Pasting from Photoshop into Illustrator producing bad colors

[ThreadConnect]

Hi, So for so long I have had this problem and haven't found a solution. Whenever I create something in photoshop and paste into illustrator the colors do not match and are dulled down... I have tried adjusting the color settings to the best of my ability however to no avail. It's very stressful because I create this beautiful image with a vibrant blue but it prints as a dull purple and with many other colors as well..

I know this is an RBG/CYMK issue If I open the image rather than pasting it then it will open in the correct color, but if I open it it wont allow me to use my cutlines in my program it must be pasted from what I've gathered in years of working with my plotters and such..

Side note:My printers are all CYMK also

Please help!!

Ashley

[michelew83603738]

If you are using RGB in Photoshop and CMYK in Illustrator, you are going to have this problem, they are two different color modes and there are far less colors available to you in the CMYK color spectrum. I would suggest, even if you need to use an RGB document in Photoshop that you then use CMYK colors or convert to CMYK colors and color correct in Photoshop to get colors that you like before bringing into AI. That is really the best way to get the best results in a CMYK document.

[ThreadConnect]

Thank you for your response..

How does one convert photoshops RBG into CMYK? I haven't been able to do so..

[Ton Frederiks]

It will automatically happen when you paste or place a Photoshop RGB document into an Illustrator CMYK document. Or in Photoshop choose Image > Mode > CMYK color.

[ThreadConnect]

I have noticed this and indeed that is the problem.. Can I not convert illustrator to use the RGB colors?

[Jacob Bugge]

ThreadConnect,

I believe there are two aspects here.

"It's very stressful because I create this beautiful image with a vibrant blue but it prints as a dull purple and with many other colors as well"

This is unavoidable because CMYK has a much smaller gamut (range of colours), especially lacking some vibrant colours.

If you really wish to print vibrant colours, you will need to use a printer with other/more inks than CMYK.

Or you will have to suffer it.

The best way to reduce the suffering is to start out in CMYK in both PS and AI.

And at the same time this is the best way to obtain the greatest possible control, and consistency across different uses/media.

If you wish to have more vibrant colours for screen use, you can create a separate RGB version for that afterwards, so that becomes an enhancement made to match as well as possible, instead of creating a reduced CMYK version which may always seem inferior.

And what Michele and Ton said.

[ThreadConnect]

It is capable of printing the print colors I create in photoshop if printed from photoshop. It is once I use illustrator with the CMYK, but I need to use illustrator to be able to create the cut lines for my roland. The printer I use has CYMK & blacks.

[Ton Frederiks]

Can your printer accept RGB and spot colors for the cutlines?

[ThreadConnect]

I think so.. I use cut lines that I created years ago in illustrator. I use a Roland BN 20 which works with versa studio to actually rip the image.  I create in photoshop normally paste into illustrator & create contour cut lines.

[Ton Frederiks]

Do you have an ICC  color profile for your printer? You could use that to create your CMYK documents.

[ThreadConnect]

I feel hopeless, I honestly have no idea. I'm sure it has a color profile, I know I can go into settings and choose, but I have no idea what to choose...

I guess my goal would be to be able to seamlessly beable to create in RBG in photoshop and just have it look the same once pasted.. Is there no way to just have illustrator to run in RBG?

[Ton Frederiks]

Sure, just use one of the Art & Illustration presets to get an Illustrator RGB file.

Maybe you could cut and paste your cut lines into that document and paste the Photoshop content in it.

[ThreadConnect]

I'm going to give that a try, I have tried opening a PDF image which keeps the color to the true RGB color, but it nenevr allows me to use the cut lines, I just end up printing the line, rather than cutting it.

[Ton Frederiks]

That cut line, which color has it if you double click the swatch in your CMYK document? Is it a spot color or just a CMYK Process color, if the latter you will have a problem with an RGB document. If it is a Spot color, you may be lucky.

[Ton Frederiks]

What is the name of your printer?

[ThreadConnect]

It is a printer/Plotter a Roland BN 20

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

You could try if installing a profile for your printer gives a better quality:

https://rolandprofilecenter.us/media-library.php

But that also means you need to learn about color management, some links;

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/color.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/understanding-color-management.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/color-settings.html

[ThreadConnect]

Thank you, I am going to try to do this this afternoon/evening and hoping to get good results. I've included images how I know it can look and more detail in my response to Met1 a few moments ago.

[Met1]

>My printers are all CYMK

Design in CMYK.

[Ton Frederiks]

With the right profile.

[Met1 · Accepted solution]

As Ton rightly corrects me:

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/keeping-colors-consistent.html

see Synchronize color settings across Adobe applications using Bridge.

Now design in CMYK...

[ThreadConnect]

Hi, it cant print the correct colors, it is printing the correct colors. But, when it prints the correct colors once converted or RBG it will not read the cut line to cut around the image since that is a CMYK color... It no longer cuts it and only prints it. It isn't a matter of knowing if it can print the color, because it can and does... But, rather a matter of how to get the cut line to work while in RGB, because the cutline will only work with the image dull in CMYK because its  registering it as transparent color, and not reading for a contour cut/spot cut

[ThreadConnect]

I've attached the black shirt which is printed with CYMK, its much duller and purple looking... but, allows for cut lines.

The other one with the solid white background is the perfect color, bright royal blue, but not cut lines around it. 

-If I can keep the print but get the cutlines to work I will be golden. 🙂

[Met1]

So you Roland BN 20 prints in CMYK but will only cut using an RGB file???

[ThreadConnect]

Hi, I may have misworded myself. It will only cut in CMYK, if converted to RGB or if a RBG PDF file is brought into Ai, the cutfile no longer works. It will only cut if in CMYK