Generic CMYK
Generic CMYK
- Subject: Generic CMYK
- From: Randy Zaucha <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:13:09 -0700 (PDT)
"If they're going to end up converting to the same CMYK you would convert to, then what does it matter who does the conversion? How is sending them an RGB file superior, or otherwise in the domain of "color experts"?"
Converting to an optimal CMYK color space for an offset printed image is not as simple as just changing the mode in Photoshop. Certainly not for items being printed for Marketing Managers, Art Directors and Product manager types.
When someone brings you an image that they paid a Photographer thousands to shoot (still happens), they usually want to see it match something the press cannot physically match in range of density or color such a from a monitor.
An ICC profile rarely knows the best dot size to draw the detail in a white satin gown. An ICC profile rarely knows how to print a specular in an image as paper white. An ICC profile does not always know how to get the best Dmax from an ink/paper/press/pressman combination.
The usual result is a flatter image than optimum and like I said before, the client usually wants more than the press can give anyway. Also, fixing poor CMYK files is much more difficult than going from RGB.
ICC profiles typically make poor blue/violet colors. How many designers know that swopping the yellow and black channels in Violets like Blue Jeans yields superior detail and is not a greenish, flat Blue Jean color? How about which tertiary colors are best for reds and greens? Or how to build a black printer that controls the overall contrast of the image so the pressman can easily fine tune the contrast with the black only?
That's why images going to press should be from correctly made RGB files and separated at the press house and the final proof examined by a color expert who can spot areas of improvement or fatal errors for the print process.
You are correct in saying that having a good in house proofer for the client to simulate the press with their RGB files is a good idea. They can produce RGB images that are more like what they really want. If your RGB to CMYK conversion changes color too much for your client, then the conversion is poor or the colors are out of gamut anyway.
If you want optimum quality on a printing press from quality images or otherwise, you would do best with a color expert in the workflow. Those who don't understand the value of an expert of a process usually make the process more difficult than it needs to be and end up accepting below average results.
Randy Zaucha
Managed Color
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