How to set default foreground/background colors?
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I'd like to set default foreground/background colors because I want the black to be 30%Y, 30%C, 30%M, and 100 Black.
Is there a way to do that?
Thanks!
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You could create an Action and assign it a shortcut.
Of course it would be nonsense when working in RGB.
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That's an idea!
The thing is actions are only assignable on function keys, if I'm not mistaking
That's a shortcut I use a lot so function keys wouldn't be very convenient (I currently assigned "Default background and foreground colors" shortcut to the D key).
Thanks anyway!
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You could create a Script, that can also be assigned a keyboard shortcut other than the F-keys.
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Could you share with us the reason you would choose that setting? Although, on press it might reduce a possible ink trap problem and may reduce drying time, a minor variation of ink deposit during the run could significantly affect image density range and local contrast. CMYK of 30,30,30,100 adds up to 190%. Yet, the average printing plant routinely runs a d/max of 300% or more on coated stock. (Afterthought: Is someone attempting to compensate for inordinate dot gain on press?)
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And in an RGB image 30/30/30/100 would amount to a dark, slightly warm grey, so it would only seem to make sense when working on CMYK graphics.
And there using it could also lead to problems (if registration issues should arise) in particular when used on lines and small text on white or bright backgrounds.
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Thanks for your answers!
Ok,I didn't think of making a script. I need to find a way to make a script that use a predefined color, maybe with the swatches. It could work!
The reason why I would like to redefine the default black is for printing indeed ( so yes for CMYK). For offset printing, it's good to have color under your black (don't know how it's called in english). For laser printing it's good to have a 100% Black, with 0% color in it.
So that why I want to find a way to quickly change the default black (which is 75%/68%/67%/90%, for a reason I ignore), depending on which project I'm working on.
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You don't need a script. Just change the foreground and background colour, while no file is opened. Whenever you create a new file, the foreground and background colours, you defined, are available in the new document.
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teachbit > I'm not sure what you mean. If i change the fg/bg colors while no file open, and then open a new file, default colors are still black and white.
D Fosse > Thanks, I didn't know that. I'm in France, so that may be different. The current printer I work with want me to have a 0/0/0/100 Black. But I used to work with printers who wanted 40/40/40/100 black for offset printing, as I said above.
I just found a way to change default black : in Edit/Color Setting/Working Space/CMYK/Custom CMYK, you can choose a custom CMYK (from all over the world, like you said D Fosse), and choose which black you use; but It's a bit strange because I can't seem to be able to choose a 0/0/0/100 Black. All you have is 3 values (Y,x and y). This thing is beyond my knowledge.
I think I'll find another way.
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my Photoshop even keeps the changed Foreground an background colours after restarting Photoshop. I work on a Macintosh with CC2018.
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Don't touch the custom CMYK dialog. Among other things it's obsolete - a modern workflow uses standard icc profiles. The question is which one. In Europe, most presses are calibrated to ISO standards, and the most common profile for coated stock is ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI). Although some printers prefer Coated FOGRA39 (those two are fairly similar) - and some new PSO Coated profiles are apparently on their way but not yet widely used.
As it happens, ISO Coated is not included in the Photoshop installation, and you have to download it from www.eci.org.
There are basically two kinds of black in CMYK. There is rich black which prints on all four color plates to maximum TAC. And then there is 100K black, which prints on the black plate only. The significance of 100K black is that it usually overprints the other inks. This why 100K black is used for text and other graphic elements where you want to avoid registration issues.
100K black is pretty grayish on its own. In Photoshop 100K and rich black display correctly relative to each other, and you can see the difference easily. But in Illustrator and InDesign there is a gotcha, because here, both display on screen as full black at default settings. You have to go into preferences to change it into accurate display.
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michelimar wrote
the default black (which is 75%/68%/67%/90%, for a reason I ignore), depending on which project I'm working on.
That is the default black because this is the maximum ink limit in US Web Coated (SWOP) v2. This is the blackest black you get before the ink starts smearing and running on the paper.
Other CMYK profiles have other numbers for max ink (commonly known as Total Area Coverage).
US Web Coated (SWOP) is an American standard that just happens to be the default CMYK in Photoshop. A CMYK profile always reflects a particular press/paper/ink process. Presses are calibrated to different standards in different areas of the world, and you always need to confirm with the printer what profile to use.
Apologies if you knew this, but lots of people don't. They think "CMYK" is just a generic condition, which it isn't.
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