Preserved Topic: PDF help

Here's a new one on me. Client asked to have a number of scans saved both as 300 DPI windows format CMYK TIFF files and as PDFs. I've never been asked for PDFs before, but sure, why not.

The TIFFs look fine. The PDFs look just like the TIFFs --- but only in Photoshop. They're horribly red in Acrobat Reader. Why? I don't have Distiller, so I'm saving them directly from Photoshop. Both PS 6 and 5.5 do the same thing. Preserve Profile box checked or unchecked makes no difference. There doesn't seem to be any color management preferences in Reader to fidde with.

I can't send these to the client, and I can't figure out how to make them look right in Acrobat Reader. Can't find any help with online support either.

Anyone got any thoughts??

I've never come accross that before. Most of the PDF files I worked with using Acrobat Full and Distiller at Uni.

A couple of suggestions Though.

If you can, try saving the files as an earlier version of a PDF. I can remember reading that the version 4 PDF's had some colour problems...

Try converting to a different colour mode before saving as PDF's support several different colour spaces. Arr.. I think. They should support RGB, CMYK and Device inderpendant ones like Lab Colour. Humm.. Don't quote me on that though.

If all else fails you could try to compensate for the colour changes in PS before you save, but I souldn't need to tell you how dogey that is....

Let me know how you get on with this. I use PDF files fairly reguarly and I'd like to know.

I think, if I read that right, Steve doesn't have Acrobat but is using Photoshop to save as a Photoshop pdf? If that's the case then there is really not many options that way. I've never heard of the problem described when using Acrobat, but then I've not heard of it with Photoshop pdf either.

If I were you I'd have FF spring for a copy of Acrobat. It's an extremely useful app, you'll get your money's worth for sure and I'll bet your color problem will not be an issue there.

Jason

I agree JK.
I have been playing with Acrobat 4 and have found it to be a solid application with many remarkable features.
Some of which include reducing (optimizing) a Tiff of 30megs to 1.9megs and the ability to download whole websites in pdf format.
Useful to create Tutorials in PDF (hint hint)

I've got the Acrobat Help file in PDF format (5.5megs)
Let me know if you would like it and I will post a link to dl...
You may find some useful info in it for your specific needs and creating pdf's with Acrobat in general.

cheers
kromaZ


[This message has been edited by kromaZ (edited 09-26-2001).]

Well thanks guys. I dealt with the issue by side-stepping it. I discovered that the files looked fine in Acrobat Reader if they were saved (via Photoshop) from RGB originals, but they looked too red when saved from CMYK originals.

Soooo, I saved them from RGB


Explained ot the customer that I didn't know why, but this was the best I could offer.
I've never been asked to do this before, so I was unprepared for the glich. Probably will never be asked to do it again, so probably won't buy Acrobat. Yet.

So - for me - PDF saved from RGB in Photoshop 5.5 or 6 looks fine both in Photoshop and Acrobat Reader.
PDF saved from CMYK in Photoshop 5.5 or 6 looks fine in Photoshop and terribly red in Acrobat Reader.

Wierd.