Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Another option is the
Black Balance
button, which uses the measured
data to calculate the optimum neutral black point for the output device.
Both ProfileMaker Pro and MonacoPROFILER have provisions for affect-
ing the neutral values based upon the color of the paper stock. Since the
paper is measured and has a specific color, neutrals may be affected. Both
products have settings to adjust colors to ensure neutrals are maintained
based upon the color of the paper white. For very nonwhite papers like
newsprint, this can be a useful option.
What to Do When You Can't Target Your Output
You have a client who might have no idea where the job will be printed.
Alternatively, the job might be printed in several shops across the
country, not uncommon for large magazine production. This is a signif-
icant issue and one that can put a crimp in the best-laid plan for target-
ing your CMYK conversions. You have to produce a conversion to CMYK,
what can you do? Try to get as much information as possible in the
attempt to produce the best generic conversion possible. You get an idea
if the job is being printed in newsprint, on a glossy stock, a magazine,
sheetfed, or web press. From there, an educated guess can be made. Using
the sheetfed or SWOP profiles from Photoshop are probably as good a
guess as any since building a custom profile isn't in the cards.
You can still consider working with a prepress house that will produce
film and proofs (or just proofs) if a client is willing to accept that option.
In this scenario, supplying tagged RGB documents in a reasonable RGB
working space and a CMYK conversion with a cross-rendered proof is
probably your best bet. Convert to CMYK using one of the Photoshop
ICC profiles and then proof that onto a desktop printer using the cross-
rendering techniques discussed in Chapter 6. This will produce a refer-
ence print that someone in the CMYK world can reasonably match. An
RGB file in a working space like ColorMatch RGB may be a safer option
than a wider gamut working space since we don't know if the receiver
of this RGB file has any idea how to handle tagged RGB. ColorMatch
RGB, though having a smaller color gamut than Adobe RGB (1998), is
going to preview better for users who may not be using ICC color man-
agement or a calibrated display. ColorMatch RGB will stand a better
chance of getting converted to CMYK by the less sophisticated color man-
agement user.
By providing as much information about the files as possible, the
better the job will proceed. If your client demands that you provide
CMYK files but can't provide you with enough information about the
print process, protect yourself. I would also suggest you try to get some-
thing in writing stating you will not be held responsible for the final color
quality nor the number of proofs required to finish the job. This would
be true for those providing RGB data as well. A poor RGB-to-CMYK con-
version isn't the fault of the person supplying the tagged RGB data,
