# Converting seperations to composite PDF



## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

I have a 2 page document saved into press-ready PDF as seperations with all process and spot colors. It's 4/2, with 2 spots on the back.
The PDF shows (of course) as 6 plates in Acrobat.
How can I convert said PDF to a composite version in Acorbat Professional. I've tried alot of Advanced Editing features, ink manager, output, etc...
Any ideas???
Thanks guys (and gals


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

Hey mspain! Nato here. Have you tried importing all pages into Illustrator and laying them on top of each other? Then you can output a pdf from that...

Also, do you have the original document/mechanical file? You could just rip a composite file from that file.


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

I do, because I created it. What I'm doing is trying to get the guys from the production side to quit asking for one thing and then buggin me again when they decide they need something else.
They are an outside source who are taking us for a ride, and our boss is clueless to it.
What he's doing (HE owns Fulltech, a full service print shop), but he's outsourcing to another company and trying to convert a 4/4 to a 4/2 to cut his cost.
His guys aren't working on itI am, and then he will add an addt'l BS charge and invoice us for the cost of a 4/4 (he's done it before).
Didn't try Illustrator. Is there a way in Acrobat?


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

Sounds like a strange racket they are running; usually 2 spots would cost more than 4 color would. And it sounds like you need a new print vendor. 

I don't know if Acrobat can do it, but I know Illustrator can. If you copy then 'paste in place' you won't have to line up the registration by hand. 

Converting the 2 spots to CMYK is as easy as selecting those colors as cmyk in illustrator and saving out a new pdf. If he's charging you for that then he's got a screw loose.


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

I'm going to try this, but 'copy' from what? The Quark file? From the PDF?
When I opened the PDF in Ill. it only showed me the first page (the cyan plate).
I'm not clear on how to do this in Ill.


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

Oh yeah, and good point about the 2 spots being more expensive. I'm going to bring that up right now.


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

You have to open one page at a time in Illustrator. If it's only the back page you're concerned with (the one with the 2 spot plates) then just open those pages/separations and convert the colors to CMYK.

When you open multiple-page pdfs in illustrator a dialog box comes up asking you which page you want to open.


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

mspain77 said:


> Oh yeah, and good point about the 2 spots being more expensive. I'm going to bring that up right now.



What spot colors are you using? (give me the exact pms numbers)


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

Okay, that's what I've been trying. I had to first create a new document the same size and copy and paste the first page to it so that when I tried to open the document again it would allow me the options of which page to import. Before that it just figured that I already had it open.


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

Yep.


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

mspain77 said:


> Oh yeah, and good point about the 2 spots being more expensive. I'm going to bring that up right now.



Your print vendor (get a new printer quick! I have plenty of local options for you around So Cal/SD) can rip pantones to cmyk pretty easily and shouldn't have to require additional work from you for that.

One more thing, make sure you don't have any colors set to overprint that you don't want overprinting. Select an object in illustrator and view Attributes.


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

OKay. I just finished making that PDF, and I selected for the color to convert to destination, destination being CMYK, but it's still a grayscale PDF when I view it.
????


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

You have to select all of each pantone color at once, then double click the pantone color swatch and change to CMYK. (which PMS colors are you using?)

Do this for both pantones and save the illustrator as pdf. Don't do any exporting, or other converting etc.


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

Is this the printer you're referring to?
http://fulltech.net/


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

Yep.


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

Nice site, huh?.


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

Oh my GOD! If their site is any indication of their quality. Have you ever used http://www.modernpostcard.com? They are pretty good. I can also give you a print vendor I use in Clairemont Mesa, Print and Copy Center; ask for Steve and tell him Nathaniel sent you. He takes PO's:

http://local.yahoo.com/details?fr=d...5IVEXyhMsB99IguZBNhwQ_dBgykNeZlFxbLR3lAYnnzI-

If he can't do the job, he usually knows who can.


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

HA! Yeah, I know, and sadly it is.
Thanks for the suggestions. I have already shown my creative director, as she is fed up with this too.
We will be approaching the managing director soon, as our direct mail campaigns are growing exponentially. 
I actually interviewed with Modernpostcard twice (obviously didn't get it , but that's okay). Carlsbad, right? I know they do good work. That's a definite option.
Thanks again bro.
Oh yeah, any answer as to why that PDF looks grayscale?


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

Okay, I found your answer. WHen I imported each page in individually, they showed up as grayscale, which most of the sep. files I create do.


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## Natobasso (Feb 21, 2007)

All separations are actually grayscale when you output them. Exactly.

I have applied at Modern Postcard too and gotten no response, so don't feel bad. There's a lot of turnover there so don't feel any loss over it.


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## mspain77 (Feb 21, 2007)

Okay, but how then do I convert what I import into Illustrator to show as a CMYK composite PDF? The color mode is set to CMYK, the the info color info seems to be lost.
I was under the impression that when I placed all pages on top of each other individualy and saved as a composite PDF that Illustrator would know to fill in the color info from the postcript plates.


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