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Print Export - Limitations

The FileSpin Print Export addon converts images to print-ready CMYK files (TIFF, CMYK JPEG, print PDF, PDF/X-1a) using bundled ICC profiles. It produces a faithful, standards-based RGB→CMYK separation, but colour reproduction in print is governed by physics and workflow, not software alone. Developers should be aware of the following.

1. Colour accuracy and soft-proofing​

  • No WYSIWYG guarantee. The conversion uses standard ICC profiles and rendering intents, but the printed result depends on the press, paper stock, inks, and the printer's own colour management. FileSpin does not soft-proof or guarantee an on-screen match to the final print.
  • Gamut compression. Bright, saturated RGB colours (especially vivid greens, blues, and oranges) fall outside the CMYK gamut and will be mapped to the nearest printable colour. The default relative-colorimetric intent with black-point compensation preserves neutrals well; choose perceptual if you prefer smoother gamut compression across the whole image.
  • Profile choice matters. Pick the cmyk_profile that matches your print condition (e.g. CoatedFOGRA39 for European coated stock, USWebCoatedSWOP for US web-coated, JapanColor2001Coated for Japan). Using the wrong profile produces a technically valid file with the wrong colour appearance.

2. Source colour space​

  • Untagged RGB sources are assumed to be sRGB. If your originals are Adobe RGB or another wide-gamut space without an embedded ICC profile, tag them correctly before export, or colours will shift.
  • Images that are already CMYK are re-tagged with the requested output profile but not re-separated, to avoid a lossy round-trip and colour drift. If you need a true re-separation to a different CMYK condition, start from an RGB master.
  • Transparency (alpha) is flattened onto white during conversion — CMYK has no alpha channel. Provide a deliberate background if white is not desired.

3. Sizing, resolution, and upscaling​

  • DPI is metadata. Setting dpi stamps the intended print resolution and (for PDFs) the page size; it does not invent detail. A 600×400 image at 300 DPI prints at 2×1.3 inches.
  • Target size needs enough pixels. If you request a target_size (e.g. A4) that needs more pixels than the source has at the chosen DPI, the export returns 400 unless allow_upscale is enabled.
  • Upscaling is AI-based and billed. With allow_upscale=true, a too-small source is AI-upscaled before conversion, which consumes AI credits and may introduce interpolation artefacts. Upscaling is only available for stored assets, not direct uploads.

4. Supported sources and formats​

  • Best results come from high-quality raster images (JPEG, PNG, TIFF). Very large sources are supported, but extremely large pixel dimensions increase processing time and memory.
  • PDF/X-1a is produced via Ghostscript with a CMYK output intent. If Ghostscript is unavailable or the PDF/X step fails for a given input, the addon falls back to a plain print PDF so you always receive a usable file — verify the format if strict PDF/X-1a conformance is required.
  • Vector sources, multi-page documents, bleed/crop marks, and imposition are out of scope — the output is a single-page, single-image print file.

5. Quota and blocking behaviour​

  • Print Export is a paid, per-plan quota-limited addon. Each successful export is counted against your plan's Print Export quota.
  • Usage is tracked from day one. When quota enforcement is enabled for your plan and the quota is exhausted, requests return 402 until more quota is purchased or the quota resets at the end of the billing cycle.

Best practices​

  1. Match the profile to the print condition — ask your printer which CMYK profile (FOGRA / SWOP / Japan Color) they expect.
  2. Start from RGB masters with correct/embedded ICC profiles for the most predictable separation.
  3. Use TIFF for masters, PDF/X-1a for hand-off to a print provider.
  4. Size with intent — pick a realistic target_size/dpi for the physical output and only enable allow_upscale when you accept AI interpolation (and the credit cost).
  5. Request a hardware proof for colour-critical jobs; on-screen previews are not a substitute.