PUB2000: Some Colors in EPS Graphics Don't Separate Correctly to Non-PostScript Printers (218655)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Publisher 2000

This article was previously published under Q218655

SYMPTOMS

If you print color separations from Microsoft Publisher 2000 to a non-PostScript printer, certain colors in imported EPS files may not separate correctly. For example, if your EPS file contains a rich black made by mixing 30% Cyan and 100% Black, the objects with that color will only appear on the Black plate, when you print separations. Similarly, if you build a shade of gray by mixing equal amounts of each color of ink (20% Cyan, 20% Magenta, 20% Yellow, and 20% Back, for example), objects in that color will also appear on the Black plate.

CAUSE

When you import an EPS graphic into Publisher, Publisher creates a preview of the graphic to display on screen. When you print your publication to a non-PostScript printer, Publisher separates the color of the preview, not the actual PostScript code.

The preview image that Publisher creates stores colors using the RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) color space. If the original graphic contains CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and black) colors, those colors are converted to RGB.

When you print color separations of a page that contains EPS graphics to a non-PostScript printer, Publisher converts the RGB colors of the preview into CMYK. For example, if your EPS graphic contains a box that is filled with 30% Cyan and 100% Black, the preview that Publisher creates is filled with 0 Red, 0 Green, and 0 Blue. Then, when it separates the color of that picture, Publisher converts it to 100% Black.

RESOLUTION

If your publication contains EPS images, you will get the best results printing color separations to a PostScript printer.

MORE INFORMATION

PostScript is a page description language developed and maintained by Adobe Systems, Inc. Practically all professional imaging devices (and many desktop printers) can use this page description language.

Encapsulated PostScript is a graphics format that is also developed and maintained by Adobe Systems, Inc. This graphics format is designed specifically to print to printers that can use the PostScript page description language. This format is not designed to print well to any other kind of printer.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:7/31/2001
Keywords:kbbug kbcmyk kbPostScript kbprb kbprepress kbsep KB218655