rcarol

Bob, The issue is the OP wants to do this using some program other than Photoshop since he doesn't own PS.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Or maybe he should find a printer who doesn't require conversion of files to CMYK to get the best quality print.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

ANY decent provider should be able to convert RGB JPEGs in the sRGB color space to CMYK for offset press printing. Color separations are best made by printers who are used to making them for their local press conditions (the combination of exact paper, ink or toner, and printing process).

When I worked at a company with both a yearbook printing and portrait photography division, we had this fight for years. In the 1990s, the yearbook side insisted we on the photo side create separations as uncompressed 8-bit CMYK TIFF files. Well, I had a friend "up the hill" at our yearbook plant who worked in the pre-press area. He and I did some tests of making the CMYK conversions in HIS software from our RGB JPEGs. Lo and behold, the press tests looked MUCH better when they were able to make the profile conversions and RGB to CMYK conversions. And because they were working from JPEGs, the process of making the plates they needed was more efficient than it had been from TIFFs.

Let your provider send you a test image file and a sample print made from it on their equipment. View the image on your monitor next to the print, illuminated to roughly the same brightness under a 5000K light source. If they don't match, order a monitor calibration kit from Datacolor or X-Rite and use it to make your monitor honest.

The usual reasons for mismatched color in ANY system are ICC profile mismatches and poor monitor calibrations.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

IF you are really serious about getting a good print to monitor match then calibrate your monitor with something like an X-Rite i1 Studio, which I use to build profiles for cameras and printers. Take a photo of a color checker card and make sure the actual card as observed under 5000K light and the image of the card on your monitor are a reasonable match. You may need to build a camera profile to get an acceptable match. Send the image of the color checker card to the company you print with and have them make a 5 x 7 on the paper you normally print on. Build a profile for your Printer using the print they returned to you. Apply the profile to your color checker card image and send it back to your Printer. What comes back should be very close to what you see on your monitor. There are limitations. For example, canvas prints do not show the same level of detail and contrast as a print on bright white glossy photo paper.

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

As I mentioned, I don't have Photoshop, Bob. That's why I guess my goose is cooked. I was hoping there might be a free basic software that could accomplish the conversion to CMYK.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

How about an example of one of the twelve images from last year, the as-sent-to-VistaPrint version of the image.

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

I can only speak to what the rep at Vistaprint told me. I know Shutterfly makes adjustments unless you check the box to keep the image unchanged, so I assume that's where they make the color conversion. Their price was pretty steep this year and I keep running into bugs with their program's performance on my desktop starting last year...images flickering and steps being undone. Laptop worked with it okay, but I can't judge color results using the laptop. At this point, I am ready to just stop doing the calendars (after 11 years).

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

You have shined the spotlight on my limited skill set, Thomas. I never could get the hang of Photoshop and, since I have no aspirations to commercial work, I was never motivated to stick with it. The calendars are the only time I share images with family and friends. Otherwise, some travel reflections on UHH and FB is as far as my pictures go.

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Aside from Shutterfly and Vistaprint, any suggestions, John?

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Bill, sending a test image is a good suggestion. I will get back in touch with the printer and see if they will work with that. Thanks!

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

THEY send YOU an image and a print of it to show you what it SHOULD look like on your monitor. The whole point is to check YOUR monitor calibration. If your images look right on your monitor according to international standards, then what you see is what they print.

Monitor calibration and custom profiling with a hardware and software kit is the most important thing you can do to work successfully with photo labs, printers, and graphic services bureaus. The same is true if you print your own work at home.

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Uh oh, you just found my Achilles Heel. I tried Spyder X-Pro and sold it here on UHH. My desktop images turned very yellow, even the Word and Excel white backgrounds took on a yellow cast. Tried many times, under different lighting conditions, and never got it right. Maybe I cannot see how awful the images I share really look to others. Check my Flickr and let me know if it's a big fail. That said, several steps you gave could still be implemented...just not calibration. Thanks for taking the time to explain, Strodav.

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Here is one from the waterfall calendar sent to Vistaprint.

(Download)

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Thanks for the clarification. I thought you meant I send them an image to print and return to me for comparison of the printed version with my monitor. (Actually, that is what I already had when I got the calendars back from last year, duh.) But, I will say that when I've printed at home using the Epson Stylus Photo 1400, the images looked nice.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

It looks good on my calibrated screen. If you could send me the image in a private message, I'll take a look at it in Photoshop to see if there are any issues. Which paper did you choose for the calendars (or identify which of the calendars on Vistaprint's website you chose). The choice of paper would have an effect on the images too.