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zoopmaster
Inspiring
May 23, 2022
Question

Viewing/editing in CMYK

  • May 23, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 2553 views

I'm troubleshooting a print issue and dealing with what's probably a noob question. I create a new document, and opt for "Print" in the New Dialog box. I put stuff in from Photoshop that has a CMYK color space. I create text. All the color swatches I'm using have a CMYK color space per the color swatches panel.

 

But once I exported the file and submitted the PDF to the printer (and it passed their preflight), it came back darker (and pinker) than I had designed it. I know that there will always be some difference between the printed result and what I see on screen, but this was quite noticeable.

 

I googled around and found an article on converting PDFs to CMYK color using Acrobat DC to convert to Photoshop 5 CMYK. So, I did this. The result was much closer to the actual printed copy - much darker and a bit pinker than it appeared in Photoshop and InDesign, when I thought I was using CMYK in both apps.

 

1. Why was I supposedly designing in CMYK within InDesign, yet once I "converted" it in Acrobat DC, the result was so much different?

 

2. Is there a way I can design in CMYK so that what I see is truly accurate?

 

See attached for a photograph of the printed product, the original INDD and PSD files, the PDF submitted, and the PDF converted.

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 24, 2022
  1. What is your color output profile (color mode + color space)?
  2. Why do you use CMYK images. It is better to use RGB images with color profiles, CMYK for vectors.
  3. When you want to judge colors, you need a calibrated screen or a proof from the printer.
  4. I recommend in PDF export to convert RGB to CMYK and keep values for CMYK values.
  5. Why should nyone use Photoshop 5 settings? It was used back in the mid 1990s, not in modern days.
  6. Avoid EPS.
  7. Why do you use so many frames for text, unthreded? Use paragraph styles.
  8. Bar Codes and text should not be created in Photoshop. It causes rasterizing below best quality.
  9. For the cover I would strongly recommend to use 3 pages in a spread. It makes it easier to change the spine if the printer needs different widths (happens in a new edition or if the paper changes). See example here: https://www.dropbox.com/t/RZ4UGrXcB6FulzQ7
  10. Your document is last saved with InDesign 17.2, a bugfis is available 17.2.1. You should update.
Z
zoopmasterAuthor
Inspiring
May 24, 2022

1. How do I figure out the answer to this?

2. I'm not sure how to do this. I'm really new to this color discussion and am learning.

3. I included a photo of the proof in my original post. I'm working with a print-on-demand service, so I won't get a normal proof.

4. Where do I change these settings?

5. No particular reason. I have emailed the printer for the color profile and am awaiting a response.

Kevin Stohlmeyer
Community Expert
Kevin StohlmeyerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 24, 2022

Go to Adobe Bridge>Edit>Color Settings and choose your Color Profile (example North America General Purpose) and hit apply. This will push the color settings to PS, AI, ID and other color managed CC applications.

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 23, 2022

    Hi @zoopmaster , Was the output to an offset press or some kind of composite shortrun press?

     

    The violet colors you are having trouble with are in the placed background image, and that image is RGB with no profile embedded, so it is being displayed in your InDesign document’s Assigned RGB profile, which is sRGB.

     

     

     

    An obvious issue is you exported the cover with no color profiles included, so the background image is inspecting as DeviceRGB (RGB color with no embedded color profile) in AcrobatPro. So, you left it to your printer to make the conversion to CMYK, but there is no embedded source profile, which is needed to make accurate RGB to CMYK conversions:

     

     

    Having said that the violet colors you have chosen are on the edge of the printable color gamut and a lot could go wrong even if you include the correct source profiles, because the black ink generation and the density of the black on press is going to be critical. If you try to reprint you definately want to see a contract color proof.

     

    In InDesign make sure you view with Overprint Preview turned on, which will soft proof the document CMYK output—it almost looks like the printer made the conversion with no Black Point Compensation:

     

    Z
    zoopmasterAuthor
    Inspiring
    May 23, 2022

    This is super helpful - let me look at this a bit later tonight.

     

    In the meantime, if the colors I've chosen "are on the edge of the printable color gamut", how are some professional books printed with these colors? Are they just printed by quality book printing companies where this kind of delicate color work is not as problematic?

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 24, 2022

    Rob, would you be willing to do a smell check on this file and let me know if it looks OK from a technical perspective? I've gone through the PSD file and INDD file and changed up how I'm generating color, beginning with converting everything I could find to CMYK. (PSD too large to attach, so dropbox link here.)


    How is the cover being printed, is it on an offset press? Ideally the printer should let you know what CMYK profile should be used. As Willy suggests the Photoshop 5 Default is a legacy curve based profile and is less likely to be an accurate press profile. Can you get a contract proof from the printer before going to press?

    J E L
    Community Expert
    J E LCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 23, 2022

    Hi @zoopmaster Off the bat, I can see in preflight you have an RGB color space in some compound paths. That might not make a difference, but maybe a place to start? We have great color experts here who will also give you more guidance!

     

    Z
    zoopmasterAuthor
    Inspiring
    May 23, 2022

    Good catch! Not sure that's causing it, but I need to get those worked out anyway.

      Kevin Stohlmeyer
      Community Expert
      Kevin StohlmeyerCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 23, 2022

      What color profiles are you using?

      CMYK is a color mode, not a specific color profile.

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

       

      Z
      zoopmasterAuthor
      Inspiring
      May 23, 2022

      I don't actually know. Color has always been a weak spot for me. I assume it's this one:

      But the image in InDesign is still so much brighter than the "converted" copy in Acrobat DC or the printed book cover itself, so I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing.

       

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