Covert jpeg to tiff

[harley12]

Hi, 

I am making a magazine and I need to convert the images to print ready tiff files rather than using JPEG's. How do I do this 

[jane-e]

Hi

In Photoshop, go to File > Save As and select TIFF as the format. To be print ready, it should already be high resolution.

Most printers these days want RGB and the conversion to CMYK is done during the printing process or while converting to PDF. If they want you to do that yourself, let us know, as it it not as straightforward as you might think.

Will the images be in InDesign?

~ Jane

[harley12]

Hi jane,

Thank you. Yes, it will be used in InDesign. So I convert the photos first and then upload to InDesign. Do I have to do anything different when saving that? 

[jane-e]

Hi

No, don’t convert the photos first! Keep them in RGB. Converting first is a 20-year-old workflow. 

https://indesignsecrets.com/import-rgb-images-indesign-convert-cmyk-export.php

I was wondering whether to move your post to the Photoshop forum or the InDesign forum, and I’ll move it to the InDesign forum. The Get Started forum is for general questions.

Cheers,

Jane

[harley12]

Hi Jane,

 Okay thank you. So if I upload these into InDesign, what do I do when exporting ? I am simply doing this as it has been requested.

Thanks

[Willi Adelberger · Accepted solution]

Don't convert images from JPG to TIFF, you gain nothing. Keep them as JPG in RGB. If you need to convert them to CMYK, do it with the Export to PDF according to your printer’s requirement. Conversion to CMYK can be done in the PDF Export in the Output section.

[harley12]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

The brief requirement is to convert to print ready TIFF rather than using jpeg imagery. Is this done when exporting? 

[rob day]

The reason you don't want to convert JPEGs to a lossless format like TIFF or PSD is the compression artifacts that you get with a JPEG save are baked in—if you resave as TIFF the artifacts will still be there.

Also if your JPEGS have been individually converted to CMYK mode, there would be little benefit in converting back to RGB, and you should just place them with no changes. The conversion to CMYK can happen during export by choosing the document’s CMYK profile as the Destination in the Output tab.

Not all printers want images left as RGB—I don't know of any online printers that recommend RGB images.

[BobLevine]

Why do you think you need to do this? There is zero benefit to it.

[Test Screen Name]

If you have only JPEG it is too late.if you want to convert Indesign layouts to TIFF it may be possible by using several tools - do NOT go from InDesign to JPEG first!!, but this is such a rare requirement so think we need to look more closely at the detailed spec. Sometimes, for example, preseparated 1-bit TIFF at imagesetter resolution is needed eg 2400 ppi.

[Randy Hagan]

Reading over your question, I've got to agree with Bob, and ask why do you need to do this?

Unless you're working from original Photoshop document .psd files, there's nothing to be gained from this; you're not going to recover image quality from lossy compression of the .jpg files by converting them to .tif files, and I can't think of a normal print production workflow that can't process JPEGs as easily as it can process TIFFs.

Maybe other than asking us, you need to get in contact with your print reps to ask if this (conversion) trip is really necessary?

[BobLevine]

This is a leftover "rule" from the late '90s. It goes along with no Truetype, only CMYK and of course, 300 ppi.

Trouble is that many "service providers" haven't bothered to update their specs since then.

[Peter Villevoye]

Stick to Willi's very correct answer ! Any printer who tells you otherwise (or who tells you to convert images to CMYK before bringing them into InDesign) should be dyed from head to toe in 4 full-colors, and sent to publicly show remorse on the town square...

[rob day]

The idea that all images must be RGB, or all images must be CMYK is equally dogmatic—in either case it would be easy to come up with scenarios where there would be color problems in the output.

If there is good communication between the printer and the designer (there is a customer service rep and a skilled prepress department preflighting the job) then a PDF/X-4 all RGB document can be effective. Where the conversion to CMYK happens doesn’t matter as long as the correct output profile is used. Delaying the conversion until export or output is simply more efficient, and has no affect on the quality of the conversion. If the printer wants to keep the correct press profile a secret, I would question their capabilities.

If it is an automated printflow, as is the case with most online printers where prepress is automated, then RGB images present a real problem because out-of-gamut color, or RGB color with missing profiles surely will produce unexpected results when there is no careful preflight. That’s the reason why most online printers still request PDF/X-1a, which at a minimum forces the client to soft proof and submit in gamut color. You can't dismiss large printers like Vista print as being luddites or stuck in the nineties, they surely know how color management works.

[Peter Villevoye]

If a printer requires some one to painstakingly convert all their RGB JPEGs to CMYK TIFFs before placing into InDesign (often without even telling them which color profile to use for the conversion), then I'm 99% sure that they really don't know what they're asking, and that they should be shunned. I bet they'll also prefer outlined text, and warn you not to use shadows...

