Inspiring

Answered

Which color profile is best for Graphic Design Portfolios?

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
May 2, 2018
8 replies
51354 views

Hi Everyone!

I'm trying to create my first Graphic Design portfolio since I'll be applying for an Internship soon.

But I have a question, which color profile works best for printing artworks in high quality?

Because last time when I tried to print them, they came out really dark and wondered of what I did wrong. Some came out decently, and some didn't.

The types of projects I'm trying to print are mainly illustrations, and I'm using an A4 paper to print them out.

Here are some examples if you wanna see: Behance

Thanks!

Correct answer NB, colourmanagement

pancham kumaris right, digital print needs a different ICC profile to offset print.

However I still believe that display screen calibration comes first.

Also you mentioned "printing on A4 paper" does that mean you are printing "in house", maybe on your own inkjet printer?

Even if that’s the case, you need to first pay attention to your display setup (calibration and profiling) . The screen appearance sets your expectations for the work you produce.

Next, for an inkjet printer you need a profile for that printer and the paper (and inkset) you're using.

If you are using the printer manufacturers original ink - I suggest you start by making an easy test using a printer manufacturer's own paper - why? - because this allows you to set the Adobe application to "printer manages color" - now when you select the paper (media) type in the printer driver dialog boxes that setting will tell the system to use an ICC profile for that paper.

To do this test properly you need a testimage that’s not been adjusted on your screen (which may be misleading you, as I explained earlier). I suggest you download this one: http://www.colourmanagement.net/downloads/CMnet_Pixl_AdobeRGB_testimage05.zip which is an RGB image. The system will read the embedded ICC profile and make a conversion for you to the printer ICC profile during printing.

using the process I described above, you should get a decent print. As that testimage has skintones and other ?memory colours" its pretty easy to see if it's looking OK.

So that’s a step in the right direction.

Now compare that print to your screen, does your screen look way different? If so its very likely it needs calibration.

I hope this helps

if so, please do mark my reply as "helpful" and if you're OK now, please mark it as "correct" below, so others who have similar issues can see the solution

thanks

neil barstow, colourmanagement

D

donnal78720521

Participating Frequently

I have been a printer for 40 years. If you use any RGB profile or images in your document, the color will not be true. They are entirely different color spaces and will not work. Convert your files to cmyk and use the output profile of the printer you are using. Some colors cannot be reproduced in printed form. Orange for an example is one of the worst colors to try and reproduce. It just doesnt work well. Find a good printer and work with them. They would be more than willing to help

TheDigitalDog

Inspiring

donnal78720521 wrote
I have been a printer for 40 years. If you use any RGB profile or images in your document, the color will not be true.

What? EVERY capture device on this planet, scanner and digital camera, produces RGB data. So that blanket statement makes no sense to me.

VERY very few devices are true RGB printers (there are a few contone laser or CRT devices that image onto sliver material) but otherwise, the printers are CMYK (or CcMmYK or other colorants) but the facts are, we start with RGB data and convert to some output color space. Orange can reproduce just fine when we use orange inks!

Convert your files to CMYK indeed, if and when CMYK is necessary AND you have the specific recipe for output CMYK; meaning printers like you should be provided output ICC profiles for the specific process.

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"

D

donnal78720521

Participating Frequently

donnal78720521 wrote
There are devices which are supposed to be rgb, however, that is questionable.

Only to you. You apparently haven't any experience with devices like Lambada, Lightjet, Pictrography, Frontier's or a large range of devices called film recorders. They absolutely take and image output using RGB; with lasers, CRTs etc. They absolutely are fed RGB data and the colors can and are 'true' (again, whatever that's supposed to mean on your generalizations).

You've entered a thread a year old for some reason and made a blanket statement that's untrue.

"All generalizations are false, including this one".-Mark Twain

And the one you made that's utterly untrue:

If you use any RGB profile or images in your document, the color will not be true.

That statement is absolutely incorrect.

