Working in CMYK

[zee]

I'm still trying to get a handle on printing in CMYK. I have produced several CMYK .tif files that have been printed by a company that uses 4-color process printing (CMYK) and they have turned out great. I just wanted to share my technicque and see if anyone else does it differently or has a better way.

1. In Xtreme, I set my monitor to "simulate print colors" (windows > Show Printer Colors > Simulate Print Colors)

2. Set "color units to percent" (Utilites > Options > Unit Tab and set color units to percent"

3. Open up "color editor" (Ctrl+E) - (set to CMYK color model) I also check the 3D box because I find it easier to adjust colors in the 3D mode.

4. AFTER I'm done creating the image....
File > Export (Ctrl+Shift+E)
Save as type: TIFF(*.tif)
Click on Export
Set dpi to either 300 or 600
Set Color Depth to CMYK
Click on Export

I have also tried something which has helped me to better understand the differences between RGB & CMYK.

I have both X1 and Xtreme installed on my PC. I open up X1 application and set it up to work in RGB (make sure color units is set to 0-255 and not percent) and then I open up Xtreme and set it up to work in CMYK as described above. I minimize both X1 and Xtreme so that they each share half the screen and then do comparisons. It's interesting to copy & paste a image done in X1 (RGB) to Xtreme (CMYK) and see the differences.

[gwpriester]

Good advice. Thanks for sharing. Getting good color in CMYK is not always easy but it helps to have an idea how it all works which you have provided.

Thanks

Gary

[jclements]

Zee,

I like your idea of opening both X1 and Xtreme and doing comparisons.

[behzad]

Do the following like you said, but make sure you have no compression selected.

4. AFTER I'm done creating the image....
File > Export (Ctrl+Shift+E)
Save as type: TIFF(*.tif)
Click on Export
Set dpi to either 300 or 600
Set Color Depth to CMYK
Set None on compression

Click on Export

[zee]

behzad,

I'm definitely not an expert on this subject, but I'm not quite sold on the idea of not using compression when creating .tif file. As a test, I used a .xar file that had both text and .jpg images and saved it at 600 dpi as both non-compressed and with LZW compression. The non-compressed file size was 112,200KB and the LZW compressed file size was 17,600KB; I did not see any loss of quality in the LZW compressed file. I realize if your writing your file to CD, the file size isn't that important, but if you are sending it via e-mail it can make a difference.

Anyone else care to share your knowledge or expertise on this subject?

Zee

[Luciano]

Dear Zee,
You are right, LZW compression is lossless compression, i.e. not a single pixel is missing.
It is quite different from other types of compressions (e.g. JPG) which can degrade the image quality.

LZW creates a sort of internal dictionary of repeated elements and when expanded you get exactly the same original file, LZW is the basis of some softwares as Winzip, etc.

Ciao
Luciano

[zee]

Ciao,

Thanks for the information.

Zee

[Squeaky]

Some of my clients do not take LZW compressed tiff's. Apparently their printers/repro people have problems with it.
Just thought I'd mention it.

[sallybode]

There are so many programs out there and getting a basic .tiff is safer for a printer to be able to get depenable results.

Compression creates more time when creating a plate as the plate maker has to calculate more how to make the image. Taking extra time when the artist could furnish an image which won't do this means they can print more jobs at a lower cost.

The question is do you want to use compression more than getting printing for less?

The minute the printer accepts compression then they have to start explaining to the client what is going on and why it doesn't work. The client if they did their own artwork thinks they are hard to understand and hides these problems within the way a .pdf is made.

I often get in .pdf files for sending out for business cards, and I can only accept files that are properly made because we don't want to eat the expense of the clients mistakes.

All text must be curves, no compression of images and all images must be 300 dpi and CMYK.

You'd be surprized how many people can't figure out a business card is 2" x 3.5". But you get all kinds of mistakes, I've seen loads of them. Mostly people who don't understand image resolution for print and for web are completely different. I got one business card designed on mac, the proportions weren't even 2 x 3.5, there was no bleed, and it was 17" wide.

Of course the type was rastered in Photoshop because he didn't send fonts or convert to curves and the serif font looked deplorable when reduced to the correct size.

But it looks good on the screen. you should print your work out to be sure of how it prints. That one process tells you worlds of what you need to see.



They they complain that it is not a good result.

Some printers have the software to accomodate this compression. Best not to argue. Gangrun only printers will not take compressed images.

The ones who take compression still prefer no compression however. .PDF allows compression of line art and text and no compression of images, it is a better trade off, makes a smaller file size, gives you the best of what you can get and it is a .pd which is going to work.

Not all printers use the same monitor optimization, find one that use the same profile or you have to readjust your work just to accomodate one that is not using industry standards.

Bargains are not always bargains.

[shellyrosenberg]

What are the differences between X1 and Xtreme?