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Participant
September 27, 2019
Answered

setting for printing in Fresco

  • September 27, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 16699 views

How can I set the file to CMYK in Fresco?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer sueg58667637

Hi YYZ.

 

Fresco only supports RGB and HSB color profiles.

 

Sue.

3 replies

Joely10623436
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 28, 2019

Why would you need CMYK in 2019? We're living in the age of «media neutral» workflows…

MollyzMom
Known Participant
March 12, 2020

Book (print) publishing still requires CMYK.

OHWEB
Participating Frequently
September 16, 2023

It would be wonderful if all printers would print RGB files. Unfortunately many of them have older equipment that doesn't handle the color conversion accurately.

Here's how I would handle converting a Fresco file to CMYK for this situation.

  1. For all blacks, use vector brushes, or text. All the other colors can be vector or pixel.
  2. Send the Fresco file to Adobe Illustrator from the app.
  3. Change the document color mode to CMYK with Illustrator. (Ask your printer which CMYK profile you should use).
  4. After the file is converted to CMYK, use Illustrator's Recolor Art to change all the black vector to 0,0,0,100.
  5. Save the file as a PDF.
  6. Send the PDF to the printer

@Theresa JIt's not a matter of old/new equipment. It's not an old/new software limitation either, if it was they would ask you to send specifically a PDF/X-1a that can only be CMYK.
It's just a matter of workflow and habits, and a way that certain printers have to protect themselves from any questioning about colour reproduction.
I'd say it mostly happens because people sometimes send them RGB images with non-printable colours and then complain that the reproduction is wrong, so they force you to give them CMYK so everything is printable.
Producing an RGB image as I described above, that has only printable colours has the EXACT same output than converting those images to CMYK when the image is sent through the RIP.
Regarding blacks, keep in mind that 0,0,0,100 has two problems: First, it's not a deep black. It's rather gray and will looked bland when printed in larger areas. Second, it's not overprinting on the artwork, so it could potentially produce nasty white lines if the black plate is slightly out of registration (misaligned when printing).
I would never advise artists to use pure black for illustrations. The only case for pure black is small black text and that should always be overprinted and set up in a different software anyway.

And leaving the technical aspects aside, Nichole didn't want to subscribe to another software, they wanted to produce an image that can be sent to a print shop with Fresco.
If sending RGB is out of the table completely and subscribing a new software is a possibility, I think a good option is to use Acrobat Pro. It has the tools to convert the image created in Fresco to a press-ready PDF, convert the colorspace and even adjust black generation. And last time I checked was cheaper than an Illustrator subscription.


Theresa J
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 28, 2019

If you need a CMYK file you can export the document as a PSD and then open it in Photoshop to do the conversion. Here are directions https://community.adobe.com/t5/Fresco/How-about-moving-the-drawing-to-Photoshop/td-p/10635833.

However you might be better off letting your printer do the conversion. Check with them first.

sueg58667637Correct answer
Adobe Employee
September 27, 2019

Hi YYZ.

 

Fresco only supports RGB and HSB color profiles.

 

Sue.

OHWEB
Participating Frequently
December 29, 2020

Hi, would you mind being more specific? RGB and HSB are color models, not exactly profiles.
Fresco on Windows doesn't seem to have any mechanism to set color profiles (actually, I couldn't find any setting related to colour management at all).
Does it assume sRGB? Is it managed at all?