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Overprinting Default is Nonzero Overprinting

Biggins
Registered: Dec 18 2006
Posts: 2

First this question is coming from a Commercial Print Environment. I was looking for an explanation to what "Overprinting Default is Nonzero Overprinting" setting is/or does. I understand the Preserve Overprint setting, where the overprint settings in your native application are preserved. I notice that most all print joboptions have both Preserve Overprint and Nonzero Overprinting turned on include PDF-X standards. Also, in GATF's PDF Print Production Guide they tell you to turn on both settings and specifically say that if you have Preserve Overprint on, then you should always have Nonzero Overprinting turned on. I was wondering what the pros/cons are to have these turned on and also turned off, and also if they would have any impact when combined with transparency.
Thank you,
Eric Biggins

My Product Information:
Acrobat 8, Windows
tedpadova
ExpertTeam
Registered: Dec 31 2005
Posts: 848
Host applications mark CYK plates and the M plate is not marked for overprinting. When the overprint parameter in PostScript is marked true, the CMYK colors do not mark. This behavior is referred to as nonzero overprinting.

You can find more detail on nonzero overprinting by searching the Internet and find technical documents from Adobe that details the PostScript code and behavior of overprinting.

ted

The author of numerous books on Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator and the Adobe Creative Suite, and an international speaker on Adobe Acrobat, Ted Padova is a well-known PDF guru.