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Which color profile is best for Graphic Design Portfolios?

Explorer ,
May 02, 2018 May 02, 2018

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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!

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , May 03, 2018 May 03, 2018

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

...

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Community Expert ,
Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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donnal78720521  wrote


companies like mine do not accept anything other than cmyk based files with embedded profiles.

That's splendid as long as you specify the profile to the customer. That makes you one of the good guys. I've been in situations where getting a CMYK profile is like pulling teeth. I've also been in situations where the response has been "er, profile what?" - in which case you obviously just turn 180 degrees and walk away.

Technically, if you have the CMYK profile there's nothing wrong with submitting RGB - because the customer can soft proof and compensate for any major gamut clipping. So no fits, provided this is clearly explained to the customer in advance. Soft-proofed RGB has one big advantage: the file is easily repurposed for changing press conditions, different paper stock and so on.

So that, IMO, is what it all boils down to: which CMYK profile?

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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To be honest 90% of digital operators have no idea about how to set up an output profile for a digital device. To create a good output profile you need to consider the paper type, paper thickness etc. Each digital device is managed by their own color management system, when in reality, the source file is the best color management tool. There is way too much overthinking when it comes to output profiles. Machines age or parts wear and this will effect the color reproduction. Next time you go to your local printer, try this.

Get them to calibrate the device or reset the device to factory settings and turn off or bypass the color management system. Im using a Fiery RIP as the example here. Also, Use the photographic mode for this example.

Adobe has all of the answers in just one program. Convert your file to CMYK FOGRA ( coated or un-coated ) depending on substrate. No spot colors, just pure CMYK. The FOGRA profiles get the best result with toner based machine density. Ask the operator to send the file to print using the same FOGRA profile. However, remember, the operator must turn off the device color management system. By doing this, you will get almost perfect reproduction of your source files if you have used a CMYK working space. By overriding the device color management system, you are avoiding another level of interpretation in regards to your output file.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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Yes, that's how I always imagined it's supposed to work, and that's how our printers tell us it works. There's not supposed to be a device color management system. Their presses are calibrated to ISO 12647 or whatever, and we send them ISO Coated ECI 300%, or PSO Uncoated, or whatever else they tell us to use for that particular job - and that's how it goes to press.

No further color management happens and the profile doesn't even need to be included with the PDFs.

But of course, things often look different for photographers vs. graphic designers. Perspectives are a bit different here*. A photograph usually ends up with a designer, who will want RGB specifically for placing in an InDesign file. The designer then outputs a press-ready PDF to destination CMYK as specified. For a photographer, this is the situation they will most often find themselves in.

*(I'm in-house photographer for an art museum, and we also have our own graphic designer. So I'm seeing both perspectives)

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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D Fosse

The problem is time versus outcome. A lot of Printing companies are moving away from managed systems because of the inconsistencies with substrates and ageing parts. When you consider that the average total hourly cost to a printing business is around $450 per hour, you can understand why they rely on the profiles sent through by the artist. Correct color management at the source level is essential, because, in practical terms, the printing company wants to make money. It is as simple as that. I wish it was different, however, to survive and be financially viable to upgrade equipment, it is the way it is.

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LEGEND ,
Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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I guess this goes back to the old saying, "we don't have enough time to do it right, but we have plenty of time to do it over"

It's like a former chairman of Toyota once said in a quote I read:

"Excellence is not so much doing one thing 100% better as it is doing 100 things 1% better".

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

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LEGEND ,
Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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donnal78720521  wrote

To create a good output profile you need to consider the paper type, paper thickness etc. Each digital device is managed by their own color management system, when in reality, the source file is the best color management tool.

Adobe has all of the answers in just one program. Convert your file to CMYK FOGRA ( coated or un-coated ) depending on substrate.

I hope others see the two comments above from the same source and see that the 2nd sentence is again, a massive generalization and technically unsound.

FOGRA is the ideal and correct way to convert RGB data ONLY when the output confirms to that specific and defined behavior and never when it doesn't. And lots and lots and lots of CMYK output isn't anything ideal or correct in terms of FOGRA. In fact just using the five letters in caps as you've done, doesn't tell us anything specific about the actual output and if you again study the facts, you'll see this is yet a generalization of a generalization:

ColorWiki - FOGRA

FOGRA characterization data

I understand you or others have difficulties creating good output profiles for specific defined print/output conditions and supplying them. That's not true whatsoever of some people commenting here. In fact, for some of us, that's our day job.

Screen Shot 2019-04-23 at 7.10.33 AM.jpg

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

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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Yes, your correct. It is an industry generalization and largely practiced. Dont get me wrong, we can create output profiles, we just choose not too. My resources are better used in other areas of my printing businesses. Im glad to hear that you write profiles for a living. Some printing companies use them.

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LEGEND ,
Apr 23, 2019 Apr 23, 2019

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donnal78720521  wrote

Dont get me wrong, we can create output profiles, we just choose not too.

Then don't complain when customers provide data in an output color space that's utterly wrong for the print process.

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

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