Pantone bug?

[Steve Rickaby]

At 12:28 -0400 27/7/07, Kenneth C. Benson wrote:

>I'm confused. What does it matter what the CMYK conversion is? PMS 164 is a printer's ink mix and there's nothing you can do on your computer to change that mix.

Thanks Kenneth...

Quite. However, if you change the spec in FrameMaker to 'correct' the mix, it drops the ink name and you get 4-plate in the PDF [quite properly, by its rules]. If I keep the ink name and its corresponding naff CMYK definition, the roughs look ghastly because what should be one color is two: one 'Pantone 164' in FrameMaker and another in the illustrations.

>If you're going to print a spot color, then you need a spot color plate. It's nice if that plate has the right name on it, but it's not even necessary. You can make a color and call it "Steve's Purple" and then tell the printer to use PMS 164 for Steve's Purple.

I appreciate that you are absolutely correct, in theory. However, in the real world, at least here with UK publishers, printing is often done in places like Croatia or China [two real examples]. Communication, particularly over technical issues, is often sub-optimal, and it is critical to get everything right before going to press.

>If you're going to print process color, then use the CMYK mix that you like, and forget about PMS 164.

4-plate not allowed: cost. PMS 164 is publisher's choice for spot color.

>Or am I missing something? Are you printing 5-color?

No, 2-color.

-- 
Steve