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<p>I am not familiar with the paid-for software that you named. But
I know how I would have attacked such a problem using the very
high quality free software called <a
href="https://www.irfanview.com/">Irfanview</a>.</p>
<p>I would start by exporting the PDF into one or more image files.
These files would be in a format of PNG or TIF. Or ideally obtain
the original source image files that had been shoehorned into the
PDF file.<br>
</p>
<p>I would then open the troubled image using Irfanview.</p>
<p>I would then play around with the many color correction features
of Irfanview. Maybe I would fiddle with the gamma color
correction, the goal being to drag the faint blue lines into a
place that is more than 50% "on". Or I fiddle with "contrast" or
"brightness" or "saturation". Then I would flatten the image to a
color depth of 2 (one bit per pixel).</p>
<p>Depending on how poorly the original images got created, I may
have to try two or three times. But invariably I eventually
stumble upon some combination of color corrections that force the
faint blue lines to be solid black lines after the flattening.</p>
<p>The whole way that this arises, of course, is that whoever
created the images in the first place made bad choices (given how
picky the USPTO is on this stuff). One really hopes that one
could obtain the original source files from whoever it was that
created these ill-fated images.</p>
<p>Yet another goal, sometimes, is to make the faint blue lines "go
away". This often turns out to be quite easy. Simply flattening
to color depth of 2 will often make the faint blue lines simply
disappear.</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/5/2023 12:58 AM, Dan Feigelson
via Patentcenter wrote:<br>
</div>
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cite="mid:2f6f8395-862a-4138-8543-07a0304f64f3@smtp-relay.sendinblue.com">
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<div>I have a 371 application that's received an allowance but
now the PTO is hassling us about the drawings. The difficulty
is that the original figures I received from the client were
color images, and some of the colors did not convert well to
b/w. We dealt with this during the international phase, and
the USPTO had no problem re-publishing the application itself,
but, surprise, some genius in publications now thinks he knows
better than the examiner.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Between the PCT filing and now I bought a copy of PDF
X-Change Editor, and I'd like to use it to convert the light
blue lines in some of the drawings (which are almost invisible
if I physically print the drawings in b/w on paper or if I
print in Cutepdf using greyscale) to black, but I don't
understand what their help page says (<a
href="https://gcfagjf.r.af.d.sendibt2.com/tr/cl/vBlVpDO6orD2rWbYVf3trHm2ktwkYo3BSCm1fYSil2VOxbY0sk8RUstRkmh0KytViJBcaEZhbU5TmNE3N6dPb8vVRa-oQJ1CEmwV0XTRjG-huESCqROUi45GXrxkCQYFhQAzUv9egxIfBImxBVM9uniVFILS0nTRkC7c6QFjg0kaKSVWYapfU2UvqzfrUx5py4lbTdOCtAu3Ov-hy_5ovt0a4egZbifnlnM9ECEh_Rui1vQndmbudU21b8VDBvH4Mp1hs7VSu226EOEHd63GutC6lSKCw4HkkINscscJww"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://help.pdf-xchange.com/pdfxe9/</a>).</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>If someone can help me out (can be directly, not in the
group), I would be most appreciative.</div>
<div><br>
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<div>Dan</div>
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