[pdftex] Problem with colors in included PDF file

[Reinhard Kotucha]

>>>>> "Andreas" == Andreas Matthias <amat at kabsi.at> writes:

    > [...]  Default should be `black', which is what most people 
    > expect. 

A few points should be considered:

The "defaultcolor" option is an optional argument of
\includegraphics, isn't it?

Then it should behave the same way with all drivers so that the
behaviour is the same if you use pdftex, dvipdfm, dvips/ghostscript or
anything else.  And it should behave the same way if a file produced
by metapost is included as mps or pdf.

If there is at least one driver that implicitly sets the color of
included graphics to black, than this should be the default.

If not, one should take into account that pdftex.def is used by many
people for many years.  Changing the default behaviour might cause
problems for people who are using this feature.  There had been only
two or three mails about this problem on this list and the only
problem is that it is not documented anywhere.

I even do not think that defaultcolor=black is what everybody expects.
Well, if people use TeX to write books, it is certainly the case.
Most people do that and thus you are right with this assumption.

If someone prepares a pdf presentation with a black background and
and white or yellow as text color, it is certainly wrong if included
graphics are painted black by default.  He doesn't even get a warning
message. 

To make it short:
I think that the primary goal should be that LaTeX=LaTeX.  An
additional option (driver dependent) to any LaTeX command should be
added if, and only if, it activates a feature that is only provided by
this driver.  In any other case, everything should behave the same
way everywhere.

Regards,
  Reinhard

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