I converted an image from phone camera to CMYK using "convert to profile" in Photoshop. Then, how should I save the CMYK format image? The "save as" and "export as" (with the sRGB unticked) gave slightly different look. Which one is the correct method way to save?
With your crooked workflow it doesn't matter. Any conversion to CMYK first and foremost requires to work with proper color management, which is clearly not the case with what you do. You have to educate yourself about this stuff. Just arbitrarily mangling your images through a profile conversion doesn't constitute CM. Hence the color shifts. No quick fixes here, you really have to read up.
The key thing is knowing which CMYK to convert to. There are many different ones.
Once you've converted, use Save, not Export. Adobe don’t tell you this but Export is only for web graphics - so it will remove resolution and convert back to RGB...
Stay in the color mode, RBG, there's no point in converting to CMYK, you loose about a third of your color information.
If you're printing to a high end inkjet printer (such as a one with CMYKplus) you use the printer's software to convert to CMYK+ and you'll get a much wider gamut. For commercial litho printing, where you might place the image in an InDesign document, you use (unless you've been given a different spec by your printer) a PDF and select PDF/X-4 to do the conversion from RGB to CMYK.
In my opinion always is depend what do you want to do with the file, but generally speaking
Keep the file in RGB (like Derek says), if you want to place those files into InDesign or Illustrator place the files in RGB mode and from there you can convert an RGB or CMYK PDF.
But first we ned to know what do you do with your images?
Do you print?
Do you save for web?
Do you place the images in to InDesign or Illustrator?
Thank you everyone for responding to my post. I converted my image to CMYK, so that I could get it to the print shop for banner printing. I used Adobe Illustrator designing the banner. Am I doing it right?
Wait, you used Illustrator to design the banner, but then loaded it onto Photoshop to convert to CMYK? You are aware you can easily change the color profile to CMYK in Illustrator, and at least there it would keep its Vector graphics. Photoshop is Raster, its going to not look as good if you kept it in Illustrator.
I read some articles, and now I am quite confused. First in Illustrator, I create new document and do some changes in the more settings (the profile and size).
Here is the confusing part: I always convert my image to "U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) V2" using Photoshop with "convert to profile" before importing to Illustrator. Is this incorrect?
Could you guys please provide me the correct working process to start designing? What do you guys normally do at the beginning of designing process?
Assuming by "banner" you mean a large wall-sized print, I'd strongly recommend you get a decent camera instead of using a phone...
If the printer wants CMYK, always ask which one. US Web Coated SWOP may not be the right one. Don't ask the customer relations people, they usually have no clue, ask the people who will actually print it.
For this type of work the application of choice is InDesign, not Illustrator. You can place RGB images in ID and export a press-ready CMYK PDF to any printer specification.
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