PDF Preflight includes some color condition detection and correction parameters that are not available in the ColorConvert section of the refine process template.
Preflight reports include color information based on both the settings in the ColorConvert section of the refine process template and the preflight options that you select in the Preflight Editor.
Process & RGB
A non press color is used
Determines whether the PDF file contains specific colors in the text, line art, and in pixel images that use one or more of the following color models:
- RGB
- Calibrated Gray
- Calibrated RGB
- LAB
- ICC Based
Pattern or indexed color is used
Determines whether the PDF file contains an indexed color space. Select Pattern or indexed color is used to select colors from a color map or color table in another color space. An indexed color space can considerably reduce the amount of data required to represent a sampled image.
Shading is used
Determines whether pattern shading is used in the PDF file
Ink coverage is lower than
Determines whether there is enough ink coverage in the PDF file to register on the plate. The default is 4%. You cannot type a value less than 0 or greater than 3200.
To restrict ink coverage detection within a bounding box, select the Restrict to elements within check box, and then select media box, crop box, trim box, art box, or bleed box.
Optionally, you can select Ignore colorant "All" to ignore the registration color.
Note: The Ignore colorant "All" setting applies to both high and low coverage. If you select it when checking for low ink coverage, it will also apply if you select the Ink coverage is higher than check box.
Select the Detect image ink coverage check box to define a minimum area of connected pixels that must be below the ink coverage limit before an error is triggered. Then, use the Sample area size box and unit list to define a square area of connected pixels. You can type a value between 0 and 3.5 inch or 9 cm, depending on the unit that was selected in the preferences.
Ink coverage is higher than
Determines whether the PDF file contains too many combined inks to produce a given color. You cannot type a value less than 0 or greater than 3200.
To restrict ink coverage detection within a bounding box, select the Restrict to elements within check box, and then select media box, crop box, trim box, art box, or bleed box.
Optionally, you can select Ignore colorant "All" to ignore the registration color.
Note: The Ignore colorant "All" setting applies to both high and low coverage. If you select it when checking for high ink coverage, it will also apply if you select the Ink coverage is lower than check box.
Select the Detect image ink coverage check box to define a minimum area of connected pixels that must exceed the ink coverage limit before an error is triggered. Then, use the Sample area size box and unit list to define the side length of the square area of connected pixels. You can type a value between 0 and 3.5 inch or 9 cm, depending on the unit that was selected in the preferences. If the average ink coverage of the pixels is above the limit, an error will be triggered.
RGB Black or CMYK Black is used
Determines whether the PDF file contains any black that is mixed from RGB or CMYK.
To convert black to grayscale, select the Fix check box.
RGB Gray or CMYK Gray is used
Determines whether the PDF file contains any gray that is mixed from RGB or CMYK.
To convert gray to grayscale, select the Fix check box.
Impure CMYK Black is used (sum of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow exceeds 70%)
Determines whether the PDF file contains any impure black. Black produced when the sum of cyan, magenta, and yellow inks exceed 70% is considered impure.
To convert the impure black to pure CMYK black, select the Fix check box.
Impure CMYK Gray is used (equal and non-zero amounts of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow)
Determines whether the PDF file contains any impure gray. Gray produced by equal amounts of cyan, magenta, and yellow is considered impure.
To convert the impure gray to shades of black ink only, select the Fix check box.
Spot Color
Spot color is used
Identifies painted spot colors in the PDF file.
To restrict spot color detection within a bounding box, select the Restrict to elements within check box, and then select media box, crop box, trim box, art box, or bleed box.
Spot color definition is ambiguous
Determines when two spot colors use the same name but have different alternate color space (ACS) values or different recipes (for example, CMYK equivalents) in the PDF file.
To repair the ambiguous spot colors, select the Fix check box. PDF Preflight uses the spot color with L*a*b* ACS, then CMYK ACS, then gray ACS, and finally RGB ACS. If the spot colors use the same ACS, PDF Preflight uses the first instance of the spot color and applies that instance to all other spot colors with the same name.
Spot color suffix is not
Determines specific PANTONE spot color name endings in the PDF file. In the list, you can select C, CV, CVC, CVS, CVU, CVP, or U.
For example, if you select Spot color suffix is not: CV, PDF Preflight checks the PDF file for spot color suffixes that are not CV. To change the name endings to CV, select the Fix check box.
Use this option to ensure that identical PANTONE spot colors appear on the same separation, even if they originally had different name endings.
