Converting to CMYK

Raptor Mike

Raptor Mike

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Mike
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I have some fliers I've made for my business on PSE9. I'm using Instantprint for the printing but they want jpegs in CMYK. You can send them in RGB but I have had some already and they come out too dark. My version of Photoshop only allows for sRGB or Adobe RGB. Can anyone recommend a program, preferably free, for converting the images to CMYK? The only one I have is word, but it's a bit of a fiddle.
 
The darkness might be a result of an uncalibrated monitor at your end, rather than the colour space? Wild guess because I don't know your circumstances. How've you got on with other forms of printing from rgb, eg photo labs? Full PS versions do cmyk along with soft-proofing but are obviously not cheap! Also if you were to find a free converter, it'd be worth getting a colour profile off the printers for their printer and paper stock.
 
droj said:
The darkness might be a result of an uncalibrated monitor at your end, rather than the colour space? Wild guess because I don't know your circumstances. How've you got on with other forms of printing from rgb, eg photo labs? Full PS versions do cmyk along with soft-proofing but are obviously not cheap! Also if you were to find a free converter, it'd be worth getting a colour profile off the printers for their printer and paper stock.
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My monitor's calibrated. I never get any other printing done because I print all my own photos. Also when I did the last order their preview did come up darker.

bovey9 said:
What type of PS are you using. On mine its Image then mode to change to CYMK.
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I'm using Photoshop Elements 9.

Here's the link to the artwork advice:
http://www.instantprint.co.uk/folded-leaflets/a4-c-fold

Thanks
 
You need to be careful when converting to CMYK. CMYK has many flavours, it's not a standard colour space such as sRGB or Adobe RGB. Fortunately Instaprint do suggest using the Colour profile: Fogra 39 (ISO 12647-2:2004). Where possible export as a PDF/x-1a:2001.. Photoshop will let you set both these options. You could try downloading a trial of the latest Photoshop Elements and see if they can help. As far as I can see converting to this profile simply darkens the image slightly and desaturates a small amount.

They do give a good guide on how to convert, but only in high end apps such as Photoshop and InDesign
 
Ok Mike I've read this: http://enjoy.instantprint.co.uk/useful-guides/colour-guide/#2
What did you use for your layout, one of their templates? They do mention that you can send a M'soft Word file and they'll cmyk and pdf it and send a proof?

To elaborate on John's post, the Fogra39 is the cmyk colour profile that can be applied to images text etc within the doc, but the pdf standard applies to the exported doc as a whole (a pdf is like a package that has all the printable elements bundled in it).

I could convert the images to that cmyk space for you if you can't achieve success with rgb. About the pdf - I can make a pdf to the spec quoted but only, as far as I can think, from a file made in my page layout program ...
 
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Thanks folks
I have read that guide but as I can't convert it in the first place bit doesn't really help. I used the PS templates downloaded from them. I have read elsewhere that because PSE is for photos it doesn't need a basic colour space like CMYK, although older versions do have the option. I have two fliers that need doing, my valeting business price list and my wife's Zumba class. Mine aren't the end of the world but the Zumba need to be nice and vibrant.
 
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