TechNote (Archived)

Color images are grayscale in PDF document created by FrameMaker (Windows)

Issue

Color images are grayscale in a PDF file saved from Adobe FrameMaker for Windows.

Solutions

Do either of the following solutions:

Solution 1: Set a color printer as the default printer.

Set a color printer as the default printer; then start FrameMaker and resave the document as PDF.

Solution 2: Use the appropriate Adobe PostScript printer driver and the PPD file for your system.

Use the Adobe PostScript (AdobePS) printer driver and the PPD file recommended for your version of FrameMaker, Adobe Acrobat Distiller, and Windows. For recommendations, see document 324684 , "Recommended printer drivers for creating PDF files from FrameMaker (Mac OS)."

Background information

If you start a FrameMaker session with a black-and-white (that is, grayscale) printer set as the default printer, FrameMaker gets its printing information from that printer. PPD files for grayscale printer (for example, Hewlett Packard LaserJet printers) don't contain color printing information. PPD (PostScript Printer Description) files contain information about a printer's features, such as available memory, resolution, paper trays, ROM-resident fonts, and whether it supports color output.

FrameMaker queries the default printer at startup; consequently, if you start FrameMaker while a grayscale printer is targeted as the default, but then you specify a color printer during the FrameMaker session, FrameMaker uses the PPD file for the grayscale printer for output.