InDesign question

Joe · May 13, 2008, 01:23:06 PM

I have a customer using CS2 ID. Mostly B & W stuff and that is the problem. All of the gray scale images (tiffs) come out as NChannel (Monotone) Spot black instead of grayscale in the PDF. Photoshop will not let me edit them unless I change them to grayscale first. I'm trying to figure out why they are not coming out on the PDF as grayscale in the first place. I sent them a PDF setting file to do no color conversion but it still comes out this way. They packaged the ID file with all the fonts and links and sent it to me. They are grayscale tiffs with no profiles embedded. When I output a PDF via export from either CS2 or CS3 I get the same thing. If I create a new document and place one of their images and make a new PDF it comes out as grayscale like I want it to. Also checked the ID prefs for outputting black. All is okay. It's driving me batty. Any new fresh ideas?

Ear · May 13, 2008, 01:28:49 PM

I see that a lot but it doesn't give me any trouble, the NChannel black images still come out on the black plate just like a grayscale.

Joe · May 13, 2008, 01:33:05 PM

Yeah, they do for me too but I need to open them in Photoshop and I have to convert them all to grayscale before I can get them into Photoshop. It's a lot of photos to do each one individually with Pitstop and running a Pitstop action takes forever on these files. Broadsheet size - 14.5" x 22.5"

Plus it's now the principal of the thing that bugs me the most! :laugh:

DigitalCrapShoveler · May 13, 2008, 01:34:24 PM

DO they have any extra channels in the tiffs, paths, layers?

almaink · May 13, 2008, 01:53:10 PM

I've seen this as well. No idea WTF it happens, and it is a PITFA. You would think by now Photoshop would support the NChannel color space!

DigitalCrapShoveler · May 13, 2008, 02:03:40 PM

Me too. It usually happens when extrenuous data is resident in the tiff, ie., Channels, layers, paths

almaink · May 13, 2008, 02:13:08 PM

Cool I'll look for that next time the customer sends me the Indy file instead of a PDF. If I have the natives files I always edit the images before I got to PDF. The problem comes when customers send a PDF. And trying to explain to feeb customers about layers and such in tifs, is like pulling Hippo teeth with plastic pliers.

DigitalCrapShoveler · May 13, 2008, 02:16:09 PM

Quote from: almaink on May 13, 2008, 02:13:08 PMCool I'll look for that next time the customer sends me the Indy file instead of a PDF. If I have the natives files I always edit the images before I got to PDF. The problem comes when customers send a PDF. And trying to explain to feeb customers about layers and such in tifs, is like pulling Hippo teeth with plastic pliers.

I hear that! I work a lot with natives, which helps with troubleshooting, but sucks on just about everything else, LOL.

Joe · May 13, 2008, 02:48:20 PM

Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on May 13, 2008, 01:34:24 PMDO they have any extra channels in the tiffs, paths, layers?

No, nothing extra. It's just a plain grayscale tiff with the default background layer. No paths. No extra layers.

And the only difference I can see between the customers ID file and a new blank one I create is that hers is loaded with transparency. But even the photos that are no where near any transparent regions still comes out as the NChannel spot black instead of grayscale. Why do the same exact images I place in a new document come out as grayscale? Transparency in the file? I don't know but I'm on a mission now.

DigitalCrapShoveler · May 13, 2008, 02:53:29 PM

Quote from: Joe link=topic=1678.msg26719#msg26719 date=1210711700
Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on May 13, 2008, 01:34:24 PMDO they have any extra channels in the tiffs, paths, layers?

No, nothing extra. It's just a plain grayscale tiff with the default background layer. No paths. No extra layers.

And the only difference I can see between the customers ID file and a new blank one I create is that hers is loaded with transparency. But even the photos that are no where near any transparent regions still comes out as the NChannel spot black instead of grayscale. Why do the same exact images I place in a new document come out as grayscale? Transparency in the file? I don't know but I'm on a mission now.

I want to see this file... anyway you can get it to me? I love crap like this!

Ear · May 13, 2008, 03:04:31 PM

Okay, here's the deal. This is something I have people tweak in the Export to pdf and it stops this problem from happening. In the PDF export dialog they need to go to 'Output' and change 'Color Conversion' to No Color conversion. The problem is coming from the fact that Press Quality defaults to Convert to Destination.

This fixes the problem but it must be done from the indesign side before going to PDF. The PDF conversion is changing the images. I always say No Conversion because it keeps everything in it's original form making it easier to fix with Pit Stop.

Ear · May 13, 2008, 03:07:25 PM

Here are my test files, check them out if you want. The No color conversion file has a grayscale image and the one that says Nchannel is the same exact indy doc with Convert to Destination selected in the Color Conversion menu of Output section in the PDF export...

DigitalCrapShoveler · May 13, 2008, 03:10:42 PM

Ear... you da man!

Ear · May 13, 2008, 03:17:27 PM

Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on May 13, 2008, 03:10:42 PMEar... you da man!

Aww shucks, thanks but I'm just a country boy with a computer. :cheesy:

Did you look at my test pdfs? :evil: snicker, snicker

DigitalCrapShoveler · May 13, 2008, 03:20:53 PM

Quote from: Earendil on May 13, 2008, 03:17:27 PM
Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on May 13, 2008, 03:10:42 PMEar... you da man!

Aww shucks, thanks but I'm just a country boy with a computer. :cheesy:

Did you look at my test pdfs? :evil: snicker, snicker

Didn't have to... I knew you hit it when you posted it.

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InDesign question