Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 3:46 pm Post subject: RGB to CMYK...HELP !!!
People,
For all the photo images I used for a 16 page Insert Booklet design for my upcoming CD release (which started out their life as RGB’s), I used Photoshop 6 for processing (processing RGB's as RGB's, as Photoshop recommends)...& then I converted them to CMYK (also in Photoshop 6.) Then I placed these converted images into the Adobe Illustrator (10) design templates provided by the replication service, finalized everything; & sent them off.
Today I got the proofs back from their print division; & all graphic content is DARK & GREEN !!!
I contacted the graphic arts dept. at the replication service; & they told me they could color correct them at their end, based on the color prints I sent them…but when I learned the cost…I thought it might be best to just do it at my end.
1) First of all…what happened? The photos looked great in both Photoshop & Illustrator on my monitor as RGB’s. When I had converted in Photoshop, there was no difference at all in appearance. My working spaces in Photoshop are all default; & the photos look just like they do on my monitor when they print out in my project studio (on a typical HP Ink Jet.) I don’t mess around with Adobe Gamma or calibrating my monitor (because...the images on my system look exactly as they do in real life...so, why calibrate the monitor to match the commercial systems, which would make every image on my system dark & green...in which case I'd have to adjust them all back to real life colors, which I already have now!!! To my mind, the conversion process should be set up to exactly match the 4 color standard...calibrating the monitors to match print output is *-backwards.) Anyway, It's gotta be something else.
2) How can I fix this problem? Is this common? Is there some other way to go back & convert the RGB’s, or is there some criteria I can use to color correct them in their present state as CMYK’s? Does Paint Shop Pro do a better job of conversion (with their "split channel" thing)? It’s very frustrating…all I want is for them to look like they do on my monitor & as printed by my printer. Now…I have to put the graphics portion of my CD on hold while this is getting sorted out…which pushes back my release date.
Honestly, it sounds like a color profile mismatch, either from an embedded profile that you gave the images, or from the print lab assigning it another profile on top of your profile and then sending it to print. More than one profile will really screw up the color. Of course, the lab doesn't care, they just open it and send it to print, despite what they tell you.
Make sure that you convert it to cmyk as compared to assigning it a cmyk profile. That would make a difference. Not to mention the adjustments of color monitors, printers, windows printer drivers, adobe export drivers, all which toy with the color a little. The world of color when it comes to printing is a huge realm, and there is little you can do to when a lab already has your money and made you crappy prints. I'd ask them exactly what they need from you to make the prints come out right the first time they send them to print, like what profile, or even if you give it to them in srgb or rgb or cmyk if they'll convert to what ever profile they'll need. _________________ All gave some, some gave all.....Lest we forget that war produces veterans, wounded both mentally and physically, and it is our job to help them now, as they have already helped us all in ways we will never know, and in ways that we take for granted every day.
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:48 am Post subject: Re: RGB to CMYK...HELP !!!
Sonic Max wrote:
I don’t mess around with Adobe Gamma or calibrating my monitor...
If you are preparing art for publication, it is imperative you have a properly profiled, calibrated monitor.
The goal of Color Management is to make sure colors are consistent device to device. Otherwise, as you have discovered, an image might look and print great on your system, but look completely different on another. The FIRST STEP in creating a proper color management workflow is calibrating your monitor with Adobe Gamma, or a better, a hardware based monitor calibration system. Here is a monitor calibration primer:
http://www.drycreekphoto.com/Learn/monitor_calibration.htm
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