We are using CS5 on Macs running OS X 10.7.5. We create our files in InDesign and export as PDF. When all files are done our users select all the PDF files and drop them into the queue for our Ricoh color copier. We've noticed that when printed this way, the PDF files are coming out with changes to the colors. If we open the PDF files in Acrobat and print them to the copier from within the application the color is correct.
I thought that by dragging and dropping maybe we were missing out on the color settings that are used by the printer when we print from within the application, but I used the drag and drop method on the original InDesign file and there was no color change, only on the PDF file. Then I realized that InDesign is actually opening the file in the background during the drag and drop process (as evidenced by temporary files that appear on my computer as it prints them.) and that anything we set in the print dialog box in InDesign is stored within the document. For instance, if I print separations from InDesign and save my file with that setting, then when I drag and drop the Indesign file I'll get separations, not the composite file. So my theory now is that perhaps Acrobat does not save the printer specific settings within the file, but rather they are only applied when we print from within the application.
I just discovered the Acrobat Batch Print feature and have set up an action to do so and that is working fine - no color changes, but just curious now why the drag and drop method did not work as expected.
Has anyone had any experience with this, or have any other theories?
Thanks in advance for any input.