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Ratbag · #1 (**permalink**) 06-07-2004, 01:40 PM

righto, this problem is with Quark 4.1 > Trueflow > digital proofer.

When I export as pdf I get slightly different colour from printing a postscript file then distilling?! I thought exporting was just a script to automate the process of printing a postscript file and then distilling it. And anyway, what the hell?!

Pointyhat · #2 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 01:04 PM

Is this what your lookingat on the screen or is it the actual printed files that have color shifts?

Ratbag · #3 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 03:48 PM

We picked it up on the digital proofs. If I remember correctly the breakdown was slightly different when I viewed on screen in acrobat and photoshop.

pspdfppd · #4 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 06:11 PM

Um maybe I am being simple here.....that's one of my strongpoints...I mean BEING SiMPLE!

But what about your distiller settings? Are you checking off leave color unchanged in the preferences? have you checked off some kind of color management that is changing the colors?

Just a guess.......

cari · #5 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 07:34 PM

My guess would be with your Distiller settings... if they are only slight differences.

Are you downsampling/compressing your images in Distiller?
'Automatic' compression for photos converts to JPEG, which is lossy, so would explain small variations in read-out.

What happens if you switch of all downsampling/compression for images in Distiller settings...

Also as pspdfppd mentioned: Check the colour management settings.

Sparky · #6 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 07:52 PM

Distiller setting aside, what postscript print driver are you using to "print" to .ps? Exporting from Quark (not knowing what version you are using) can be hazardous at best. Quark did NOT license the Adobe PostScript when it produced it's own "Export to PDF" feature. When you "print" to .ps you are printing according to the Postscript driver selected. When you "export" from Quark you are using a different PostScript driver, which may be causing the color shift.

cari · #7 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 08:01 PM

Sparky...
:!: That's true... wasn't it Quartz PDF technology?
Is that still so in Quark 6.1? I vaguely recall reading somewhere (maybe even in this forum) that Quark is not using Adobe PDF technology...

Could definitely explain suttle differences...

Sparky · #8 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 08:13 PM

Very true, Quark has gone way outside the Adobe boundaries to try and find their own "postscript" In a recent seminar in Boston (Dec 1 2003) I was introduced to all the latest offing's from Apple, Quark, Extensis, Adobe, and a few others. At one of the sessions, Quark demonstrated their "PDF export" engine and were really trying to sell you on the fact that it was just like Adobe :roll: well you can't be just like somebody and still be different. thats why I hear all kinds of issues with the difference in the 2.

cari · #9 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 08:23 PM

yep, and the printing industry standard would be?

.....

I'll leave that one open for others to comment on... :wink:

Ratbag · #10 (**permalink**) 06-09-2004, 03:31 AM

Ah, yes this sounds like a possible solution, I'll check when I'm back at work tomorrow and ask any relevant questions (such as how do I find out what printer driver it's using...). I don't think that it's anything to do with the distiller settings as I always use in-house joboptions, which btw is set to override any settings in the postscript file.