Spot color has an alternative color space other than CMYK or Gray
Identifies spot colors with an ACS definition other than CMYK or gray in the PDF file.
Number of separations
Determines the number of separations in the PDF file and compares it to a number that you specify. To specify the number of separations, select a setting in the Options: Is list, and type a number in the adjacent box.
To not count CMYK colors, select the Do not count colors (C,M,Y,K) check box.
To not count All colors, select the Do not count All check box.
To not count a separation that you specify, select the Do not count check box, and type the name of the separation in the adjacent box.
To restrict spot color detection within a bounding box, select the Restrict to elements within check box, and select media box, crop box, trim box, art box, or bleed box.
Rendering Parameters
Custom transfer curve used for images
Determines whether the PDF file contains a custom transfer curve. A custom transfer curve adjusts the values of color components in the file to compensate for the output device and the human eye. The transfer curve can be text and line art, images, or any other element.
To add or remove a custom transfer curve, select the Fix check box, and select Apply Transfer curve or Remove Transfer curve. To apply a transfer curve, the curve must use CMYK or a spot color, and PDF Preflight profile must use color management.
Custom halftone curve is used
Determines whether the PDF file contains a custom halftone curve. A custom halftone curve defines characteristics such as screen angle, frequency, screen shape, and proprietary screen names. Screen information is applicable to RIPs that convert data to bitmaps.
To remove a custom halftone curve, select the Fix check box.
Under Color Removal function is used
Determines whether the PDF file contains an under-color-removal function. An under-color-removal function reduces the amounts of cyan, magenta, and yellow to compensate for the amount of black that was added by black generation.
To remove the under-color-removal function, select the Fix check box.
Rendering intent for text and line art are not
Determines whether the rendering intent for the text and line art is not one of the on-screen settings. In the Options list, select one of the following settings:
Absolute Colorimetric
Colors are solely represented using the light source. No correction is made for the output medium's white point. For example, an output medium's white point might be the color of paper with no print marks on it.
Relative Colorimetric
Colors are represented using a combination of the light source and the output medium's white point.
Perceptual
Colors are represented in a way that provides a pleasing perceptual appearance.
Saturation
Colors are represented in a way that preserves or emphasizes saturation.
The rendering intent influences the conversion from device-independent color spaces to a target color space.
To change the rendering intent setting, select the Fix check box. For example, if you selected Absolute Colorimetric and PDF Preflight detects that text and line art are not set to Absolute Colorimetric in the PDF file, PDF Preflight changes the text and line art when you select the Fix check box.
Rendering intent for images is not
Determines whether the rendering intent for images in the PDF file is not one of the on-screen options. In the Options list, select one of the following options:
- Absolute Colorimetric
- Relative Colorimetric
- Perceptual
- Saturation
To change the rendering intent setting, select the Fix check box. For example, if you selected Absolute Colorimetric in the Options list and PDF Preflight detects that images are not set to Absolute Colorimetric in the PDF file, PDF Preflight changes them to Absolute Colorimetric when you select the Fix check box.
Rendering intent is used
Preflight detects the use of the rendering intent operator in the content stream and reports its use.
Black generation curve is used
Determines whether the PDF file uses the black generation curve, which calculates the level of black to use when converting RGB colors to CMYK.
To remove the black generation function, select the Fix check box.
Detect if Halftone phase is used
PDF Preflight detects whether the PDF file contains halftone phases.
To remove all halftone phases, select the Fix check box.
ICC Profiles
Text and line art <list> tagged with ICC profile
Determines whether the PDF file is tagged with an ICC profile for text, line art, and images.
To determine whether the PDF file contains text and line art that are tagged with an ICC profile, click Text and Line Art above the Detect area. Select Text and line art, and in the adjacent list, select are or are not.
To determine whether the PDF file contains images that are tagged with an ICC profile, click Images above the Detect area. Select Images and in the adjacent list, select are or are not.
To change the ICC profile, select the Fix check box, and select one of the following settings:
- Select Remove ICC profile to remove the embedded ICC profile from the PDF file.
- Tag with source ICC profile to add a source ICC profile to the PDF file. In the Source ICC Profiles area, select one or more of the following profiles:
- CMYK
- RGB
- Gray
In the adjacent list, select a profile.
Multi Channel
NChannel color space is used
PDF Preflight detects whether a PDF file uses NChannel color spaces.
Separation None color space is used
PDF Preflight detects whether a PDF file uses separartion None color spaces.