Convert from RGB to CMYK

[yingchen50]

Hello:

When a Missing Profile dialogue comes on, three choices are given:

Leave as is (don't color manage)
Assign profile (U.S. Web coated)
Assign profile (a dropdown menu is given)

My problem is to which I should choose " U.S. Sheetfed Coated or Uncoated" or "U.S. Web coated or uncoated" or "Photoshop 4 or 5" in order to convert the photos in RGB in my booklet to CMYK to be printed on uncoated paper (regular staples copy paper) on my Samsung Laser printer?

 

[apepp]

...all printers produce colour differently, so printing the same image to different printers will yield different results...

colour, it's a big area!!

...firstly you will need to create a calibrated monitor if you have not done so...

...if you ever have a profile mismatch which has the name of a device i.e. scanner profile as the source, you will want to choose leave as is and then the convert to profile option (image > mode > convert to profile or edit > convert to profile in CS or CS2...

...in your case, choose the leave as is option, then go to image > mode > assign profile or edit > assign profile in CS or CS2...

...you will have to guess which profile to use, one of the top four rgb profiles. In general i would choose Adobe RGB (1998). Have preview enabled and choose the one that looks best. From this you are setting the photoshop image to a known rgb space...

...there is an arrow at the bottom of open images, choose show doc profile. If it ever says untagged rgb, then you will need to assign a profile before conversion to cmyk...

...most desktop printers come with color profiles, you will need to have one installed to get accurate prints to your canon...

...i take you will be printing to your canon from photoshop, so keep the image in your rgb space, and in the file > print dialogue, select colour management and select your printer profile...

...that should do you fine, if you ever need to send images to a commercial printer, convert the image to cmyk using the image > mode > convert to profile or edit > convert to profile in CS or CS2. Then choose Photoshop 5 Default CMYK. This profile does really well from rgb to cmyk, colours won't flatten out so much...

all the best!

andrew

 

[apepp]

...oops, just realized you have a samsung not canon, but anyway! : )

andrew

 

[kiddpete]

If you do not have a profile for your printer printing on 'regular staples copy paper', you will need to create one if you want to color manage. Creating a printer/ink/paper combination profile can be done fairly easily by Monaco's Easy Color. You will, however, need a scanner to use their most economical option.

Within Photoshop, most people recommend Adobe RGB (1998). Things like 'U.S. Sheetfed Coated or Uncoated' are intended for use with commercial printing operations.

 

[yingchen50]

But in CMYK box, RGB is not a choice.

 

[kiddpete]

Where is the image coming from? Most printers connected to a computer running Photoshop expect to receive an RGB image rather than CMYK.

 

[apepp]

...the cmyk box you refer to won't display rgb profiles...

...in your case your images are in rgb, opening them produces a missing profile warning, choose leave as is and click ok...

...with the image open you will the want to assign a profile (Adobe RGB 1998)...

andrew

 

[yingchen50]

Okay, I have to admit that your tips are way advanced for me to digest. Let me ask you one question at a time.

1. How to calibrate my monitor? I have a Dell 4700 Pentium 4 Processor 530 with HT Technology.

 

[apepp]

try this link for you PC, make sure you choose the correct one for your operating system i.e. windows xp etc

andrew

http://www.praxisoft.com/pages/support.downloads.html#wizi

 

[apepp]

...this one is a visual calibration tool, the previous link i posted requires targets and a scanner...

http://www.normankoren.com/makingfineprints1A.html#QuickGamma

andrew

 

[apepp]

...a great site on colour management fo you...

...has test pages too, so read through when you have some spare time...

http://www.normankoren.com/color_management.html

andrew