RGB - CMYK
RGB - CMYK
- Subject: RGB - CMYK
- From: "Peter Leyland" <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 09:38:36 -0000
- Thread-topic: RGB - CMYK
Well, this is exactly what I don't understand. Please understand I'm
not
criticizing anyone or anything - I'm just clueless and hoping to make
sense of it all.
I have heard, over and over, from many people, including printers
themselves, that many or most printers, including good printers, don't
use color profiles.
Is this true? If so, why not?
Somehow, I had gotten the idea that a primary reason for using color
profiles was so you could get better print work. But if large presses
don't use them, then I'm definitely misunderstanding something. Help.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Liz
Try this one.
The main difference is that the press 'simply' lays down controlled
measures of CMYK inks and the pressman is concerned with ensuring that
those inks are to the correct densities and in registration with one
another. This is checked by means of measuring the density bars and
checking registration marks found on the individual plates. At this
point he will know that his press is running OK. Note that I haven't
even mentioned what it is he's printing - who cares the press is
right...
It is, hopefully, now that the pressman will compare what is on the
paper he's printing with what the customer expects (the proof). If the
two are essentially the same all is well but if not... well, it's not
the press at fault - that is almost a certainty.
A Colour Management workflow is all about removing all the things that
can, and do, go wrong between the client brief, the graphic designer,
the photographer, the hardcopy proof prints, soft proofs and whatever
else it takes to produce that piece of electronic artwork. In my opinion
it is not necessary to impose any part of that workflow on the printer
to ensure that your work is printed correctly. In the 'good' old days we
used to have reprographic houses (repro-house) with the main task of
bringing together all the elements needed to produce a set of printing
plates for the press. I won't bore you with the actual process but
you'll get my drift. Today, the repro-house is no more and those skills
are sorely missed. Every desktop has a computer and a scanner with a
budding designer in the chair and a digital camera in the drawer. At its
simplest this person produces a leaflet and takes the resultant file to
the printer fully expecting the receive 1000 copies of exactly what he
saw on his screen or printed off the office inkjet. To a degree the same
can be said of the printer. He too has a computer on at least some desks
and he makes his own plates... Here lies the problem both ends of the
chain have a computer with nothing in between. Enter stage right -
Colour Management riding to the rescue! Like most things technical it
has been over-hyped and over-sold. It is not the total solution, just
another tool, not a bad tool by any means but far from being a complete
toolbox.
It is easier, technically anyway, to control colour at a local level on
the computer screen/printer and this is where colour management comes to
the fore. Generally speaking, on a litho press colour is not managed,
the dots are. To further complicate matters many presses are served with
plastic plates from a digital plate maker (DPM), rather than metal
plates (albeit that too is changing with metal plates being available
from a DPM. DPM's are calibrated not colour managed. Calibrated to
ensure that their dot sizes are correct, it follows that when these
plates are presented to the press the only real issue remaining is the
amount of ink placed on the paper. Even that is/can be automated with
communication between the DPM and the Press (CIP3) to control the ink
ducts.
So, my point? Simply, that given a correct digital file the litho
printer should produce a good job for you. Anything less is simply and
plainly wrong, unnecessary and frankly bordering on condescending. It is
not, or at least need not be a requirement that every litho printer
should have adopted a colour managed workflow to the point that he
accepts tagged RGB files. What is it with people that they feel a need
to impose their way (the only way?) of doing things on everyone else
before the others are ready? There's not a lot of point in dragging
someone screaming into the 21st century when they're still using 20th
century equipment. Having said that I am conscious that at some point in
the future a litho press will have become as automated and deskilled as
a photocopier is today. At that point printing will have truly become a
commodity and the dog will have had its day. So too will colour
management, it'll be there, quietly working away un-noticed in the
background. Silence at last!
Peter Leyland
PDQ Print Services
_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Colorsync-users mailing list (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
This email sent to email@hidden