RGB to CMYK conversion

Kell

Kell

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Kell
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Hi there, I've seen some posts about this, but not sure what to do next.

A friend of mine is being featured in a magazine and has been asked to supply a photo. The photo is in RGB. Last time she did it, it came out terribly and this time the magazine has asked her for the image in CMYK.

I can simply do a conversion in PS, but I know that it affects colours and may also look terrible, but in a different way. I've never used PS for image corrections and adjustments in this way - more for manipulation - so I'm not sure how to go about matching the two after conversion.

Anyone point me in the direction of a step by step guide to colour correct it after the conversion?

I'm surprised it's not possible (easily) from Lightroom.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.
 
I am surprised that the magazine have an issue with sRGB profiled files...................afteral I surmise that many publications (newspapers & magazines) get submissions of photos from members of the public with sRGB as the default profile and based on the many pictures they use from such sources look fine in their publications.

Maybe if you contacted the magazine yourself to discuss it???
 
droj said:
Yes it does seem odd that they can't deal with it in-house, as if they're incompetent at their own trade ...
Click to expand...

Precisely, unless of course their request for a CYMK file is compounded by @Kell 's friend sending a file that that has been processed in some odd way that 'they' (the magazine) think will be overcome by having a CYMK file :thinking: :thinking: :thinking: Even if supplied tagged as aRGB I would expect any competent printing company to 'sort it out'.

PS is this perhaps a 'local mag'? If so, they need to find another printing company to do the job ;)

PPS as in all things context is all! Did she take the picture, process the picture, liaise with the magazine, exactly what does "it came out terribly" mean etc. @Kell hopefully you can get to the bottom of the problem and help your friend as she needs?
 
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I'd thought it was a head shot she was sending - so a photo.

Turns out it's a picture of one of her paintings. Not sure if it's been shot, or scanned. (ETA: when I looked up the info, it came back with SLT-A77V, which I think is her Sony Camera).

Did a very simple conversion which looked like it left the colours washed out, so then did a second version for her where I gave it a bit more contrast and saturation.

I guess, now knowing it's a painting, means they'd be unwilling to convert it their end as they wouldn't be able to reference the original to see how it compares.

Thanks all for the help - I passed back the comment about asking for the colour profile, but I suspect they'll just go with what was supplied.
 
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Hmmmm!

As it is painting, I surmise she was not happy if the look was all wrong hence the "it came out terribly".

AFAIK to get a picture to "look right", it needs to be lit and properly(?) and photographed 'dead square on'. Taking such pictures has been discussed here at TP a couple/few times @Garry Edwards as I recall made a lighting related contribution.

Therefore, as such it has nothing (or little) to do with the colour profile tag of the image file and more to do with the quality of the photograph and its WB and good lighting with no highlights & specular reflections etc etc. (NB just my understanding of the genre....and I stand to be corrected if I have in way passed on poor insight :thinking:

PS if she values her work, it might be best to get the painting professionally photographed???

PPS in case this helps ;)
 
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Think i'm right that a CMYK profile can be created with Affinity Publisher (AP).
I know when i had a "Zine" printed for the swap it had to go as a CMYK file which I created with AP

If this might be a regular occurrence perhaps purchasing AP might be a good idea.
It isn't expensive and often has offers to reduce the price even lower.
 
The real problem is that CMYK and to lesser extent srgb are very narrow profiles and most colours are clipped resulting in terrible look. Your job is to try and fit all colours within those constraints if that is even possible. 4 colour printing is crap but cost effective
 
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