Color Output Problems

[Rush, Jay]

We've been using Frame for years for certain marcom pieces, particularly where the content is similar or identical to content in our technical documents. Basically, our technical marketing is in Frame, while our corporate marketing is in InDesign. We have successfully worked around Frame's RGB output by using Publi PDF, a PDF creator/print queue monitor that has a Color Optimizer. It analyzes the Frame color output and allows us to modify those colors to either CMYK or Pantone prior to distillation to PDF. It does a lot more. For instance, we have one print queue monitor set up such that, by printing to that "printer," Publi PDF creates two PDFs at the same time, both color-corrected according to our custom color definitions, one high-res using one custom Distiller joboption for our print environment, and one low-res using a different custom Distiller joboption for posting to our website. Pretty cool. Check it out at http://www.grafikhuset.net/international/.

Jay Rush


-----Original Message-----
From: framers-bounces+jrush=c-cor.com at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-bounces+jrush=c-cor.com at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Howard Rauch
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 11:52 AM
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Color Output Problems

Windows XP Professional
FrameMaker 7.0
Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Professional
 
For the past 10 years I have been working with a firm that manufactures steel decking for the construction industry. Our major output has been two catalogs plus two updates (4 catalogs total),  ranging from 60 to 150 pages. Approximately 15-20 pages is text with supporting illustrations. The remaining pages are tables that have a header with an illustration of the deck profile and the circumstance for its use. The tables, mostly on facing pages, are typically 12 columns x 48 rows (plus or minus). Some tables also have footnotes. Since our client has requested that each profile is its owwn discrete file, we combine as many as 50 files into a FrameMaker book. Except for the covers, the catalogs have been printed in black + 1 spot color. (The covers are prepared by others using Quark -- no problem.)
 
That one spot color is the problem. Commercial printers seem to dislike FrameMaker output for offset printing because, in the printers' view at least, Frame does a lousy job of handling color output. For the four catalogs, we have used three printers, and each one has had trouble with Frame's color output despite our setting up FrameMaker separations and Distiller to the printers' specifications. They claim that Frame outputs a lot of RGB color or mixes RGB and CMYK color. The printer also wants output to an 11x17 page, but Frame says the output will overlap facing pages because we use right and left master pages with more space on the binding edge.
 
Basically our client is looking for answers two questions: 
 
1. Is FrameMaker still the best software choice? If not, what software or plug-ins would you recommend?
 
2. Assuming we continue with FrameMaker, how can we avoid the color issues we’ve had with commercial printers?
 
I would think that many of you have encountered the same problems, and I am most interested in hearing how you solved them.

Howard Rauch
 
Technology Transfer, Inc.
"Linking Creators and Users of Technology"
933 North 18th Street
Manitowoc WI 54220
Office: 920-682-1528
Cell: 920-629-0080
_______________________________________________


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