KB145032268: Automation Engine - Is it possible to get Esko ink book in a PDF file outside of Esko software

Question

Is it possible to get Esko ink book information in a PDF file outside of Esko software?

Answer

In the Optimize PDF Separations ticket there is an option for Update Spot Color Equivalents on the Colors tab. This will allow Esko ink book CMYK spot definitions to be retained when exporting to a standard PDF.

Update spot color equivalents: This option handles CMYK values for spot color inks. You can,

• enable this option to overwrite the CMYK values found in the file with the CMYK values stored in the ink book.
• leave this option deselected to use the CMYK values found in the file for spot color inks.

Spot Color Lookup: Use this parameter to select where to look for the spot colors' information. Choose one of the following methods:

• Look in Ink Books First: The task first looks in the ink book you defined in the Preferred Ink Book option (see Optimize PDF Separations). If it doesn't find the spot colors' information in that ink book, it then looks for it in the file.
• Look in Ink Books Only: The task only looks in the ink book you defined in the Preferred Ink Book option. If it doesn't find the spot colors’ information in that ink book, it ends in error.
• Use Colors in File: The task looks for the spot colors’ alternate color values (generally in the CMYK color space) in the file, and uses those values.

It is important to note that if spot colors are used in Opacity Masks, doing this will make the result of the Opacity Mask different, so the output will be incorrect.