Confused about CMYK color profile for printing artwork using Printify

[JGiunta]

Hello,

I'm working on setting up a Shopify store for artwork using Printify to print my products. I noticed that when I upload an image to Printify it has a CMYK color profile checker which makes the image look much more flat, and grey and less vibrant. I want more accurate printing of course, so I was researching into Color Profiles and Soft Proofing and I was trying to convert the image in Photoshop to CMYK as well as changing the Proof Setup to CMYK, however; I noticed zero changes in the image. Why do I see so many changes in Printify's CMYK checker, but zero changes when I convert in Photoshop? What am I missing?

Thanks,

-J

[Stephen Marsh]

Most POD service providers are clueless about colour management. This SP is no different to the others.

They suggest that you work in RGB, but they fail to mention which type of RGB:

https://help.printify.com/hc/en-us/articles/4483625994513-Which-color-profile-should-I-use-for-my-fi...

If in doubt, I would always use sRGB if no further information was provided.

The CMYK would depend on the substrate that you are printing on and the print process. It will be different for a mug vs. a t-shirt.

https://printify.com/blog/rgb-vs-cmyk/

https://printify.com/guide/design-guide/

[davescm]

Amazing that their 'Ultimate guide' goes through an entire description of how to control colour without mentioning exactly which RGB profile or exactly which CMYK profile to use. It also suggests using Image > Image Mode to convert, which will convert to whatever default the user happens to have set in colour settings, rather than Edit > Convert to Profile and specifying the correct profile for their press.
You summed it up nicely Stephen.

Dave

[JGiunta]

Do you suggest using a Monitor Calibration Hardware tool such as "Datacolor Spyder X Pro?"

[Stephen Marsh]

Do you suggest using a Monitor Calibration Hardware tool such as "Datacolor Spyder X Pro?"

By JGiunta

If you are interested in more accurate viewing (dependent on ambient environment viewing conditions), then yes.

[NB, colourmanagement]

@JGiunta I too think sending sRGB will likely be safest. If you send them sRGB they can then convert it to the correct CMYK for the print process to be used. That's the ideal.

I would take a representative test image and do a test.

Here's mine: please go here and download the Adobe RGB testimage: https://www.colourmanagement.net/downloads_listing/

Take the RGB image and convert to sRGB then send to the vendor. Do skintones look natural etc.

I wonder if you can trust your own display screen when it comes to assessing a print. Ideally it should be calibrated and profiled using an on-screen sensor. 

Online soft proof from a company that may not have implemented soft proofing properly could be misleading. You mention that you've tested CMYK in Photoshop, you didn't mention which CMYK (they are totally device and media specific). Of course you'll need to use the correct media profile from the vendor to make the Photoshop conversion / soft proofing test representative 

I hope this helps

neil barstow colourmanagement - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colourmanagement online

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[JGiunta]

Do you suggest using a Monitor Calibration Hardware tool such as "Datacolor Spyder X Pro?"

[D Fosse]

Do you suggest using a Monitor Calibration Hardware tool such as "Datacolor Spyder X Pro?"

By JGiunta

That is always recommended - but for the purposes of this discussion, it needs to be clear that it doesn't affect the file itself in any way. It just lets your monitor reproduce it correctly, so that you can properly see what you're doing, instead of having to guess.

As for your original question, as the others have pointed out - a "CMYK checker" is pointless if they don't specify which CMYK profile to use. And no, there shouldn't be general desaturation, only those colors that are out of gamut in the specific target CMYK profile.

I'd go elsewhere. There is no indication that Printify has a properly color managed process - or even that they know what they're doing.

[Stephen Marsh]

And no, there shouldn't be general desaturation, only those colors that are out of gamut in the specific target CMYK profile.

By D Fosse

Agreed, I don't know how they are performing the "CMYK preview" within the web browser. I doubt that it is ICC-based and that they use a different profile when viewing a mug vs. a t-shirt printed on white fabric vs. printed on a different colour using a base-white ink, but web page previews aren't my area of speciality. My guess is a very simple, inaccurate method to dumb down the colour preview.

[JGiunta]

Does anyone know of a Print on Demand service like Printify that has better color management and knowledge of these different color profiles? Thanks.

[Stephen Marsh]

Hello,

Why do I see so many changes in Printify's CMYK checker, but zero changes when I convert in Photoshop? What am I missing?

Thanks,

-J

By JGiunta

It depends on the source file and assigned/assumed ICC profile and the destination profile and settings used for softproofing or conversion.

I doubt that the Printify website is using ICC-based colour management to simulate printing previews, they probably just have some simple "desaturate by N%" toggle.