Adverts should be in CMYK

[Zakiyya]

Hi there!

When submitting adverts to newspapers and magazines, they require artwork in CMYK and as a PDF.

In Xara Page & Layout Designer, one can export as PDF/X. I do have this product.

Does this mean the artwork will be converted to CMYK on exporting?

Or do I manually have to ensure that every colour I use is in CMYK model and if so how do I do this.

Thanks in advance.

[mwenz]

PDF/X-1a will convert any color space to CMYK using a profile.

Now, a couple things. One is because PDF/X-1a has to have a color profile by specification, you should know what CMYK profile to use. Else there will be a profile to profile conversion. When doing adverts for newspaper, the proper profile is especially important because of the lowered ink density required to print on newsprint. Depending upon the magazine (what type of paper a specific magazine prints upon), the profile likely uses a higher TAC/TIC requirement than the places using newsprint (TAC= Total Area Coverage, TIC = Total Ink Coverage. These are used pretty interchangeably).

Second point. Using RGB or HSV to design in can present color space conversion visual issues because of the much smaller color gamut in CMYK than RGB does. I personally design for print using CMYK for the sole reason I can check the CMYK values in the PDF to ensure they are transferring to my PDF profile properly.

Third point. Xara is not a color-managed application. Color on-screen simply will not be what you necessarily see in print, even if PG&D has the ability that XDP does for representing print colors on-screen. This ability of showing print colors on-screen is also not actually well done, and so to me the numbers I am using in a design become all the more important, so much so that I will use a swatch book if I have any questions as to CMYK color.

Mike

[gwpriester]

Check with the publication and see what PDF/X option(s) they prefer. PDF/X1, X2, etc.

[mwenz]

I forgot to add something. You mention whether you should be designing in CMYK.

As far as type is concerned, that answer depends on the size of the type. Generally a newspaper/magazine will have a page on their web site about PDF submission/design considerations. They will/should have a section about the color of small type...and what size they consider small type. On newsprint, once at or below 11 pt type, using a rich black (what you will get using RGB black when it is converted), the type will become muddy, mis-registered or both. To avoid that, use 100 % K for the type. In order to make certain your type is 100% black, make sure all the CMY sliders are dragged to zero. But, make sure you also slide down the Black slider then slide it back up to 100%. It is an issue with Xara products that has been long-standing that merely moving the CMY sliders to 0% and leaving the black slider at 100% will still produce a rich black in a PDF.

They will also or should have instructions regarding black knocking out or overprinting.

If in doubt, point us to their submission guidelines and we can help figure it out. Some are not clear at all, other newspapers lack them on their web site, while still others have conflicting information.

Mike

[Albacore]

Why don't you try it out yourself! It is not so hard to do but you can make mistakes as Mike has pointed out but follow a few rules and see what happens. Take one of your files down to a local print shop and ask them to print it out and see what you get it is only going to cost about £1.50 for a full A4 sheet. You will probably find that some of your colours look washed out, dull and not what you had on your screen even if you had "Simulate Print Colours" from the top menu bar under Windows menu, then down to Show Printer Colours selected. That's why Mike uses a book with most colours in it with their values so that you can see what that colour looks like when printed and not what it looks like on the screen. But you have gained experience and that worth more than £1.50. Since your taking your work to professional people it might be worth while to do a bit of research on the subject and learn a bit more as a few times that I have made mistakes I never like the feeling of making an ass of myself. It isn't that hard honest.