Output preview question

[ascenta]

I design a good deal of literature for my company, usually all CMYK. I am now noticing many PDF documents from other companies have listed in the Output Preview several spot colors in addition to CMYK values.

I guess it's a simple question, but does this mean they are printing the standard 4-color process plus 5 additional PMS colors (when there are 5 Panton colors listed)?? That seems like it would cost a fortune. Thanks

[DCurry]

It could mean they are printing with PMS colors (you're right - it would definitely cost more, and usually if a job is printing in process plus spots, it would only be 1 or 2 spots for special logo colors or inks that just don't reproduce well with CMYK).

The more likely culprit is a lazy or ignorant designer who didn't take the time to build the job properly or just didn't know how to. From a prepress standpoint, it's not such a big deal because I can just tell my rip to convert all colors to process. It would be more problematic if they wanted it to print in spot colors, but only used process colors in the layout because then everything would have to be corrected before going to the rip.

[ascenta]

Thanks, that makes sense. I'm just looking here at some PDF docuemnts in 4-color plus something rediculous like 6 PMS colors, and don't understand why they would design something that way. It's just different colors on a seating chart for a stadium. But they can be simply converted anyway like you said.

[Lukas Engqvist]

There are several reaons why you might have a spot colour:
1) you intend to print a spot colour
2) you didn't do your homework and expect someone else to clean the mess you made
3) You actually want a specific colour and found have communicated with your service provider who uses named colour books to find the best spectral matching of your colours using the Pantone 2005 books

well probably more but those are the basic ones I come accross ;-P

Lukas