Output preview in Acrobat

[fredfish]

We have used this dialog often to check colors i PDFs. But I soon noticed that this isn't always reliable. Because it's just a CMYK simulation, so if the files were RGB, it would appear as CMYK.

Anyway, I am now one step further in this mess (!), so my question is:
I have a file that has embedded ISO Coated v2 300%. I know this 'cause I created the file, but how can I "color-sample" PDF-files in Output Preview when I don't know what profile is used? Costumers usually have no clue, so it's up to me then.


Thanks,

Erik

[leonardr]

We have used this dialog often to check colors i PDFs. But I soon noticed that this isn't always reliable. Because it's just a CMYK simulation, so if the files were RGB, it would appear as CMYK.

That is ONLY if you choose a CMYK profile as the proofing profile. At the top of the window is a popup menu from which you can choose what profile to use to proof the document- including RGB and Gray. It's your choice.

Anyway, I am now one step further in this mess (!), so my question is:
I have a file that has embedded ISO Coated v2 300%. I know this 'cause I created the file, but how can I "color-sample" PDF-files in Output Preview when I don't know what profile is used? Costumers usually have no clue, so it's up to me then.

Don't know what mess you mean - everything here is perfectly logical.

WHERE in teh file is the profile embedded? Is it a source profile on one or more objects? Is it a PDF/X OutputIntent? Is it a DefaultCMYK profile on one or more pages? there are many ways to "embed" a profile in a PDF and each is treated differently. So since you created the file, what did you do?

"Color sampling" will work according to the rules of PDF and ICC. Same as it always has been.

[Lukas Engqvist]

The output preview has several tools to validate your file.

If the customer has embedded an output intent it will be selected in Acrobat 9 and appear at the top of the list of profiles in the output preview box.

You can select to see device CMYK, not deveice CMYK etc to find out wich objects are colour managed and wich are processed.

There is also the ink limit wich is may give you a clue, but in the end many files are an intelegent guess, or ask the creator.

[fredfish]

Don't know what mess you mean - everything here is perfectly logical.

To me it's not. Why do you think I ask?

[Lukas Engqvist]

Fred? Your last post confuses me. You say it is not logical, but I do not see a clear question.
I still do not see what you ask is not reliable.

If you are proofing output it will simulate what will happen to and output. It does so reliably. If you simulate output to a gray device you will see RGB and CMYK as gray. If you simulate to a CMYK advice you will see what CMYK values you get and to and RGB device you can get RGB values. Have not seen it unreliable.
If you have embeded ICC in CMYK you will see colour managed representation, that means numbers are not honoured since that is why you embedded the ICC, isn't it?
As leonard so clearly said there is the output intent tag that is there for the specific purpose of telling the next person what target you were aiming for when you created your PDF. If you have an output intent Acrobat will use this intent to simulate the appearance wether you use the reader or Acrobat pro, wich is why the X standards ought to be more widely adopted.