Skip to main content


PDF output separation preview


Dear #GIMP #INKSCAPE #SCRIBUS #TEX #LATEX and #PDF #opensource and #freesoftware lovers...

Do you know any #foss / #floss application that can preview output separation on a PDF file like Adobe Acrobat pro does?

I have been tried hard, even using javascript with #pdfjs but I couldn't find something very suitable for doing #prepress with opensource.

I am also ok with any #web applications.

Thanks... 🙏

N. E. Felibata 👽 reshared this.

Ha! I came here to ask the same question...
what even is previee output seperation?

Not in Inkscape, yet.

Though I thought Scribus could.

https://github.com/rodlie/cyanpdf
I didn't used it. But it may be useful
This entry was edited (3 weeks ago)

@NicoRey (Forj)

Cyanpdf converts a color unmanaged PDF into a PDF suitable to print, but it doesn't have any prepress feature.

This entry was edited (3 weeks ago)

@Desmoric

It is usually a PDF reader that has tools or plugins that allow to inspect a document to go on press.

Yes, I know. I ever did that for job. I haven't any PC to try but Gimp is able to open PDF file and make separate layer for CMYK.

I don't know enough Gimp, but it may be able to export each layer into a PDF file. You can try to :
1- copy one layer,
2- paste into a new picture (Ctrl+shift+v)
3- save new picture in PDF format

If it's OK, do it again with the 3 another layers.

I hope this will be useful.

@Desmoric

Thank you, but this is not useful.

You might want to have a look at PDF4QT https://jakubmelka.github.io/

@dopelover

This looks promising, thanks for sharing it! 🙏