B/W pdf printing random colors

[Anonymous]

I'm using a 64-bit Windows 7 OS with AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017. We use a specific .ctb color palette file with which to print specific lineweights associated with the colors that are already programmed into our PDF presets. I have not changed the PDF presets, and the company hasn't changed its ctb files either, and I'm using the correct B/W palette. I'm trying to print black and white PDFs. I am using the DWG to PDF.pc3 to print but the problem I'm running into is when opening PDFs I've just created from a layout tab, exporting, or sheetset manager, I see random lines of color in the newly-created PDFs. I just updated my registered version of Acrobat DC and now can see the color on my computer. Before the Acrobat update I still saw black and white but my associates saw the color and then informed me. When I zoom in, they almost completely disappear, and sometimes appear again after zooming back out. When we print these PDFs, they are black and white as expected, but there continue to be lines of color (usually blue or yellow) in our PDFs we end up sending to clients. I have a feeling this is an Adobe issue, but if not, all suggestions welcome. Help please. 

[pendean · Accepted solution]

I cannot find any colors in your posted PDF of the elevation: can you pinpoint where they are? It also prints on paper in B/W, no colors.

As a general rule CTBs do not change the colors of objects set in the "truecolor" range: if you have these in your DwG file it is time you either change them or switch to using STB plot style tables.

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

Yes, the colors are in the bottom of the elevation under the ground plane. There are several yellow streaks. I shouldn't have any true colors in this file either, so I think this confirms for me that this is an Acrobat issue. Thank you so much for the response. 

[rkmcswain]

pendean wrote:
As a general rule CTBs do not change the colors of objects set in the "truecolor" range

It's not really "general", it's a hard fact. 🙂

All non-ACI colors (IOW, other than 1-255) will print WYSIWYG. This is actually very useful since it let's you insert color into an otherwise B/W drawing without having to make edits to a CTB file.

[stevee · Accepted solution]

The comments about .ctb are accurate, but not likely the cause of the yellow/blue streaking phenomenon.  Our office is experiencing the same problems (ACAD2018) and found that it is related to pdfs created with the DWGtoPDF.pc3 driver and viewed in Adobe Reader.  No display issues occur when the pdfs are viewed in Acrobat Pro, Bluebeam, or Edge.  Likewise, the display issues are not present when other .pc3 drivers are used to create the pdfs... although each of these drivers have their own drawbacks.  Unfortunately, many of our clients use Reader to view pdfs, which means we will have to use different pdf drivers until this item is resolved.  Please let me know if you have any additional thoughts or possible solutions.  Thanks.

[gsdice]

I"m having the same issue. It doesn't seem to be every time "dwgtopdf" is used either, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. 

[mthorneLAEWH]

I've encountered the same issue.  I've been able to correct the issue by saving the PDF to a PDF/X format using PDF-XChange Editor viewer software.  Adobe's website mentions that the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC software can "Convert files to PDF/A, PDF/E, or PDF/X files to comply with ISO standards and validate conformance."  I've attached an image of the fixes that made my document PDF/X compliant.  You can also correct the issue by printing the PDF to PDF (this must embed or remove the issues), but this method does downgrade the quality of the image and isn't a direct digital transformation.  

[Anonymous]

The problem is having lines merge turned on. As others have stated acrobat is the only place this happens, bluebeam has no problem with it. The problem I have is city and county offices usually use acrobat reader, nothing fancy. So we have to jump through hoops, plot a full set with lines merge on, open in bluebeam and print to bluebeam pdf, this will remove the colors and phantom lines in acrobat. I cant tell you how frustrating this is, plotting shouldn't be that hard, so many people try to turn off lines merge for a quick fix but unless you have really good layer control and standards this will always create other problems. This has been an issue for way to long.