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I'm using InDesign and I am exporting a photo book for an online printing service (Blurb) in PDF/X-3 (I use unaltered an Export profile that they provided). In the Output tab of the Export Adobe PDF Settings, Color Conversion is set to No Color Conversion and Output Intent Profile Name is set to their provided CMYK.

The embedded photos, are RGB (in particular some sRGB and others adobeRGB)

Is there some tool (free and preferably on OSX) that would display the elements of the PDF and their respective icc profile info? I'm trying to verify that the images indeed have retained their original color profile and were not converted to CMYK

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  • Set the Colour Conversion to convert to CMYK. Or better yet, convert your photos to CMYK in PhotoShop first.
    – GoofyMonkey
    Feb 3, 2017 at 15:30
  • Thank you@GoofyMonkey! I'm not allowed to change this - The question however is whether there is some free tool that will allow me to verify that the respective RGB colorspaces of the images have been embedded in the PDF without being converted to CMYK! (given that I'm trying to create a PDF with mixed colorspaces)
    – FotisK
    Feb 3, 2017 at 15:37
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    I'm confused as to your intent with the PDF, if you are printing the document on Blurb, shouldn't everything be in CMYK? But you're right, that wasn't your question... So, there is a little preflight app called PDF Checkpoint that has a free trial (30 Days) that is really easy to use and will do exactly what you are asking to do. zevrix.com/pdfcheckpoint.php
    – GoofyMonkey
    Feb 3, 2017 at 15:52
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    that is a reasonable workflow you are suggesting! However, since I'll be doing the CMYK conversion with the generic/paper-independent icc profile provided by Blurb, I have my qualms about whether it will be a more accurate conversion than the one they do right before printing when they know the exact machine they'll be using; hence why I'm considering the RGB pathway - But it's still not settled! I appreciate your suggestion and will probably go that way if I don't get enough confidence with the mixed color-space PDF file!
    – FotisK
    Feb 3, 2017 at 16:37
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    FotisK: I say your workflow description confirms to the recommendations from modern print services. Goofmonkeys suggestion to convert before sending (if you know the exact profile that the print shop is to use) adds nothing but a small risk that something in the setup will change, so that another profile conversion has to be done at the print company, to comply with other paper or machinery/software.
    – Andreas Jansson
    Dec 20, 2017 at 12:22

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Try PDF Checkpoint, it's not free, but there is a 30 day trial that should get you through the first job. It's really easy to use and will do exactly what you are asking to do. zevrix.com/pdfcheckpoint.php

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