Overprint

[JTC1]

Good Afternoon, I was wondering if anyone is able to give me a steer on ArcGIS Pro overprint settings. I want to make a single layer of my map overprint and export that to PDF to send to a printing company. I have been able to do that by exporting my map as a PDF to an orienteering software program called Purple Pen that will create the final layer for me. Exporting from that program automatically includes overprint of the purple layer shown in the clip as a double circle. 

However, I'd like to do this in ArcGIS Pro. In the other program, I can't control the label font or label placement. Does anyone have any experience of making ArcGIS Pro do this?

I've seen the help files about overprint, but the output to PDF from ArcGIS Pro doesn't seem to capture the overprint settings or produce anything that looks like the attached?

[DavidPike]

Have you simulated Overprinting on the export options? Export to PDF—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

[JTC1]

Hello David, yes I have tried that. It doesn't seem to do anything. I've found something about how conversion to PDF can mess up overprint settings for orienteering from other software. https://condes.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Overprint-effect-on-a-printer.pdf . This and other documents that refer to overprint settings for orienteering do not refer to ArcGIS because it isn't used much by club level mappers. I was wondering if it was suffering from a similar problem though and something was going wrong as the map is flattened as part of exporting to PDF?

[JesseWickizer · Accepted solution]

Ensure your map is using CMYK color model. Go to the map properties, and on the Color Management tab change the Color model to CMYK.

If the map is exported from a Layout, ensure that the layout is also using the CMYK Color model (Layout properties > Color Management tab > Color model).

Leave the Simulate overprint setting in the PDF export unchecked to retain the overprinting attributes of your vector data. Print your PDF to view how the printer interprets the overprinting settings you've applied to your map. Alternatively, use a PDF viewer that has an overprint preview. 

Using the Simulate overprint setting in the PDF export options will convert your vector data to raster and give the appearance of the final overprinted map, but is best for proofing. 

[JTC1]

Thanks that fixed it. I had a couple of faults your guide help to cure. I'm making a series of maps and layers. One of my layers had an RGB colour model in the layer properties although the project was set to CMYK. Also when sharing to PDF I was applying the simulate overprint setting to some but not all of my layers using the radio button. Both faults were making some of the colouring within the series look quite inconsistent, it's looking much better now. Thanks for the help.