Im trying to tell you that if you want good reproduction across all devices use cmyk. I have 3 printing businesses and yes I have owned an indigo press. It comes down to economics. If you want to be an accomplished designer who can design for the larger market place which is a compatible mix of budget for your client and available resources, it is best to stay within the printing industry standards. If you want to design quirky individual jobs, go for it. You are not the only person on this forum. You obviously have a particular market in mind and that's great. However, some designers will have clients who want to print affordable large run jobs which require proper color profiles. The first thing any pre-press department will ask you to do is convert all spot colors and rgb files to cmyk if the job is being printed on the high end presses used by the big printing companies. Im sorry that you are so annoyed at my comments, however, there are clients out there who want to print things such as magazines, corporate materials and large run government documents. My comments are not untrue, only practical.

D Fosse

Community Expert

You don't need to convince me, Andrew, I'm entirely on your side. I've used wide gamut Eizo CGs and CXs exclusively for years, and don't even touch non-color managed software if I can at all avoid it.

All I'm saying is, sRGB still serves a purpose. With all the above in mind.

No, I don't have any statistics. But it's still Eizo or NEC for any serious use. The others, like Dell, BenQ, and Asus, are only in it so they can brag about "professional" lines to boost their image.

TheDigitalDog

Inspiring

https://forums.adobe.com/people/D+Fosse wrote
No, I don't have any statistics. But it's still Eizo or NEC for any serious use. The others, like Dell, BenQ, and Asus, are only in it so they can brag about "professional" lines to boost their image.

Then the statement: "there aren't any more wide gamut monitors now than there was 10 years ago" can, should and will be ignored

Wide gamut (or otherwise) for 'serious' users vs. professionals is kind of equally speculative and up to interpretation, let's not go there and stick with colorimetric facts.

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"

D Fosse

Community Expert

The main purpose of sRGB has always been to describe an average monitor. That's what the original specification was. In the days of CRT monitors it was a pretty good match, less so with LCDs where both the primaries and the whole tone response curve are a bit different.

Later we got full color management procedures to replace that crude approach. But sRGB still has its use when working for screen, and color management is presumed missing. Still, there's no particular relevance for print.

G

gator soup

Inspiring

>> ... (sRGB) there's no particular relevance for print.

the relevance of sRGB for print, for me, is sRGB is the only profile I will hand off to a printer with one exception:

i am 100% confident their workflow will use my embedded profile in their conversion to their print space

i've been burned on too many times otherwise (even after having the conversation)

G

gator soup

Inspiring

>> The main purpose of sRGB has always been to describe an average monitor. That's what the original specification was. In the days of CRT monitors

that's worth repeating

then the Web, Adobe, Windows ... defaulted their flavors of 'color management' to sRGB

and that leaves anyone in the business of navigating their digital color workflows through the real world would be wise to understand the beast

and accommodate it

G

gator soup

Inspiring

MY SPIN:

First, sRGB would be the safest recommended destination profile for electronic delivery of your images.

For printing, sRGB remains the safest bet to deliver to printers (let them do the RGB conversion to their print profile/space)...

I LIKE TO EXPLAIN BASIC COLORMANAGEMENT THEORY LIKE THIS:

1) The Color Management System CMS reads the embedded Source Profile and CONVERTS (or transforms or remaps) the document colors to MonitorRGB (the custom 'calibrated' monitor profile) and PROOFs (or paints in light) the color accurately on the display monitor.

The Source Profile> Monitor Profile conversion takes place automatically behind the scenes in most modern color-managed applications, including Photoshop and fully color-managed Web browsers like Safari and Firefox.

2) The Color Management System CMS reads the embedded Source Profile and CONVERTS (or transforms or remaps) the document colors to the Target Profile (the custom 'calibrated' printer profile) — a SPECIFIC Printer/Paper/Ink ICC Profile or PressCMYK — and PROOFs (or paints in ink) the color accurately on the printed paper.

The Source Profile> Print Profile conversion is generally manually set up in the printer utility when we print from an application.

In professional off-set CMYK printing, the conversion to CMYK (Target Print Space) is usually performed manually in Photoshop and saved for the printer.

