How to globally set K100% to overprint?

I have some InDesign (CS2 %26amp; CS3) files which consist of text setup as K100% and various tint values such as K70%, K50, K30%, etc. Some of the text are placed on top of color panels. I would like to perform a global change of K100% to overprint whereas the rest of the tint values to knockout.

I tried using find/change function, first make a global change from [Black] (without defining any tint value) to [Black] (also without defining any tint value) overprint check OFF. This has successfully set all the [Black] to knock out including K100%.

I then thought of using find/change function again to make another change from [Black], tint 100% to [Black], tint 100%, overprint ON. But this time, it prompts 0 replacement.

Can someone help me to resolve this issue? Thanks in advance!

How to globally set K100% to overprint?

There's nothing to do. ID will overprint the 100% k by default. Tint the swatch and it will knock out.

Bob

How to globally set K100% to overprint?

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I tried creating an ID document with K100% Text and K50% Text, found both are knockout!

In fact, not only [Black]. It also happen on Spot color which I only need the Spot color 100% to overprint but the rest of its tint values should be knock out.

Please advise.

Check your prefeences for the ''appearance of balck'' settings. Default is to overprint 100% [Black] swatch, but you may have changed that. Also, it only works with the default [Black] -- a copy will knock out.

For your spot colors or anything other than the default [Black], you must set overprints individually using the Attributes Panel.

Thank you Peter for your prompt reply.

I do have the preference checked, but it could be damaged.

But as for Spot text that I mentioned, I will like to have a global overprint change for Spot 100% only. Attributes require too much works and may easily overlook some of them.

As part of a paragraph or character style you can set overprint in the Character Color section.

Thank you, Peter.

Most of the time we received ID documents from our clients without proper setings. Normally no proper paragraph or character styles are being setup. Therefore, we always like to use find/change to modify the overprint settings.

I am still awaiting someone to advise me on this issue.

Thanks!

Bob is correct. When you change the Black to a tint it sets it to Knockout.

You can view this happening if you go to Window%26gt;Output%26gt;Separations Preview.

You will need to be in Overprint Preview (View%26gt;Overprint Preview) to view the Separations.

Peter has also told you how to apply an overprint via the the Paragraph and Character Styles options. If you need to create a new swatch and apply that in a character style to your text then you should.

If you don't have styles, I suppose you could simply set the overprint inthe character color section of the change format options in Find/Change, but in all honesty, you are just digging the hole deeper by doing everything as local formatting.

Just because your authors don't know how to use styles (that's the norm -- ask anyone here) is no reason for you noit to set them up inthe document and spend a few minutes applying them. All of our long-doc regulars use scripts (but you can do it manually) that look for character formatting they want to preserve and apply character styles to that, then they remove all local overrides and apply paragraph sstyles as appropriate. Using styles makes editing a snap and reduces the likelihood that you'll forget or miss something.

Two questions:

Do you have any TINTED or WHITE text?

Do you have text NOT in a none colored box?

If all text is solid and in none box, and you want all this solid text to overprint, you can set the text box to darken blend mode to achieve your text overprint.

I would ONLY use this method in a simple design, otherwise it's not advisable.

Here is another unconventional solution:

The goal is for all tints to knock out, and all solids to overprint? Then there is a way you can set everything to overprint, but still KO your tints!

You have to create multi-ink swatches for your tints. For example 20% Pantone 295, you need it to KO? Create a multi-ink swatch that is 20% 295, and 0% of ALL other inks (you must set them to 0, don't leave them blank).

You can use this swatch, set the object to overprint, but it won't really overprint.

The trick is making sure all the tints are colored using the proper swatch, throughout the document. Then make everything overprint. Don't add new inks afterwards, otherwise your multi inks would overprint them.

This solution is very unorthodox, but I present it mainly because you expressed your concern about overlooking the overprint attribute. With this method you overprint everything, everywhere. You are using swatches to achieve your knock outs, which may somehow be easier.

Whatever method you use, make sure you use Overprint Preview as previously mentioned, to check behind yourself. It is very, very easy to accidentally have something overprinting which is not supposed to overprint. By enabling and disabling Overprint Preview you are more likely to see this, it will jump out at you.

It's funny, thinking back to Pagemaker I believe you could make a swatch overprint globally. InDesign does not have that feature. As pointed out the only color with the global overprint preference is Black.

Thank you, Printer_Rick.

Do you have any TINTED or WHITE text?

Do you have text NOT in a none colored box?

It is fairly easy to script. If you're on a Mac this Applescript should work:

http://www.zenodesign.com/scripts/Overprint.zip

There are 2 scripts one overprints all tints of the selected color, the other just 100%. Test it thoroughly before using in production.

If you're not on a Mac you could check the scripting forum for a Javascript.

Thank you for the reference AS, Rob.

In fact, my intention is to get AS to perform the job. But some how, I am stuck in the fill tint 100 and it is not achievable manually too. This is why I post it here to seek for help!

I have gone through your AS and trying it out but no luck, it still not be able to achieve the task. The problem still falls in this line not being accepted by ID:

set fill tint of find text preferences to 100

I don't know anything about applescript, but I'd bet the problem is the word tint. ID does not consider 100% to be a tint.

Try using?set fill of find text preferences to 100

Sorry, the line needs to be:

set fill tint of find text preferences to -1

I accidently posted a test version of the script that used 100.

Try this:

http://www.zenodesign.com/scripts/Overprint2.zip

Peter, AS has a color property閳ユ敃et fill color閳ユ攣nd a separate tint property閳ユ敃et fill tint

Great job, rob day!

May I know why -1 is used to represent solid instead of 100? And how do you able to figure it out?

Thanks again!

It's in the ID dictionary under Layout Suite%26gt;page item%26gt;fill tint