KB73059374: Automation Engine - Can you apply a Dot Gain Compensation curve during Export to PDF and is it calculated

Question

Is it possible to apply a Dot Gain Compensation (DGC) curve during Export to PDF in Automation Engine? Are the curves calculated when viewing the PDF in Adobe^® Acrobat^® or other applications?

Answer

When you export a normalized PDF (or IMP file or Plato file) to PDF and use Dot Gain Compensation curves (Device tab), the curves are stored in the PDF.

These are not calculated, but they are stored as PDF standard transfer curves.

But the problem is not all applications use them.

Effect of opening the exported PDF in different applications:

Application Name	Effect
Adobe^® Acrobat^®	Opening the PDF in Adobe^® Acrobat^® will not show any difference. The curves are not calculated.
PackEdge / Automation Engine	If the use rulings, angles and dotgain compensation from Postscript file if available option is used during normalization, the curves are applied in the PDF.
ArtPro	The curves are applied after importing the PDF.
RIP	If the PDF is sent to the PDF input channel of a (any) RIP, the curves are used if the RIP permits the use of embedded curves and if the Use embedded curves option is enabled.

Special case:

When creating a PDF (screened or unscreened) using the FlexRip/P, Dot Gain Compensation curve can be used like in any other FlexRip flavor.

Here the curves are applied 'definitive' during the rip time and the data in the final PDF is altered compared to the original PDF. There's no choice to choose to use them or not. To undo the curve(s), you would need to do some tricks using inverted curve(s).

More Information

More information can be found in the Automation Engine Reference Manual.

Article information
Applies to	Automation Engine all versions BackStage all versions PackEdge all versions ArtPro all versions
Created	28-Jun-13
Last revised	30-Aug-13
Author	DOCA
CW Number

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