How to covert CMYK to CMY color in Illustrator?

[mindprism]

Hey guys,

Do you know how to convert "CMYK" to its closest "CMY" color equivalent?

Maybe with a script, plugin or filter?

Thank you!

Martin

[Jacob Bugge]

Martin,

As I (mis)understand it:

Literally, you may say that simply removing the K value gets you to the purest representation, though paler.

It may be hard to keep the darkness/saturation in a better way than keeping the black.

[mindprism]

Yes you lose part of the saturation but my perpose here is not the best looking colors but to avoid other problems with the flexo printing.

[Danny Whitehead.]

Are you doing the flexo printing, or sending files to a flexo printer? If it's latter, they'd be the best people to ask for a 0% black generation profile.

[Danny Whitehead.]

You'd need a custom profile that characterises the press/substrate, and contains no black generation.

What is the purpose?

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

If you know what you are doing, you can create a custom CMYK profile in Photoshop with Black Generation set to None.

Save it and load it in the Illustrator Color Settings.

[Danny Whitehead.]

The old custom CMYK method will get you CMY values, but all bets are off regarding what they'll actually print like. To get the "closest "CMY" color equivalent", you'd need a professionally built profile.

How to mimic FOGRA39 using a custom CMYK profile?

[bardhi 2b]

Hello,

When I convert colours from CMYK to CMY on Photoshop and I need to import this file on ilustrator page to complete design, colors changing ang have diffrent color (looks like you delete direct black channel), I try many ways to ecport or save as but the same result.

Do anyone knoh how can I import the image to ilustrator after I convert file from  CMYK to CMY with same color result as looks on photoshop?

See pic first  is how looks photo when I import to AI and second is re result when I convert convert CMYK to CMY

[Ton Frederiks]

What are your options in your Color Settings for Color Management Policies?

If you set for CMYK: Preserve Numbers (Ignore Linked Profiles) it should not change in Illustrator.

[bardhi 2b]

Thank you Sir, it was helpful.

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear that!

[Brunolizi]

How do I create a custom CMYK profile in Illustrator? I got to that sialog box "Color Settings" but couldnt find where to crate the CMYK PROFILE dialog box

[Ton Frederiks]

"How do I create a custom CMYK profile in Illustrator?"

You need to do that in Photoshop. See the correct answer above.

[Brunolizi]

Hi Ton! I managed to do that on Photoshop, and loaded it on Illustrator.
But the colors remain using Black, even after I load that color profile.
I loaded it on EDIT > COLOR SETTINGS 
What am I doing wrong?
(On Photoshop it worked)

[Test Screen Name]

Loading the profile will do nothing by itself. It has to be used as a conversion target. 

[Ton Frederiks]

Like was mentioned, you need to convert either from RGB to CMYK or from CMYK to CMYK.

[Brunolizi]

Thanks so much! In fact, I had to convert from CMYK to RGB, and then from RGB to CMYK again, and it worked 🙂
Maybe you can help me out with this one...
The whole point of doind that, is because UV iumpression overloads the black ink.
All shades of grey gets 20% darker when print (And other colors that use BLACK in the composition too)
Do you know if there's a way to reduce only the black in 20% from all colors of the file (including the colors that mix BLACK with other colors)?
Here's a sample of File x Print
(Check the yellow and skin tone remains the same, but everywhere Black ink was used got darker) - I checked with the grey scale that it got 20% darker

[Ton Frederiks]

The same Custom CMYK window has options to limit the amount of black.

But it may be better to contact the manufacturer of your UV printer with your problem.

[Brunolizi]

Actually, my friend, I tried that, but if I limit the amount of black, the remaining black used still being overloaded 😞
And I don't own the printer, it's a third part print service, and I have made a reserach, and it's common for UV printers to overload the black... 
So if you have any idea how to decrease 20% of usage only for the BLACK in the whole file, I appreciate!
(in Photoshop I can select the Black Channel and paint over it whit white - opacity 20%) but it's not the same and I lose the vector. 

[Ton Frederiks]

Did you try in Illustrator: Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Color Balance... to reduce the Black percentage?

[Ton Frederiks]

But the best option would be to have an ICC Profile for that printer that takes care of the adjustment.

[Brunolizi]

WOW! The Adjust Color Balance worked pretty well!!!
Thanks so much, you are a life saver!
(In the beginning of all that I asked the printer service the ICC profile but they dont even have a clue what is that! LOL)

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear that helped!