Spot conversion to CMYK

[wonderings]

I generally use whatever application I have the file in. If it is a print ready (supposedly) PDF I will just use acrobats preflight and convert to CMYK, never had a complaint and if they did we would explain that the file needed to be converted for press.

It is curious though how apps handle the conversation of a pantone to CMYK. Just noticed it today, I am setting up a large calendar in Indesign, used the companies pantone colour 221 U. When in Illustrator working on one of the vector images in the calendar I converted the pantone and got a CMYK makeup. When I converted the same pantone in Indesign it was a completely different makeup, not even close. Bizarre that applications from the same company do not seem to use the same method for converting got CMYK.

[Joe]

I generally use whatever application I have the file in. If it is a print ready (supposedly) PDF I will just use acrobats preflight and convert to CMYK, never had a complaint and if they did we would explain that the file needed to be converted for press.

It is curious though how apps handle the conversation of a pantone to CMYK. Just noticed it today, I am setting up a large calendar in Indesign, used the companies pantone colour 221 U. When in Illustrator working on one of the vector images in the calendar I converted the pantone and got a CMYK makeup. When I converted the same pantone in Indesign it was a completely different makeup, not even close. Bizarre that applications from the same company do not seem to use the same method for converting got CMYK.

Is your color management for both of those Adobe apps setup the same?

[scottrsimons]

Is your color management for both of those Adobe apps setup the same?

You can open up "Color Settings" in all Adobe apps ( Indy, Illy, Photo and Bridge), and when it's dialog box comes up, it will tell you if it is "synchronized" or not. If not, open Bridge if you are using the Creative Suite, and adjust your color settings there, and then all your apps should be sync'd. And if you need to make any color adjustments to your color settings, always do it in Bridge, as it will sync all your apps. If you want to "play" with a setting in a single app to try something, go ahead and do it, but remember to go back to Bridge to either reset your default settings and sync again, or make your changes.

[wonderings]

I generally use whatever application I have the file in. If it is a print ready (supposedly) PDF I will just use acrobats preflight and convert to CMYK, never had a complaint and if they did we would explain that the file needed to be converted for press.

It is curious though how apps handle the conversation of a pantone to CMYK. Just noticed it today, I am setting up a large calendar in Indesign, used the companies pantone colour 221 U. When in Illustrator working on one of the vector images in the calendar I converted the pantone and got a CMYK makeup. When I converted the same pantone in Indesign it was a completely different makeup, not even close. Bizarre that applications from the same company do not seem to use the same method for converting got CMYK.

Is your color management for both of those Adobe apps setup the same?

Not sure, I just use the default settings.

[motormount]

  Whenever i caught a spot color in a process - supposed to be - job, i always called the client and asked whether they needed to send files again, or would they let us do the conversion, then i'd let meta do the job.
 I remember i had printed a couple of patches with spots converted inside illustrator, inside acrobat and with meta, and heidi's was the most ''accurate''.

For color critical jobs you can't rely on any kind of software, instead of torturing yourself let the client take the responsibility of his - or his mistakes!

[scottrsimons]

This Pantone thing is crazy and very much infuriating. I'm an old man, and just want it to work like it used to. You tell it to convert, and it converts correctly, and you can verify with the Color Bridge Book. But not in today's world.

I would like to just tell Sales that they need to tell the customers, that they are responsible for the color conversion, but I know that isn't going to happen. 

We had a job come through, where it is supposed to match Univ. of Michigan colors. So I go to U of M site and get their colors, and it's nice enough to show the CMYK breakout of the Pantone values. But then I come to find out they don't match the 2016 Pantone Bridge book we have, nor the 1992 Bridge Book. I'm thinking the values might be from around 2010. But I don't know.

Let's add another 500 steps of complexity to the mix, shall we. Thanks Pantone. I used to love you, but that was before CP, UP, Geo, Pantone CMYK, TCX, TN, SP, XGC, TPX, TPM, TPG, and TSX!!     

[Joe]

We had a job a week or so ago that the customers used Pantone 902 C which is in the Pantone Pastels and Neon book. Prinergy refined to green which is what it should be but the VPS comes out gray. Never did figure out why and never was able to make the VPS as Green. The Prinergy Pantone Pastels and Neon library has 902 C listed as a green. So yes...dealing with Pantone has become a least favorite thing for me too.

[scottrsimons]

the VPS comes out gray.

I would suspect that is because even Pantone does not have a CMYK breakout for that color. So there is no way for VPS to show it. So it shows it's default color of gray.

[Joe]

You might be right as it is Lab based and none of the libraries shows a green patch for it. Just a box with an X in it and no color.

[born2print]

I wonder if you could add it to the Prinergy library and pick a green, at least it wouldn't be grey

[Joe]

It is actually in the Prinergy Pantone Pastels and Neons library. It does refine as Pantone 902 C and shows as green in the normalized PDF. And if I make a loose page VPS it shows up as green. But if I make an imposed VPS it shows up as gray. Output to imposed PDF it shows up as green. Weird.

[born2print]

It is actually in the Prinergy Pantone Pastels and Neons library. It does refine as Pantone 902 C and shows as green in the normalized PDF. And if I make a loose page VPS it shows up as green. But if I make an imposed VPS it shows up as gray. Output to imposed PDF it shows up as green. Weird.

Ah, weird indeed, VPS involves a RIP so maybe that's the glitch... except single page vps works. I'm stumped. 

[Joe]

Me too. I ended up converting all of the 902 C to 360 C and it worked. The difference? 360 C is in the Solid Coated library. All should be well unless the pressmen use 360 C ink instead of 902 C. Which is entirely possible because it is against their religion to read the work order.

[AaronH]

I just recently had a job come in with a blue-gray Pantone Cotton color 18-4041 TCX Star Sapphire. I had to use the color picker in Photoshop trick to figure out that it was close to another actual blue, 653 C.

[scottrsimons]

I just recently had a job come in with a blue-gray Pantone Cotton color 18-4041 TCX Star Sapphire. I had to use the color picker in Photoshop trick to figure out that it was close to another actual blue, 653 C.

How wonderful. Someone using a fabric Pantone color for print, and they want you to match? Good luck.

Took a screenshot from the Pantone link Joe shared a while ago. There is NO CMYK breakout. Yeah.

I'm beginning to HATE  Pantone.