Urgent photoshop print question - please help

ConsultClifford

Hi,

im doing a flyer for a friend. Im no graphic designer so im having a little trouble.

Initially i created the flyer (images and text) as a psd in RGB
then i converted to CMYK
then i converted to PDF and sent to printer
they came back and said that the blacks were wrong and needed the black as black and not a mix of colors (ie. CMYK 0 0 0 100)
i then went though the process of selecting all the text on the flyer and changed the black color to CMYK 0 0 0 100.
however they have come back to me saying that its still no right.
here's an idea of what the flyer looks like

1) http://screencast.com/t/ANVkK1Wn9
2) http://screencast.com/t/5klv3R1C3td


whats wrong ??
how do i please the printer!!

tnx
sean

Pixelcraft

In what way is it not right now? can you post the source files? You also have to bleed it appears.

Hank_Scorpio

Another fine reason not to use photoshop as a page layout program.

InDesign or Quark and you'd be ok.


So lets start at the beginning


Edit>Color Settings

WorkingSpaces:
RGB: sRGB
CMYK: Coated Fogra 39 ISO...


Colour Management Policies:
RGB: Convert to Working Space
CMYK: Convert to Working Space

Say OK

View> Proof Setup>Working CMYK




Edit>
Convert to Profile

Destination Space
Profile: Working CMYK

Say Ok


Now Select your text and change it to 100% black - Check the Window>Channels to make sure the type is moving to the black channel.


File>Save As

PDF

Color: Use Proof Setup: Working CMYK



The PDF Dialog Box

Adobe PDF Preset: PDF/X-1a:2001

Compression:
Bicubic Downsampling to 300 for images above 450


Output:
Colour Conversion: Convert to Destination
Destination: Working CMYK



And that's it - should work

Hank_Scorpio

I guess it wasn't that urgent?

ConsultClifford

Hi guys

still is urgent alright.

tahnks for replying , i just drove over to a friends house to see if he could help but he dont know what they mean

Hank, i have just done your changes and i hope that works - im just sending of to printer (again!) and hope it works now.

i think it may have been the cmyk profile that may have been wrong - it was set to USA whereas i changed to europe - hmmm dunno

anyhow thanks for pointers and ill see will they complain again

ill let ye know
tnx
sean

Hank_Scorpio

It's to do with the profiles you have in place and your current working profiles.

If you're set to RGB working profile and you choose Cyan Magenta Yellow to be 0% and Black to be 100% it converts that combination into the RGB working space you're using.

As RGB has no black channel.

If you use the CMYK Coated Fogra 39 (the industry standard in Europe) then it leaves it alone as there is a Black Channel.

When you make the PDF you are again confronted with what Destination you want, CMYK or RGB.

If you do the CMYK with an RGB profile already in place, you are converting the RGB black back to CMYK which gives it a mix of CMY and K.

The last two lines above is probably what you were doing.


Working from a CMYK profile is the way to go when doing print work in photoshop that contains text in Black.


Remember if you've got an RGB profile it converts the colour you choose in CMYK to RGB, and RGB has no black channel, so the black is distrubuted amonsgt the other RGB channels.


That's why I say - after you've converted your working space to CMYK and Converted the Profile you're using on the current document - THEN make the changes - not BEFORE - as this will result in a 3 colour rgb for the blacks, that will be converted to 4 colour CMYK.