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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
CMYK.. I dont know..
Mike Mohaupt, Student/Intern
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Grand Forks | ND | USA | Posted: 1:33 PM on 12.21.04 |
->> I have been asked by a magazine to submit some images for print but they want them all in CMYK. I read some of the past stuff of people having problems with that, is there anything I should know before doing this?
Image -> Mode -> CMYK color?
Or
Image -> Mode -> Convert to profile and which one?
If its color balanced and toned in sRGB or aRGB will it still be corrected when I convert to CMYK?
Thanks!
~Mike |
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Michael P. King, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 2:27 PM on 12.21.04 |
->> Mike...
People have problems with RGB-CMYK conversions because RGB and CMYK are two very different color spaces. A picture that is toned in RGB will look a little different when it's converted to CMYK because of the differences. Color levels will probably look pretty similar but the shadows will probably go a bit more gray, so you'll lose a bit of detail there. This is normal and is just a characteristic of CMYK printing. There are limitations that ink and paper (CMYK) have that computer monitors (RGB) don't.
From what I've learned, I would recommend toning the original image in adobe RGB and then converting it to CMYK by either doing Image | Mode | CMYK. You can also do the Image | Mode | Convert to profile... and then choose Working CMYK. Then you're done and you can send it off to the magazine.
If you want to get really snazzy (and I guess I'd recommend it if you've got time or patience to do so)... you can ask to speak with one of the magazine's imaging techs and ask for the CMYK settings to create a custom CMYK profile (Custom CMYK is a choice in drop down menu of the Convert to Profile box). This will take into account dot-gain and all that good stuff. The image tech could probably walk you through it over the phone.
my 2 cents,
--MK |
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Allan Campbell, Photographer, Assistant
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Salem (Portland) | OR | USA | Posted: 3:03 PM on 12.21.04 |
->> Take Michael's advice and call their prepress department and get the correct information. If you choose working CMYK you are picking your CMYK setting in your color settings preference. You really should contact the magazine and ask if they have a profile for their press or what profile would they like you to use. At EWP we have several profiles based on paper stock, ink producer, and ink density. Each has its own reasons for us using them on our press.
If you want one to play with to see how to load it, www.siphoto.com has a good one for their magazine printer and a nice set of instructions on how to use it. |
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Caleb Simpson, Photographer, Assistant
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Dallas | TX | USA | Posted: 3:27 PM on 12.21.04 |
| ->> just convert it, the magazine should do any toning they want done. |
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Allan Campbell, Photographer, Assistant
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Salem (Portland) | OR | USA | Posted: 3:51 PM on 12.21.04 |
->> As a prepress supervisor if I want to color correct photos I will ask for them to be RGB and then I will apply the proper profile and conversion. If you just convert them you have no idea what profile or setting were used to select the CMYK values. For photographers I will often email the profile to them so they can tone and check their own photos. That doesn't mean I will not correct them once they get to press.
Each magazine is going to do things differently. If you are not familiar with the workflow as a photographer, you can not really complain about print quality if it doesn't turn out the way you want. Please just call them and ask for the proper settings. |
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Melissa Miller, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 4:59 PM on 12.21.04 |
| ->> If you can, get the icc profile direct from the magazine. That would be the most accurate representation. If not, go from there... |
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Mike Mohaupt, Student/Intern
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Grand Forks | ND | USA | Posted: 6:19 PM on 12.21.04 |
| ->> Thanks for all the sound advice. I went with Michael King's advice and just called. Talked to the lady that was in charge of that stuff and she told me just to send the RGB file and she would do the rest. Thanks for the quick responses! Man oh man i love Sportsshooter.com! |
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Duane Burleson, Photographer
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Sterling Heights | MI | USA | Posted: 10:18 PM on 12.21.04 |
->> Any client that want you to do the cmyk conversion without supplying the specs for their presses/stock/etc. has got to be out of their minds. There is a tremendous loss of colors and information when a conversion is made, especially if intended for newsprint, the dot gain is very high on newsprint.
I am not surprised, that when you talked to someone in their imaging dept., that they wanted the RGB files.
Duane |
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