How to color art using CMYK colors in Xara

[Chris M]

I thought my answer was a little too simple

[gwpriester]

I thought my answer was a little too simple

The Color Editor is useful if you are working with a CMYK swatchbook and need to match a specific color. And there are members who actually work in the CMYK environment.

These were written many years ago (2005-6), but parts are still relevant. http://archive.xaraxone.com/webxealo...k49/page_1.htm http://archive.xaraxone.com/webxealo...k35/page_5.htm

And I wrote this book in 1995 https://www.amazon.com/Looking-Good-.../dp/1566042194

[handrawn]

but, and Gary will correct me if I am wrong, the xara 'simulate printer colours' is only an approximation [and I think the manual makes this point] - easily demonstrated by comparing with a program that has an actuial cmyk color space, such as Photoshop

@TC - your online printer would have done the CMYK conversion, as Gary mentioned, and likely your bricks and mortar printer will too if you ask them, but they will need to be assured you realise there will be colour shift and you can accept the results without complaint in that regard

i

[ernie-f]

Haven't we? Xara can't do color management!
The only reliable output on Xara is the PDF X-1 output in CMYK with a color profile e. g. ECI_300. icc.

There is no way around Adobe Acrobat Pro to control the colors.

But there you can see the colors only approximately as they might look like when printed. This is because the PC uses the additive light mixture to display colors.
However, the printing is done with pigments and thus the subtractive colour mixing is used.

This difference is only simulated on the PC, so it is important to calibrate your monitor to see what nearly comes out later in printing.

[handrawn]

Xara can't do color management!

true

The only reliable output on Xara is the PDF X-1 output in CMYK with a color profile e. g. ECI_300. icc.

There is no way around Adobe Acrobat Pro to control the colors.

at the professional level

it is important to calibrate your monitor to see what nearly comes out later in printing.

which means you need a monitor capable of being accurately calibrated

[Toonicorn]

true



at the professional level



which means you need a monitor capable of being accurately calibrated

Do you believe in miracles? LOL - but seriously, when I worked in printing, it was a given that our monitors NEVER gave an accurate picture of the colors that would be produced in any printer we had, no matter what age, make or how often we calibrated anything (we usually calibrated the printers daily). And it all just seems so stupid. Why isn't color printing, digital at least, standardized by now? What a pain in the tuchus!

[handrawn]

mainly because as ernie said the physics of light and pigment are different nothing we can do about that only use the technology we have, it will never be perfect but its better than it was; that said i cant think of a monitor less than £400/500 that would be acceptable to me, and for the animation graphics i do where colour fidelity is paramount the cintiq 24 has excellent adobe rgb gamut, but they sure 'aint cheap and excessive if you dont need to draw with it

[ernie-f]

Do you believe in miracles? LOL - but seriously, when I worked in printing, it was a given that our monitors NEVER gave an accurate picture of the colors that would be produced in any printer we had, no matter what age, make or how often we calibrated anything (we usually calibrated the printers daily). And it all just seems so stupid. Why isn't color printing, digital at least, standardized by now? What a pain in the tuchus!

Color printing is standardized. For professional printing, colour profiles



have been developed for certain printing processes (offset and digital printing) which enable the best conversion from RGB to CMYK for the substrate used.

Printing with your own office printer usually has only one or two generic color profiles for plain and photo paper. But also the home office printer could be calibrated
and provided with a color profile and thus adjust the results.
However, since so many factors such as pigmentation of the inks, whiteness of the paper, paper surface, emission/reflection of the paper etc. contribute to the
printing result, it will always be only an approximate result.



The color gamut of e. g. rgb is higher than the achievable result in CMYK printing.
That's why you need a working colour management and the knowledge of the colour masters as well as a large portion of expertise and experience to e. g. make
reproductions of watercolours and oil paintings for art books like I do.

[Toonicorn]

But I like simple!

Huh...the Color Editor function in Xara, you say?...I'm still learning, alas. Mind you, I've used the Editor a lot to adjust colors, but in RGB. Anyway, after reading your suggestion, Chris, I checked my Xara user manual again...and sure enough, there is a section within the Color Handling chapter about the Color Editor (a term not listed in the Index, thanks Xara), and CMYK/RBG color etc. Jeez. I don't know how much help it would have been, but anyway, the next time some "humorless printer" (a term I read on the internet while searching for a solution the other day) asks for a file rendered in CMYK, at least I know to try the Color Editor. I agree that the printer should have been able to convert the colors himself and make them look decent (he was going to print a sample for us) but his alarmism alarmed my customer and, by extension, me, and thus began the kerfuffle. Anyway, we'll see what happens. I should have been a doctor. Thanks again, guys!