Photographers, need help with RGB/CMYC conversion
- Started
- Last post
- 14 Responses
- kojikabuto
Dear shooters, need some pointers on what to do, need to know how to deal with the CMYK conversion, any pointers? I have images that are RGB right now, when I convert them to CMYK to give it to the printers it looks like crap, any advice? should I convert to CMYK before retouching? Im using photoshop and converting using MODE.
Any software that could help? I'm suffering with this problem, thanks in advance.
- ribit0
Can you post screenshot before-after?
- invisiblechamber0
do all the retouching and filtering in rgb, then convert to cmyk. crappy things happen when the saturation in rgb is higher than cmyk can reproduce, lower oversaturated areas before converting. also check the color setting (edit: color settings...) < if you are not into colourmanagement, just choose a prepress or general purpose setting there. and make sure your screen has a decent print calibration (regulate brightness and colour so that a white photoshop ducument looks like a white paper held next to the screen - that will be surprising dark and yellowish.) i hope that helps - it's a hell of a science if you want it 100% proper.
- formed0
CMYK always ends up looking worse
- kojikabuto0
My screen is proper calibrated, I think I'm being really picky though, the problem is that the printers are a tad stupid and really dont give a shit, my main problem is detail in the shadows, my RGB shadows look really rich and solid, CMYK ones are pasty and retarded...
Thanks for the help, if anyone else can hook me up with advice I would really appreciate it.
- MrDaro0
I do all my retouching in RGB or LAB. I conver to CMYK via Image Mode in PS. There's a slight shift in color which is normal but nothing really important. In PS my color settings are as follows:
RGB: Adobe RGB (1998)
CMYK: US Web Coated (SWOP) v2
Gray: Dot gain: 20%
Spot: Dot gain: 20%Conversions options:
Engine: Adobe ACE
Intent: Relative ColormetricOf course, this is only part of the deal. Your monitor should be calibrated regularly. Make sure your brightness and contrast settings are not messed with once the monitor is calibrated. And find a printer who also calibrates his machines.
- boobs0
You should read an entire book on Color Management, like this:
- kojikabuto0
Thanks much guys!
- MikeColdFusion0
a little late to the thread but this should help. its basically everything that was said here with illustrations.
http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag…
more of those papers here
http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag…
- Projectile0
basically, it shouldn't look as bad when it's printed
- joewigdahlphoto0
I always ask if there's a specific CMYK paper profile that they're using. If it's one that's in Photoshop, I'll target the conversion to that. Some printers /designers also have a CMYK profile that they can send you if they know exactly what paper they're printing on and on what kind of press. Also- some people make the mistake of trying to convert the image to CMYK by going to "Image>Mode>CMYK Color" and that doesn't really do much except for guarantee bad color match. If you're converting in Photoshop you should be doing it "Edit>Convert to Profile" and then select your target CMYK profile.
But don't expect CMYK printing to match the clean, saturated color you've got on your monitor or you get off of your photo inkjet printer unless the printer is expecting to use bump plates (extra ink or dyes) for specific colors to increase the saturation. C,M,Y and K contaminate one another and really clean, vibrant color isn't usually possible on most common printing presses without additional pure inks being laid down. (That's why photo inkjet printers now usually have at least 6 inks)
- janne760
is it for publishing or do you want a nice "print"?
in that case, don't go for printing but have it done in a lab instead. pure rgb projection on light sensitive paper, as we used to do it! ;)
these days most photo shacks can do this..
- joewigdahlphoto0
Most printers these days are used to handling files that have the Adobe RGB 1998 profile and converting to what they need. If you're getting really bad prints off of what you're seeing it is possible that your monitor calibration is off or your viewing environment is bad (like using a laptop in a sunlit room, for example) and you're going off a bad impression of what you think the images look like.
- janne760
or if you got the cash, you could go for hexachrome printing..
btw. you also have household printers doing six colours.. fit your profiles well and cindy's butt is yours to slap.