Generating pdf with specific CMYK color profile

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forslund

Hi,

I'm prepping a cardgame for print and are trying to export pdf's including tiff images with a colorprofile. If I use a file with plain CMYK I get a pdf where the image is tagged as CMYK

Quote$ pdfimages -list warlord-a.pdf
page   num  type   width height color comp bpc  enc interp  object ID x-ppi y-ppi size ratio
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1     0 image    2728  3927  cmyk    4   8  image  no        12  0  1200  1200 7135K  17%
   1     1 smask    2728  3927  gray    1   8  image  no        12  0  1200  1200 13.6K 0.1%

But if I apply the recommended colorprofile to the tiff file in question (using imagemagick convert) the output is

Quote$ pdfimages -list warlord-a.pdf
page   num  type   width height color comp bpc  enc interp  object ID x-ppi y-ppi size ratio
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1     0 image    2728  3927  icc       4   8  image  no        12  0  1200  1200 7135K  17%
   1     1 smask    2728  3927  gray    1   8  image  no        12  0  1200  1200 13.6K 0.1%

What could be the issue of this? Can it be something like the color profile isn't found by the pdf-exporter?

RodneyLee

I am a bit confused are you using scribus to save cmyk pdfs or imageconvert to make tiffs into cmyk
my guess is if the profile is in scribus and your export a pdf with proper setting you would get a cmyk with that profile as a pdf

forslund

I might be missunderstanding things but I'm doing the layout in scribus

In my layout I have some background artwork (Image frame referencing a tiff)

The tiff is based on a rgb source which I convert to CMYK. plain CMYK produce a pdf with a CMYK image, if I add a color profile when creating the tiff used in Scribus the exported PDF lists a icc (which is an rgb image as far as I can understand).

Can I in scribus import an rgb image and have the pdf export convert to CMYK with a profile? I thought the input raster image needed to be in the correct format along with the correct profile for the exported pdf have the correct settings?

utnik

hi forslund

Quote from: forslund on April 18, 2020, 11:04:26 PM...if I add a color profile when creating the tiff used in Scribus the exported PDF lists a icc (which is an rgb image as far as I can understand)

why do you think this is an rgb image? icc stands for 'international color consortium', the organisation wich defined the standards for our color profiles...

QuoteCan I in scribus import an rgb image and have the pdf export convert to CMYK with a profile?

yes, that's the usual way. but it doesn't work with .pdf/x-3 and .pdf/x-4. those standards don't require a color conversion for the .pdf creation. the other .pdf versions will be converted to the defined color profile if you chose the output intended for 'printer'.

utnik

forslund

Basically I would believe that because of my newness to this software (and industry in general) :)

Ok right, so the icc would still be cmyk but with a color profile?

I think I need the pdf/x-4 (or possibly 3) to get spot colors in the pdf.

utnik

hi forslund

Quote from: forslund on April 19, 2020, 10:28:35 AM...so the icc would still be cmyk but with a color profile?

yes.

QuoteI think I need the pdf/x-4 (or possibly 3) to get spot colors in the pdf.

no, but the box 'convert spot colors to process colors' in the .pdf export dialog has to stay unchecked!

utnik

forslund

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Must have completely misunderstood the wikipage about spot colors.

Now I will have to re-export all those documents one more time (hopefully for the last time now!).