PitStop Server and PitStop Pro give different results

[nnater]

Hi all

I'm running a very simple Action List in Switch to check the number of color separations. If I run the Action List in PitStop Pro, it returns the expected result but in PitStop Server it does not. The list is:
- Select all
- Check number of separations (total page check) with: equal to: 1; Don't count All; Don't count the color "Fenster-Platzhalter"; Don't count if tint is 0%; Check complete document

Bildschirmfoto 2026-03-09 um 17.01.35.png (92.67 KiB) Viewed 759 times

The PDF contains a black logo (K only) and a barcode in RGB. PitStop Pro recognizes this and reports back that 4 separations are present, PitStop Server lets it slide and does not report back any errors. I used the exact same Action List (exported from Manage Actions Lists in Switch, Windows) and ran it with the same PDF in Acrobat on macOS. I deleted the element and reconfigured it once aswell, nothing.

What am I missing? Any help is much appreciated.

[loicaigon]

Hi,

Are the color management settings the same between Pro and Server?

Loic

[nnater]

Hi Loic

They weren't identical before, I've changed them now in Pro to the same ones that Server is using and the result remains the same...

[loicaigon]

Then I would advice to contact the Support. In similar conditions, there is simply no reasons for such a divergence.

[loicaigon]

Ok, so after our support investigated, here are the conclusions for anyone interested in the topic:

The behavior seen in Switch/PitStop Server is the expected behavior:
- Color Management is disabled, which means the ICC based RGB (black) is converted to 100% Black
- the Action List allows 1 separation, which is exactly what is seen when CMM is disabled and thus the file goes to the success output connection

When enabling CMM in the PitStop Server configurator, and processing the C4 file, it will fail, reporting 4 separations are found (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black), as a result from the conversion to CMYK.

In PitStop Pro the same behavior is seen: when disabling CMM in the PitStop Pro Preferences, the file passes. As soon as you enable CMM and run the Action List again, here too, 4 separations are reported.

So it seems that it was a configuration issue and that behaviour is correct.