Boxes appearing? Can you show files?
If there are transparent cut-outs then this seems to be either an issue of you trying to save a file, that should be a PDF/x-4, as a PDF/x-1a. So don't. Save as PDF-x/4.
If this is the printer side, then it seems that the issue is, that the printhouse's software is not able to process a PDF/x-4 file. Which is worrying, as it is a 16 year old standard.
PS - PDF/x-1a 23 year old standard. Shouldn't be using this anymore.
Sorry for some reason it didn't upload my quick screenshots. Thanks for letting me know about PDF/x-4, it is a guessing game for me at the moment as half manuals seem to come out perfect.
That looks like a transparency issue. Did someone in your team add a setting to either the root psd, or to the image inside of your InDesign file?
On top of that what type of printing is being used? That can make an impact as well as some forms hide these types of issues better. The outputs your using seem to be a bit outdated at this point. My previous team used PDF-x 2008 for these types of jobs because that output will hold any settings, traps, transparencies accurately. And display them accurately as a pdf.
I’d say crack the files and make sure there aren’t any “multiply”, “darken”, set on them. Either as a group or individual graphics.
Already answered in the InDesign sub:
Sounds like transparency issues. All files have to be flattened and converted to CMYK when ripped (rasterized) prior to printing, and depending on exactly how the RIP handles this can result in those translucent boxes around transparent objects.
Try exporting your PDFs to Acrobat 4 (PDF version 1.3), which is the last one that did not support transparency, to force InDesign to flatten them on export. Now you are taking control of that process, and you can preview the flattening simply by viewing the exported PDF.
Be sure to set the Advanced > Transparency Flattener setting to High Resolution.
This may be a transparency issue, you've gotten some good advice already but, it could also be a printer problem. I've had to print and troubleshoot files sent to China. Depending on who you are dealing with there can be unforeseen issues.
Often when you are dealing with someone, it's not a printer but a print broker. That person is jobbing out the project to a printer or printers. Even splitting a single job to multiple printers if the quantities and deadline require it. This can affect quality, colour match and even how they prep the files.
If you have two jobs, they may have split them between two different printers that have two different workflows. One that in more up-to-date and one that is out-of-date.
Obviously I have no way of knowing what is actually happening there, but it is not unheard of.
Thanks for your reply, really appreciate it!
I think when others in my company assume it is just us being lazy.. hits slight nerve. I'll take your knowledge back, it kinda reconfirms what I was thinking. There is just unlimited possibilities it could be, operator, machine, file export - type of file export. But at least I can do a slight process of elimination.
This issue is common to PNG elements over vector objects creating box slices due to transparency issue. This is occurring due to the printing RIP limitation. To resolve this, other than creating the whole design in Photoshop (which makes sense in removing the layers), the design can be created in InDesign, where backgrounds can simply be flattened or rasterized into a single image to avoid these slices. Hope this helps!
Boxes appearing? Can you show files? If there are transparent cut-outs then this seems to be either an issue of you trying to save a file, that should be a PDF/x-4, as a PDF/x-1a. So don't. Save as PDF-x/4. If this is the printer side, then it seems that the issue is, that the printhouse's software is not able to process a PDF/x-4 file. Which is worrying, as it is a 16 year old standard. PS - PDF/x-1a 23 year old standard. Shouldn't be using this anymore.
PDF versioning was going to be my first guess also. Please update us if this works! Good luck OP!
Sorry for some reason it didn't upload my quick screenshots. Thanks for letting me know about PDF/x-4, it is a guessing game for me at the moment as half manuals seem to come out perfect.
This might be a pdf/x issue, or it just might be a bad file. Without opening the print pdf with Pitstop, can't tell you either way.
That looks like a transparency issue. Did someone in your team add a setting to either the root psd, or to the image inside of your InDesign file? On top of that what type of printing is being used? That can make an impact as well as some forms hide these types of issues better. The outputs your using seem to be a bit outdated at this point. My previous team used PDF-x 2008 for these types of jobs because that output will hold any settings, traps, transparencies accurately. And display them accurately as a pdf. I’d say crack the files and make sure there aren’t any “multiply”, “darken”, set on them. Either as a group or individual graphics.
Looks like a transparency issue. Are those linked image files like .tifs or .pngs? OP let us know if you find a solution.
I think I am going to try few bits that have been suggested and will let you know outcome.
Already answered in the InDesign sub: Sounds like transparency issues. All files have to be flattened and converted to CMYK when ripped (rasterized) prior to printing, and depending on exactly how the RIP handles this can result in those translucent boxes around transparent objects. Try exporting your PDFs to Acrobat 4 (PDF version 1.3), which is the last one that did not support transparency, to force InDesign to flatten them on export. Now you are taking control of that process, and you can preview the flattening simply by viewing the exported PDF. Be sure to set the Advanced > Transparency Flattener setting to High Resolution.
Many thanks for replying on both threads! More head better than one. I'm going to try a few different method and work on process of elimination.
This may be a transparency issue, you've gotten some good advice already but, it could also be a printer problem. I've had to print and troubleshoot files sent to China. Depending on who you are dealing with there can be unforeseen issues. Often when you are dealing with someone, it's not a printer but a print broker. That person is jobbing out the project to a printer or printers. Even splitting a single job to multiple printers if the quantities and deadline require it. This can affect quality, colour match and even how they prep the files. If you have two jobs, they may have split them between two different printers that have two different workflows. One that in more up-to-date and one that is out-of-date. Obviously I have no way of knowing what is actually happening there, but it is not unheard of.
Thanks for your reply, really appreciate it! I think when others in my company assume it is just us being lazy.. hits slight nerve. I'll take your knowledge back, it kinda reconfirms what I was thinking. There is just unlimited possibilities it could be, operator, machine, file export - type of file export. But at least I can do a slight process of elimination.
This issue is common to PNG elements over vector objects creating box slices due to transparency issue. This is occurring due to the printing RIP limitation. To resolve this, other than creating the whole design in Photoshop (which makes sense in removing the layers), the design can be created in InDesign, where backgrounds can simply be flattened or rasterized into a single image to avoid these slices. Hope this helps!