RDJpanther

When converted sRGB to CMYK, they looked good on screen. I used PScc, mode then CMYK. Another person is working on the layout getting it ready to publish. When published or converted to a pdf we have problems. Some pictures look ok, other have changed to grayscale. Those in grayscale are cut off on the right side. The some pictures are from 5D III others are cell phones. Even with the DSLR some are colored and some are grayscale and shifted. Therefor, it does not matter the original source.

We are printing a colored flyer to be inserted in our local paper. The newspaper is doing the printing and requested the pictures in CMYK. They are not helping us solve the problem. It has been 6 weeks on trying to resolve it. Now it is a spring edition not the winter as planned.

I am not finding an answer when I google. What come up is "how to convert to grayscale.

Bill P

I'vve done a lot of stuff to be printed on a 4 color press with few problems. I have had the pressmen come out of their lair and compliment me on how good my photos reproduce.

However, I don't ever ever work in sRGB, I shoot raw, convert in ACR, adjust things in PS, then I do the conversion, all this process in Adobe RGB. As all is done and ready for the printer, I then save the file as a PS eps file, as the printer requests. They say they get better reproduction from those files.

Good luck.

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

I just tried your process, without producing a grayscale PDF. Some questions:
do you convert from Adobe RGB to the top-suggested CMYK (US Web coated (SWOP) in the dialog box?
do you save that as PDF, first clicking on the "Embed Profile: US Web coated (SWOP)"?
Then, in the PDF save dialog box do you choose "Press Quality"?

If those steps don't work, I do not know enough to help.

TimB72 Loc: Bedford, Texas

When converting to CMYK it is best to convert to profile and when saving embed the profile. You don't say what file type you are saving and what program that is being used for the layout. Sounds like the problem is with the layout and the way the pdf is being made. Do you know what layout program is being used? I worked in prepress and can give a better suggestion if you furnish more details.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I always heard the CMYK conversion is very device specific and that the prepress person or printer is better equipped to do the conversion for their equipment.

RDJpanther

thanks. the problem is the printer wants the pictures in GMYK which is why they were converted in Adobe RGB to GMYK.

artBob - Are you using a publishing program? The person doing the flyer is working in a word program. They had no problem in the past until this time. The paper is requiring the pictures in GMYK. When we saved the pictures as a PDF file, they looked worse. Plus, we could not drop them into the flyer.

I am not sure if the newspaper knows what they need.

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

Yes, I use InDesign. I wish I could help, but I don't understand it either.

TimB72 Loc: Bedford, Texas

Microsoft Word does not support CMYK files, only RGB. That is why the pictures look bad and are doing strange things.
The work around with Word is to place RGB tiffs or jpegs into the layout, then make a pdf and convert to CMYK using Acrobat DC or Acrobat X Pro.

See https://www.lifewire.com/does-microsoft-word-support-cmyk-images-1079157

The best way is to use either Indesign or Quark for the layout program.

bbrown5154 Loc: Baltimore, MD

I work in the print industry and Ive never heard of GMYK are you sure he didn't mean CMYK because there is no GMYK in photoshop.

If your doing your converting in Photoshop its really easy peasy. Go to "Mode" at the top of the page and click on it and Convert to CMYK.
Then when saving the PDF save it as a Print Quality PDF.
After your done review your PDF. If it looks good and you see the CMYK color separations you should be good to go.

ronz Loc: Florida

I am confused also. I have had a lot of work published in magazines and local newspapers depending on the city I was in and never was ask to make any type of conversions like this. I followed the PGA tour for several years shooting for a magazine and earlier covered many tennis tournaments. I guess I just don't get them asking you to make conversions. I would think it would be there responsibility to make adjustments . In film days I simply mailed the film at the end of the tournament and in digital just email the shots and yes I did make some minor adjustments on digital.

bbrown5154 Loc: Baltimore, MD

Completely agree.
If our customers don't make the conversion themselves we will.
We never ask or tell the customer to do it.
In fact we would rather do it ourselves so we know its correct and then send out a final proof for
the customer to sign off on.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

That is because it is a rather complicated matter, if you think its just >convert to CMYK<,...... its not! First off, converting from RGB, you have to be very specific about which RGB color space! There are Adobe RGB(1998),ProPhotoRGB, color match RGB, sRGB, BruceRGB, JoeRGB,AppleRGB. monitor RGB spaces, digital camera RGB spaces, scanner color spaces, and RGB printer/paper color spaces, etc. Now, all these RGB color spaces are all different from one another in color gamut, white point and/or gamma! If you supply the wrong RGB color space, you will get very different results in color and tone. All that is the same with CMYK, there is no one CMYK color space. All that requires you to be very, very specific about all aspects (including,"where in the world is the file going, what type of printing press, ink, paper will be used, standard process or proofing system profile and specific press profile, what type of black generation and what ink limits are needed. All that and much more will be needed for a correct conversion. Back in the days they had special craftspeople (scanner operators) just for this task to be completed, so it is rather involved, just a click on >convert to CMYK< will obviously not be satisfacatory! One of the problems with converting from any RGB space, to any CMYK space, is that you will be reducing the gamut of your image to something much smaller, hence the lack of saturation (even to the point of lack of color at all in your case, which demonstrates a wrong CMYK profile

bbrown5154 Loc: Baltimore, MD

As far as I know there is only 1 CMYK color space. Its called CMYK.
Iv'e worked in the Pre-Press dept for over 20 years. A lot of what you say is technically true but its not nearly as complicated as what you make it out to be, especially since he was talking about a news paper which is probably printing at around max of 200 dpi.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I too have worked in that field, running a Heidelberg for quite a few years, preparing the files and burning the plates, Yes, there is no ONE CMYK!

bbrown5154 Loc: Baltimore, MD

Didn't run a press but do the pre-press and am the "color" guy for 3 HP Indigo 6800 presses.
Its a rabbit hole for color theory, it can be as easy or difficult as you make it.