Ensure a document is ready for 4 color printing

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If my document only uses pantone colors does this mean it is ready for 4 color printing?

Answer

“4 color” means “CMYK only.” Any Pantone solid spot colors are automatically not 4 color, because each will require its own printing plate on press.

If you check your Separations Preview (Shift-F6 or Window > Output > Separations Preview) you’ll see that there are CMYK plus spot colors. Each of these requires its own printing plate.

Separations preview with spot colors

Use InDesign’s Ink Manager to make your document CMYK.

  • Choose Ink Manager from the Swatches panel flyout menu. Notice the “Spot” icons beside each of the Pantone colors.

Ink Manager dialog

  • Check the “All Spots to Process” box.

Spots to SMYK

Notice the change in the icon by each of the spot colors, indicating that they are now being built using CMYK process colors.

Your Separations Preview now shows that only CMY and K plates will be created from the document:

Separations CMYK Only

Create your PDF from this document, and your printer will be happy.

Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : LaLa Lori , Answer Author : Alan Gilbertson

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