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Scribus => PDF Generation => Topic started by: jrgilis on February 20, 2017, 09:41:33 PM

Title: [SOLVED] Can't save my PDF/X-3 in CMYK without printer marks
Post by: jrgilis on February 20, 2017, 09:41:33 PM
Hello  :)

I'm a beginner in Scribus and this is my first post on this forum.

Saving my Scribus file (1.4.2.) to PDF / X-3 only works with printer marks. Now my printer does not want any printing marks. If I do not choose one when exporting, the colorspace of my pdf becomes RGB. At least that's what the ImageMagick software tells me.
I specify that all included images are CMYK and that there is no other out of Gamut color in the file.

For now I have two alternatives:

1. I save my document in PDF 1.5 instead of PDF/X-3. ImageMagick validates the PDF, even without printer marks, as CMYK.
2. I give my printer a JPEG CMJN instead of the PDF/X-3, but you lose all the advantages of the vector objects, and this will not be possible with a document of several pages.

I find it amazing that ImageMagick does not validate my PDF/X-3 as CMYK only because there are no printer marks.

Questions :
Maybe my PDF/X-3 recording settings are not good ? Have you ever managed to export to PDF/X-3 CMYK without print marks ?
Are ImageMagick pdf colorspace informations reliable ? Is there another software under Ubuntu 14.04 allowing me to analyze the colorspace of a pdf ?

Here are my export settings in PDF/X-3:
- Menu : File > Export > Save as PDF... :
- in the "General" tab :
- "File options", "Compatibility" section : PDF/X-3 in the drop-down list
- "File options" section : "Resolution for EPS graphics" : 300dpi
- "Compress text and vector graphics" checked
- section : "Compression method" : "Lossless - Zip"
- in the "Color" tab, "General" section : "Convert spot colors to process colors" checked
- in the "Pre-press" tab :
- "Printer marks" section : nothing checked
- "PDF/X-3 Output Intent" section :
- "Output Profile" : "Coated FOGRA39 (ISO 12647-2: 2004)" in the drop-down list

Thank you for your answer !  :)

Jean-Raphaël

PS: setup : Scribus 1.4.2. in Ubuntu 14.04
Title: Re: Can't save my PDF/X-3 in CMYK without printer marks
Post by: utnik on February 21, 2017, 07:33:02 AM
hi jean-raphaël

Quote from: jrgilis on February 20, 2017, 09:41:33 PM...Have you ever managed to export to PDF/X-3 CMYK without print marks ?

your problem is not about printer marks. as the specifications of .pdf/x-3 don't include any color conversion, scribus doesn't convert to cmyk...

it looks like your printer requests for a .pdf/x-3, but can't really handle it. (unfortunately many printshops do so – they request for .pdf/x3 with all colors in cmyk...)

you should upgrade to a newer version of scribus and export to .pdf/x-1a and your printer will be happy. (every .pdf/x-1a is a valuable .pdf/x-3 but with all colors converted to cmyk according to the specified color profile.)

when i remember right, scribus 1.4.4 was the first release with support for .pdf/x-1a.

utnik
Title: Re: Can't save my PDF/X-3 in CMYK without printer marks
Post by: jrgilis on February 21, 2017, 08:19:03 PM
Utnik thank you for your response and your info on .pdf / x-1a.

In the past I tried to upgrade to a newer version of Scribus but failed because I am on ubuntu 14.04 LTS. If I want to upgrade to Scribus 1.4.6 I have to upgrade to ubuntu 16.04, it takes a certain time. For scribus 1.4.4 I don't know, do you think it is possible with 14.04 ?

Anyway I contacted the printer who says accepting all type of pdf format.
So I'll give him the PDF/X-3 without printer marks. If it says the file is unusable I would still be able to save it as PDF 1.5.
I keep you informed of the result !
Title: Re: Can't save my PDF/X-3 in CMYK without printer marks
Post by: utnik on February 22, 2017, 04:43:23 AM
a short search provided this (http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2015/02/installupgrade-to-scribus-1-4-5-in-ubuntu-14-0414-10/) – so you need to add a ppa...

utnik
Title: Re: Can't save my PDF/X-3 in CMYK without printer marks
Post by: jrgilis on March 06, 2017, 08:09:55 PM
Thanks a lot utnik  :-* : my uprade to Scribus 1.4.6 was successfull, and I was able to convert to PDF/X-1a.
I received the posters at the end of last week and I found the result very good in terms of color rendering.