Such a printer is just shouting something out of an old habit and practice, and definitely not helping their customer in a modern way.

I don't mind a printer who is carefully maintaining their PDF X/1a:2001 workflow. It's like keeping a classic car ticking smoothly like a clock. If they handle flattened files well by taking care of those stitch lines and are able to prevent a possible difference in colors by helping the client with proper color profile settings, then they're on the good side. Unfortunately, many of them aren't.

[Peter Villevoye]

And of course, bright blue 0-0-255 RGB and many other colors will run out of gamut on any printer. But telling the user to convert RGB too early in the process (with no clue of any profile), is not helping – just a matter of taking a legal stance and waving liablity. "Oh we didn't convert them – you did, so that's why these colors look a bit bland."

[Randy Hagan]

I hate to step in a print production, uh, pee-pee match, but I'm going to wade into this one.

Contract rules, well, rule. We don't know what the agreement with the original poster asking for assistance is, so it's kinda presumptuous for us to set the rules for a workflow the poster already has to deal with. So all the folks in this thread who presume to tell this poster to ram their preferences through the printer where the sun doesn't shine are trying to push a rope straight up a tall wall. Good luck with that.

RGB is fine with a vendor using a quality color-managed workflow. CMYK is also fine where proper profiles drive the workflow, or where the client wants to maintain control of the color correction and reproduction process. There are lots of spiffy features available driving color management with a PDF-X/4 workflow, but there are commercial printers around the world still turning out excellent work evey day running with the oldest X/1a:2001 standards.

We're not serving anybody by expressing our preferences — or our prejudices — for how the perfect job flow should work.

This is another one of those situations where the best answer is for a designer to communicate with the printer's customer service rep to get on the same page on how to provide files that will generate quality results. I've only had one printer not work with me to get the best results possible off their presses, and that printer was submarining our work to steal the job for himself. By good fortune, my client was willing to go to another printer who was willing to work with us, and the next issue delivered such good results that the first printer cut himself out of the deal.

That was an exceptional case. So much so that I think it proves the rule. For the original poster, get with your print service rep to figure out what works best to get you the best results possible. Because they know if they want repeat business, they're going to have to help you get the best results possible.

[BobLevine]

All correct, Randy, but the original question was about converting JPG to TIFF and I'm sticking with my stance on this. There is zero to be gained.

The rest, well, if you're stuck with an archaic workflow, the best advice I can give is to design accordingly.

I've had publications that insist on PDF/X-1a for client ads. Fine, but I don't use anything that would require flattening.

[Randy Hagan]

And I agree with you. There's nothing to be gained, for the reasons both of us offered.

Then this took off on a tangent that does nothing to serve some poor production person who just asked a question.

[Willi Adelberger]

You should kniow that there is a difference between the standart you provide to printers and what you use inside InDesign.

Regardless what the printer requires place only PDF/X-4 and RGB images into InDesign. When you export your file you should convert to the printer’s requirement, this can be a different PDF and a RGB or CMYK with any wanted color profil. But inside InDesign work with RGB and PDF/X-4.

[Randy Hagan]

I guess I'm swimmin' in it now ...

And Willi, you should know that there are all kinds of ways to ensure those results. And yours is not the only one that's correct. Or possible, for that matter.

[Willi Adelberger]

Using RGB and PDF/X-4 gives ypu the highest flexibility with the best quality. You can change printer and export to a different condition and you can export for the web without any problem. All cases where you use preconverted flattened files will end up with less quality and some sorts of artifacts due to preflattening.

[rob day]

All cases where you use preconverted flattened files will end up with less quality and some sorts of artifacts due to preflattening.

Even with an all RGB PDF/X-4, the color will have to be converted into the press CMYK profile at output, but it doesn't matter where the conversion is made—if the destination profile is consistent, the output numbers will be the same. The idea that a printer’s conversion into GRACol Coated at output vs. the same GRACol conversion made by the client at export would somehow result more accurate color is simply not true.

Stitching artifacts are only visible on relatively low resolution devices and displays. They would never print on a press where the print resolution is high enough to output halftone screens.

[Willi Adelberger]

Stitching artifacts are often visible, if you use PDF/X-1a or 3 and habe to export a PDF for Web or an EPUB. This does never happen with PDF/X-4.

[rob day]

Right, that’s because of the relative low res display in a browser.

But this is a print question, and they wont be visible in high res offset. You can test that by "RIPing" a PDF page into Photoshop at a typical imagesetter res—2400ppi—with anti-aliasing turned off.