While my simple PROOFING ANALOGY doesn't address the pitfalls of relying on a bad monitor to evaluate and adjust digital color, it does make two important facts about Photoshop and professional color-managed printing workflows:

1) The printer can PROOF (print) the source file faithfully regardless of how right or wrong the monitor is set up, and

2) The monitor can PROOF (display) the source file faithfully regardless of how right or wrong the printer is set up.

Remember, this is true simply because the Source Profile is independent of the Monitor Profile and the Print Profile.

Getting a known good file (like the Adobe RGB PDI Photodisc-GettyImages RGB reference image) into Photoshop allows me to evaluate the monitor alongside the print to help me see where the problem is occurring...

TheDigitalDog

Inspiring

sRGB is suboptimal for any printer! The print will not be poor if the rest of the Color Managed path is sound but the print will be, depending on the image, suboptimal than sending a wider gamut to said printer. I’ve never plotted a printer gamut that isn’t larger than sRGB and often by a lot! IF you desire the best possible output of your images to print, you don’t want sRGB. sRGB is what I cosnider an output color space for web posting, nothing more.

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"

G

gator soup

Inspiring

Hi, Mr. thedigitaldog.

I think sRGB still remains the SAFEST source space to hand off is my point, but I agree with what you wrote.

in that case, by all means

Capture your images in RAW

open in wide-gamut, 16-bit colorspace

edit in adjustment layers and

convert to the destination space as a last step

and never move them into sRGB except for the web (and non-colormanaged applications)

ssaad97Author

Inspiring

Thank you all for the info!

I think it starts to make sense for me right now. Also yes, I do print at home though.

But one thing to mention, is that I saved the majority of my artworks on sRGB and that could be one the reasons why some didn't came out that nicely. I think that's one of the biggest mistakes I've made.

But luckily I still have the PSD files of them, and I can always change their color profiles at any time.

When it comes with the screen calibration, I have calibrated some parts of it such as the contrast and brightness. But by looking at the results, I still think that there needs to be some changes in order to get it right. I'll follow the instructions that you guys provided me and I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks again for all your help, and I really appreciated.

D Fosse

Community Expert

There's nothing wrong with sRGB. If it doesn't come out right, that's not the reason. In a color managed environment, any profile will reproduce correctly. That's the whole point.

sRGB is just a little smaller and can't reproduce colors as saturated as Adobe RGB or ProPhoto can. These very saturated colors will be clipped to the nearest reproducible color.

You can always convert to Adobe RGB, but that won't change how the file looks now. It just gives you a little more room for future edits.

Unless you have a wide gamut monitor, your screen is restricted to sRGB anyway, and anything outside is again clipped. You won't see anything beyond sRGB.

---

As for screen calibration, you calibrate to visually match printed output. That means monitor white matches paper white, and monitor black matches maximum ink density. This ensures basic "what you see is what you get", in terms of brightness and contrast. You can't change paper color or maximum black, but you can adjust the monitor.

The color management chain picks up the rest, so that all individual colors are also reproduced correctly. Color management is handled through the monitor profile, which is a detailed description of the monitor in its calibrated state. Calibration and monitor profile are two different things, but often rolled into one operation for convenience.

Printer color management is handled in the same way, through the print profile. In both cases the procedure is the same: source (document) profile converted into destination (monitor/print) profile.

ssaad97Author

Inspiring

Oh okay.

I understand it now.

So in the end it has nothing to do with the color profiles that I've selected.

But more with the calibration and monitor settings.

It makes sense now, since I always thought sRGB was a wrong choice for printing.

Thanks for the info by the way, I appreciate it.

pancham kumar

Participant

If u are going to print using Digital printer connected to RIP software then make sure the application color setting especially RGB source profile matches with RIP software color setting.you can download the output profile of digital press and perform a proof setup for better predictability.

If u are going to print on conventional offset printer then ask the printer to provide the press profile.

Convert your RGB file to Printer profile and go for editing .This will give better predictability of color . you can use either Adobe or SRGB.Adobe RGB is excellent it does not clip some of the colors(cyan and nearby boundary colors) that can easily be reproduce by printer.

NB, colourmanagement

Correct answer