open any window. The image is a Jpeg-file with Adobe-RGB profile.

I have reduced the .afpub to one page to reduce the file size and attached to the reply.

Actually, the background is set to C60M0Y40K100.

Katalog TitelPage.afpub

I don't understand what you desire for the background. Solid color or a gradient like you have now?

For a solid color background, use the cmyk as you have defined (or use the color picker near the bottom edge of the gradient) and fill that background rectangle with it.

If you wish to use a gradient, you cannot have the color values at/near equal values as that equals a gray (more or less).

[brama]

Hi, the goal was to have the same background color as the picture. But exports as PDF for Print showed in Preview (Mac) a grey background, on the screen (Calibrated EIZO), the background seemed to be identical to the image background.

[MikeW]

And how does this work using Preview? If it looks off, try Adobe Reader.

Katalog TitelPage.pdf

[thomaso]

3 hours ago, brama said:

Actually, the background is set to C60M0Y40K100.

Sorry, I mis-typed in my rich black values the letters M and Y: I meant to write 60c 40m 0y 100K. The yellow isn't used for rich black because doesn't darken much AND because the pure black ink is rather yellow/brownish then blueish – therefore I use no Yellow and more Cyan than Magenta to get a more neutral rich black.

BUT: Actually in your .afpub you have changed the background (compared with your previous pdf) into a gradient! (as Mike mentioned, too.) Furthermore you defined that gradient with one RGB black (000) plus one CMYK gray. That's confusing. Don't mix color models.

Usually I'd recommend for rich black to use a black which includes 100% K – not 88% (as an RGB black gets converted). That way you might get the darkest black with less ink.
BUT: since here the black should look like the background of a photographed object I'd rather use a black which is included in the object/fruit ... as in e.g. Mikes pdf.

2 hours ago, MikeW said:

And how does this work using Preview? If it looks off, try Adobe Reader.

Katalog TitelPage.pdf

Mike's PDF has a plain background now, no gradient, no border. To me it appears black in both preview.app and acrobat.

 

[brama]

Mikes pdf appears black in both viewers for me too. But how can I get the CMYK-Value of the background of the image?

[thomaso]

14 minutes ago, brama said:

how can I get the CMYK-Value of the background of the image?

With the pipette / color picker tool.