Hello Howard,

FrameMaker is tricky when it comes to color output for offset printing.
There are two challenges: 1. Defining the spot color. 2. Printing only the 
black plate and the spot-color plate.
Here is how I would do it, with no additional software.

To define the spot color:
1. Go to View > Color > Definitions... to get the Color Definitions box.
2. For Print As: choose Spot; for Model: choose CMYK.
3. Click the Color Libraries button and choose your library (probably one of 
the Pantones), choose your specific color, then click the Done button.
4. In the Color Definitions box, click the Add button.
    At this point, your spot color appears in FrameMaker's color palette, 
character designer, etc.

To produce a PDF that prints only the black plate and spot-color plate:
1. Go to File > Print.
2. Click the Printer Setup button.
    Choose the PostScript printer that your print shop specifies -- or -- the 
Adobe PDF driver which most Framers prefer.
3. Click the Separations Setup button.
4. Under Plate Assignments, move all colors to the "Don't Print" window 
except...
    Keep Black under "Print as Process" and your spot color under "Print as 
Spot."
5. Click the Halftone Screens button then click the Set button.
    (Halftone screens are critical for photos but not for a single spot color.)
6. In the Set Print Separations box, click the Set button.
7. Check the Print to File box and specify the PS file name.
8. Click the Print button to print the PS file.
9. Distill the PS file into a PDF.
    When you open the PDF, it will have two pages, one for black, one for the 
spot color.
    Typically, the print shop can make film negs or set up a digital press from 
your PDF.

I hope this helps. Wishing you success!

Daniel Doornbos
Technical Writer
Promise Technology, Inc.
408 228-1437
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Howard Rauch
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 8:52 AM
To: framers@lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Color Output Problems


Windows XP Professional
FrameMaker 7.0
Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Professional
 
For the past 10 years I have been working with a firm that manufactures steel 
decking for the construction industry. Our major output has been two catalogs 
plus two updates (4 catalogs total),  ranging from 60 to 150 pages. 
Approximately 15-20 pages is text with supporting illustrations. The remaining 
pages are tables that have a header with an illustration of the deck profile 
and the circumstance for its use. The tables, mostly on facing pages, are 
typically 12 columns x 48 rows (plus or minus). Some tables also have 
footnotes. Since our client has requested that each profile is its owwn 
discrete file, we combine as many as 50 files into a FrameMaker book. Except 
for the covers, the catalogs have been printed in black + 1 spot color. (The 
covers are prepared by others using Quark -- no problem.)
 
That one spot color is the problem. Commercial printers seem to dislike 
FrameMaker output for offset printing because, in the printers' view at least, 
Frame does a lousy job of handling color output. For the four catalogs, we have 
used three printers, and each one has had trouble with Frame's color output 
despite our setting up FrameMaker separations and Distiller to the printers' 
specifications. They claim that Frame outputs a lot of RGB color or mixes RGB 
and CMYK color. The printer also wants output to an 11x17 page, but Frame says 
the output will overlap facing pages because we use right and left master pages 
with more space on the binding edge.
 
Basically our client is looking for answers two questions: 
 
1. Is FrameMaker still the best software choice? If not, what software or 
plug-ins would you recommend?
 
2. Assuming we continue with FrameMaker, how can we avoid the color issues 
we’ve had with commercial printers?
 
I would think that many of you have encountered the same problems, and I am 
most interested in hearing how you solved them.

Howard Rauch
 
Technology Transfer, Inc.
"Linking Creators and Users of Technology"
933 North 18th Street
Manitowoc WI 54220
Office: 920-682-1528
Cell: 920-629-0080 _______________________________________________


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