Transparency ISsue with 4color PSD on top of Spot Color Background

[mattbeals]

You want the PDF Print Engine, do *NOT* flatten the transparencies. The PDF engine will render the transparencies better/correctly at output. There's a reason to not use a Postscript engine, transparency is pretty much the biggest reason.

Spend the money.

[DCurry]

I'm still working on adding a spot background in Photoshop. I also think that's the way to go if the client insists on using InDesign.

Out of curiosity, if the client built the file the same way but used Illustrator instead of ID, why do you think the results would be different?

[Tracy]

How do you tell the copier not to flatten?
In Command Workstation?

[DigiCorn]

How do you tell the copier not to flatten?
In Command Workstation?

I'm kind of curious about this myself

[rickself]

You want the PDF Print Engine, do *NOT* flatten the transparencies. The PDF engine will render the transparencies better/correctly at output. There's a reason to not use a Postscript engine, transparency is pretty much the biggest reason.

Spend the money.

Thanks, Matt, oh Guru of PDF. Been a student of yours for some 20 years.
Knowing that transparency is going to give bad results with a PS engine through the Fiery, is it safe to say the workflow of PDF Engine (in the Fiery?), going to the Ricoh PRO C5200 S SHOULD give the end product we're looking for? Does it matter if the file is printed direct from InDesign into the held que of the Command Workstation or are the results better saving as PDF and dropping into the CWS? Or same one as the other?

[DCurry]

If you print from ID you are flattening.

[Joe]

If you print from ID you are flattening.

Yep, no two ways about that. Printing = flattening.

Import directly into CWS will keep the transparency but the Fiery withouy APPE will flatten. And most likely not very well. Even with APPE it has to flatten before toner hits paper but APPE does  a much better job than Fiery minus APPE.

But even with APPE, transparency with spot colors can cause issues. I see it often in Prinergy because designers just gotta do shit like this.

[rickself]

The best choice overall would be to build the PSD file with the spot color. Transparency issues are then out the window.

[Joe]

The best choice overall would be to build the PSD file with the spot color. Transparency issues are then out the window.

The best choice would be to print it as process because printing spot colors is always going to be test on these kinds of devices.

[rickself]

And to go back to what started this whole brew-haha is that the client supplied me with a 5 color pdf -  4CP plus cool gray 11 background, stating that they have other suppliers that produce the piece without a problem.

[David]

yep, print it as cmyk, don't tell them, no problem.

I will bet my paycheck that's their workflow.
It's a small bet, no prob!

[Joe]

And to go back to what started this whole brew-haha is that the client supplied me with a 5 color pdf -  4CP plus cool gray 11 background, stating that they have other suppliers that produce the piece without a problem.

Tell me which one is Cool Gray 11 and which one is C=6 M=3 K=73

[attach width=400]19377[/attach]

[rickself]

 
4 color it is.

[born2print]

Neither. They're both RGB. 

[Joe]

Neither. They're both RGB. 

Touché. It isn't my fault you don't have a CMYK+Spot monitor! :tongue: