Graphic Designers... When you export your artwork to PDF, does this automatically make the images CMYK?

I’ve been told by prepress to always convert the images to CMYK before creating the PDF – I think the PDF itself registers as CMYK, but the image still reads as RGB, thus creating problems. I’ve had printers call me in a panic on week-ends because there’s been some RGB element in a CMYK PDF page, rendering it useless. So while it seems like a pain in the arse, I don’t think it’s a waste. :)

Thanks! You’ve confirmed what I suspected.

If you can, use a CMYK compiler like Photoshop or Illustrator to create your layout, which will ensure that all elements share the same colour space.

If not, then unfortunately all artwork needs to be CMYK.

InDesign can convert all images to CMYK as well as setting a color profile on the fly as it exports a PDF. Check File—> Export to PDF… and save a custom setting if you like.