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Djuna_A_
Djuna_A_
Known Participant
July 29, 2017
Answered

Preparing files for publication

  • July 29, 2017
  • 1 reply
  • 4794 views

My publisher has requested PSD files in CMYK converted to Japan Color 2001 Coated profile.  The platemaker to be used is specified as fuji Film Luxel T-9800CTP , but they don't know the press; the publisher is in a different city than the printer, and proofing images is out of the publisher's budget (it's a text-only publishing house, and the author won a grant). The publisher also said that he would "check" any prints I sent him, but there's no guarantee that the person who's printing the files will be checking or proofing.

So I'm wondering what the best way to proceed is. Is there a way that selecting the correct Color Settings will guarantee that a print that looks very close to what I see on my CMYK-simulating RGB monitor?  If so, what should the settings be? (Screen shot, please?)  I am willing to pay a local offset printer to make some prints, but I don't know how far I should go with getting their editing help... ($$$$)  I am also still confused about color management, and what it means to "proof a print" as opposed to editing a file on my monitor.

And, last: Can this printing profile (Japan Color, etc) be used to print in the US, or do I have to use SWOP? How close is SWOP to the Japan Color, etc?

Lots of question! Any answers, partial or full, welcome.

Thanks.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer D Fosse

    The fact that they specified the CMYK profile probably means it's the correct one for the press/paper. Usually you'll just be asked for "CMYK", and if you ask which one you just get a blank stare.

    Don't convert the original - keep your master file RGB. Use Edit > Convert to Profile and convert copies as needed. In the US, the most common standard is SWOP, in Europe FOGRA/ISO, and so on. Always ask for the profile.

    Here in Norway, good printers always have their presses carefully calibrated to ISO12647. This means that material converted to ISO Coated or PSO Uncoated profiles always reproduce very accurately. Hard proofs aren't really necessary as long as your monitor is well calibrated to match those conditions.

    1 reply

    D Fosse
    Community Expert
    D FosseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    July 29, 2017

    The fact that they specified the CMYK profile probably means it's the correct one for the press/paper. Usually you'll just be asked for "CMYK", and if you ask which one you just get a blank stare.

    Don't convert the original - keep your master file RGB. Use Edit > Convert to Profile and convert copies as needed. In the US, the most common standard is SWOP, in Europe FOGRA/ISO, and so on. Always ask for the profile.

    Here in Norway, good printers always have their presses carefully calibrated to ISO12647. This means that material converted to ISO Coated or PSO Uncoated profiles always reproduce very accurately. Hard proofs aren't really necessary as long as your monitor is well calibrated to match those conditions.

      D Fosse
      Community Expert
      D FosseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      July 29, 2017

      As for the last point - what you want is to match monitor white to paper white, and equally important, match monitor black to max ink density. That means a very high black point. It'll look like cr*p on screen, and that's the whole point. Offset print has pretty weak blacks, and you need to be prepared for it - if you're not you'll be in for a huge disappointment.

      Djuna_A_
      Djuna_A_Author
      Known Participant
      July 29, 2017

      As for the last point - what you want is to match monitor white to paper white, and equally important, match monitor black to max ink density. That means a very high black point. It'll look like cr*p on screen, and that's the whole point. Offset print has pretty weak blacks, and you need to be prepared for it - if you're not you'll be in for a huge disappointment.

      Great. Now I am learning how to do this calibration.

      The first order of business I think, according to the link I'm reading, is getting a white background for my images in Photoshop; they currently are in black. 

      So question 1 is: How do I get a white proofing background?

      And 2: I know how to set the numbers for true black in Color Picker (Background Color). Does background color here refer to the image or the proofing background? Why, when I press OK, does it not register either visually or as an edit, i.e. I can't see it when I try to Step Backward.

      If there is a shorter way to match monitor white to paper white and get a very high black point, feel free to point me to a tutorial link for Photoshop. I tried but couldn't find one here.

      Thanks so much, D. Fosse

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