11.7.1 PDF2DTP – Color Conversion Tips

Colors are converted based on their definitions in the PDF. Some colors may not look the same as when the PDF is displayed by a viewer or the colors may not be exactly equal to the colors used by the original document. This can occur for several reasons. When a PDF is generated from a document, the application will use specific PDF Output settings which may cause color conversions, such as CMYK to RGB.

*It is important to understand the effects of using an application’s Export PDF settings if you have the intention of ever wanting to convert the PDF in the future back to the same quality as the original document. Just as colors can be altered, images can be downsized to a lower resolution making it impossible to convert the preview to match the original image quality. If fonts are embedded then this too can become a huge issue if the original fonts cannot be located and activated. Therefore, it is often a good idea to learn how to Export a PDF not only for the desired destination, such as a printing device, computer screen or to display in a web browser, but also to create a high quality PDF that can be used for a much more precise conversion back to a document. The additional high quality PDF can serve as a “backup” of your document in case you ever lose it whereas having only a low quality PDF may result in conversion issues due to the limitations dictated by the original Export settings.