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David Waldmann

David Waldmann

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I am trying to convert a Quark (v6.5) document to a PDF to send to an online printer. The problem I am having is that the colors in the photos are getting all washed out. In fact I bungled the first attempt by assuming that what it looked like on the screen was not indicative of what I would get on paper, sent the file in, got the product back and I am not satisfied with the results so I want to re-print it.

I have tried two basic methods.

1. Use of a Virtual Printer to produce a PostScript file and then use Acrobat Distiller.
2. Direct printing to the Adobe "Printer".

I've tried several different options, including the .joboptions file supplied by the printer, but they all come out looking the same.

I've attached a small screen shot of the same section of the original document open in Quark, as well as the resulting PDF in Acrobat 6. If you can't tell which is which maybe I'm just too picky.
 

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When you send the file to your printer, do you have your “ColorSynch Profile – Perceptual” turned on?
 
Est-I-Mate said:
I had a similar problem that was corrected when we converted the images from RGB to CMYK before placing them in Quark.
Click to expand...
Apparently Paint Shop Pro doesn't actually create CMYK tifs even though you have the option. Most of the pics I had used Nikon's Capture NX to convert my RAWs to tifs but I guess that a few of them had not been. That made a huge difference.

Bill Henry- said:
When you send the file to your printer, do you have your “ColorSynch Profile – Perceptual” turned on?
Click to expand...
That also helped a bit - it got it maybe 10% of the way to where it should be.


Thanks both of you for your help!
 
Oh, and a plug for the printer - www.vistaprint.com -

I called and told them I had had a problem and asked if they had any suggestions (before I got yours). They didn't. BUT, they said that once I got it fixed they would reprint the new file and ship them on an expedited schedule at absolutely no cost to me!!!

Mission accomplished.
 
Color Management in Quark 6

Do you have color management turned on in Quark? The examples shown look like a mis match between the color space your software is using and the color space your printer is using.

I looked at the printer's web site, and they didn't have any visible mention of a profile for their printing device. Is it offset? Is it CYMK? A good printer should at least know about profiles.

Here is a link to a page about color management in Quark. HTH.

http://quarkvsindesign.com/articles...-in-quarkxpress-6x-for-the-absolute-beginner/

I don't believe the problem lies in how you are creating the .pdf file. The pdf just sees numbers where you see color and just passes those on. The problem happens in how the printing device interprets those numbers when it lays down the ink.
 
Last edited:
chile verde said:
Do you have color management turned on in Quark?
Click to expand...

That was the ticket to get the view in Quark to match the created PDF. I had no idea there even was such a thing.

The printer is CMYK but I couldn't find anything about profiles, but I know from the Distiller joboption file that they use US Web Coated (SWOP)2, so I selected SWOP Press (I'm assuming it's a generic profile included with Quark) in Quark CMS.

I guess the proof will be in the pudding in a couple days when they come in, but I'm quite certain they will be a lot closer to what I was anticipating the first time.

Thanks everyone for all the help.
 
Paul N said:
David:

If all fails, try CutePDF (Download here) free.

It installs and then looks like a printer under any File menu (no matter what application).

You print whatever to it and it becomes a PDF file.
Click to expand...

That's the way Adobe's Acrobat works as well, it just wasn't producing the expected results.

Speaking of PDF creation, at the encouragement of my daughter I've been trying out the OpenOffice suite, which has a built-in PDF generator. It seems to be much more efficient than Adobe's and everything so far has come out great.
 
Maybe I’m thinking of PageMaker, but can’t you do a “Save As:” from Quark directly into a PDF format?
 
Maybe with version 7. From v4 up through 6.5 the only option other than "Printing" is making an EPS file.
 
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