Knowledge Base

No Black Plate Separating Composite File on Scitex

Article ID: 198251

Article Last Modified on 12/26/1999

Microsoft Publisher 2000 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q198251

SYMPTOMS

If you try to separate a composite PostScript file created by Microsoft Publisher 2000 on a Scitex imagesetter, the Black plate may print blank.

CAUSE

Composite PostScript files from Publisher 2000 contain information in the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) color space. By default, the Scitex RIP (Raster Image Processor) software converts RGB colors to CMY (Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow) colors instead of CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) colors.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, change the color conversion preference in your RIP software from CMY to CMYK.

NOTE: Because Scitex makes several different RIP software packages, these steps are generic. For more information about this procedure, please see your Scitex documentation.

In your Scitex RIP software, open the Preferences dialog box.
Change the Color Conversion choice from CMY to CMYK.
Choose appropriate settings for Maximum Value of Black, Start of Black Generation, and UCR Reduction Factor.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

UCR stands for Under Color Removal. UCR is a technique for converting colors in the RGB color space to colors in the CMYK color space. In a UCR conversion, any color that is made up of equal amounts of RGB is converted to a percentage of black. For example, this RGB color:

   Red 128    Green 128      Blue 128

could be converted to either:

   Cyan 50%   Magenta 50%    Yellow 50%    Black 0%  (without UCR)

or:

   Cyan 0%    Magenta 0%     Yellow 0%     Black 50% (with UCR).

The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

Additional query words: pub2k pub9 scitex dolev PSM PS/M PSM2 PS/M2 Brisque 800 200 kbpress prepress pre-press imagesetter kb3rdparty kbprint

Keywords: kbinfo KB198251