Flexi color on gradient when mirrored

[CKCUSTOMKC]

Hey all,

I am sitting here screaming at this one. I have a pdf file with a gradient over the whole thing. Can someone help explain why flexi is shifting the gradient darker when I try to mirror the pdf inside of the flexi platform? I need to print some extra for a wrap I'm doing and the person who set the files up is from an outside company and is also no longer with that company, on top of that the dradient was set up in a terrible way and has been rather difficult to work with so far.

Basically I'm needing to mirror over the horizontal axis and flexi is causing the gradient to be darker. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Edit: putting pdf into illustrator also cause color to shift

 

[weyandsign]

Yeah the gradient isn't moving with the image. You will need to drag-adjust the gradient manually after mirroring it.

 

[Steenland]

You can always try the oldest workaround in the book: open the PDF in Photoshop and convert it to a high-res bitmap. It's harder for a RIP to get confused by basic bitmap data.

 

[CKCUSTOMKC]

You can always try the oldest workaround in the book: open the PDF in Photoshop and convert it to a high-res bitmap. It's harder for a RIP to get confused by basic bitmap data.

That sounds like an amazing idea

 

[CKCUSTOMKC]

Yeah the gradient isn't moving with the image. You will need to drag-adjust the gradient manually after mirroring it.

So I thought about that as well and tired to move everything separately and that didn't work either. I think the photoshop route might be the way I go for a quick fix. The files were built horribly and at this point iv reprinted everything already wasting a ton of time and material.

 

[CKCUSTOMKC]

You can always try the oldest workaround in the book: open the PDF in Photoshop and convert it to a high-res bitmap. It's harder for a RIP to get confused by basic bitmap data.

So import the pdf. Save as a high resolution bitmap, and save as the bitmap and then import the bitmap to flexi and then mirror the bitmap? Did I get those steps right?

 

[Steenland]

So import the pdf. Save as a high resolution bitmap, and save as the bitmap and then import the bitmap to flexi and then mirror the bitmap? Did I get those steps right?

Yes. I would save the file as an uncompressed TIFF. (Flexi can accept TIFF files, right?) Then just run it through Flexi the same as you were doing with the PDF.

The file size will most likely be larger than the PDF, but it's a much simpler file. No fonts, no transparency, no layers, and minimal metadata.

 

[CKCUSTOMKC]

Yes. I would save the file as an uncompressed TIFF. (Flexi can accept TIFF files, right?) Then just run it through Flexi the same as you were doing with the PDF.

The file size will most likely be larger than the PDF, but it's a much simpler file. No fonts, no transparency, no layers, and minimal metadata.

so even mirroring the tiff file the color shifted... at this point im throwing the towel in, and giving my installer the top 1/4 of each panel and letting him line it up where he sees fit

 

[AKwrapguy]

So it could be the type of color. FLEXI gradients are frustrating to work due to the type of color used in the different types of gradient option.
One way I've handled this in the past. If it's a vector file and gradient, open in Illustrator and find the gradient color values and make solid fills of each color.
When you open the file in Flexi you can create a new swatch color from thoes solid squares. Save them as unique name.
Use thoes new swatches to create your gradient.
There is also a good chance that the file was created in RGB and Flexi is CMYK or vice versa

 

[IsItFasst]

Hey all,

I am sitting here screaming at this one. I have a pdf file with a gradient over the whole thing. Can someone help explain why flexi is shifting the gradient darker when I try to mirror the pdf inside of the flexi platform? I need to print some extra for a wrap I'm doing and the person who set the files up is from an outside company and is also no longer with that company, on top of that the dradient was set up in a terrible way and has been rather difficult to work with so far.

Basically I'm needing to mirror over the horizontal axis and flexi is causing the gradient to be darker. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Edit: putting pdf into illustrator also cause color to shift

Curious, what version are you running? I never had this problem until 19/Cloud and just wondering if it has been fixed in the new version or still an issue. I refuse to update due to my colors being perfect now.

If a gradient is giving me a hard time in a file, I normally create a rectangle about the size I need to cover the area with the gradient, pull the color using the dropper tool (if it will pull the gradient properly) and fill in the rectangle I made with existing gradient, convert that to a bitmap, then remask using the existing shape. You may be able to skip the rectangle part and just create a bitmap of the shape (while keeping a copy for the existing mask), but sometimes you may have so weird bitmap artifacts around the edge which is why I normally just create a rectangle just slightly larger.