Color Workflows for Adobe Creative Suite 3

CMYK Commercial Print Workflow

For graphic designers and prepress professionals who are responsible for building documents, what follows are step-by-step descriptions for using Adobe Creative Suite 3 to achieve more accurate color in a commercial print workflow.

In commercial printing and publishing, consistent color throughout the workflow saves both time and money. Because print professionals want to ensure that files produce the expected color results, many prepare artwork using CMYK values intended for a specific output device. This "safe" approach ensures that CMYK color numbers specified anywhere in the workflow arrive unchanged at the final output device. Typically in this workflow, CMYK content is created separately in Photoshop CS3 or Illustrator CS3, assembled in InDesign CS3, and then output as an InDesign or PDF (Portable Document format) file (Figure 3).

CS3 protects against unwanted CMYK color conversions, so print professionals can continue to work safely in their current workflow. CS3 offers other color management benefits, such as consistent color viewing across applications, and accurate soft-proofing and hard-proofing.

Figure 3. Adobe Creative Suite 3 preserves CMYK color values throughout the workflow to final press. Because the color appearance of CMYK is fully defined, you can view colors accurately on monitors and proofers.

The CMYK commercial print workflow consists of 10 steps:

1. Initial setup
2. Editing images in Photoshop CS3
3. Creating or placing CMYK graphics in Illustrator CS3
4. Saving files from Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3 with embedded profiles
5. Building an InDesign layout
6. Previewing for more accurate blacks in Illustrator and InDesign
7. Previewing overprints accurately
8. Soft-proofing for more accurate viewing
9. Hard-proofing your InDesign document
10. Sending files and printed proofs to a print provider

Initial setup—CMYK print workflow

Before starting this color management workflow, set the color settings file in Adobe Bridge to North America General Purpose 2 (Figure 4). This option sets the default CMYK working space color profile to U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 (Figure 5), preserves CMYK values, but does not warn of profile mismatches.

Figure 4. For a CMYK commercial print workflow, select North America General Purpose 2 as the CSF in Adobe Bridge.

Figure 5.The InDesign CS3 Color Settings dialog box, after applying the North America General Purpose 2 CSF in Adobe Bridge: U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 is set as the CMYK working space and the CMYK color management policy to preserve CMYK color numbers is selected.

Editing images in Photoshop CS3 (CMYK)

Digital images opened in Photoshop CS3 for editing may be in a CMYK or RGB color space. If you created or captured images using the settings described in Collecting, capturing, and scanning images, they are already in a standard color space. However, images from other sources may lack profiles, or the embedded profile may not match the profile you are using in your workflow.

For printing purposes, you must convert images in an RGB color space to CMYK. Photoshop CS3 makes it easy to bring CMYK files into a color space that is appropriate for print on a North American press using standard North American printing conditions.

To convert RGB images to CMYK for print:

1. Choose Image > Mode.
2. Select CMYK Color.

Note: Photoshop CS3 uses the default CMYK working space profile to convert RGB to CMYK. RGB color spaces are typically larger than CMYK color spaces. The CMYK image may appear slightly desaturated when viewed on your monitor. However, the colors are now appropriate for printing on a typical offset press in North America.

Keep the following in mind when preparing CMYK images for print on a North American press:

• If the CMYK image was created in Photoshop CS3, Photoshop automatically uses the standard CMYK working space U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 to define the color appearance of the CMYK values. By default, Photoshop CS3 embeds this profile in saved CMYK images to keep the image’s color appearance consistent throughout the workflow.
• If you open a CMYK image that is missing a profile, the General Purpose 2 CSF automatically preserves the CMYK numbers. Photoshop CS3 assumes that the CMYK values are understood using the standard U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 profile and embeds that profile in the saved image file.
• If you open a CMYK image with an embedded profile that is not U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2, contact the creator of the image to ensure that the CMYK numbers in the image are ready to use on a North American press.

See also Using profile warnings for more information.

Creating or placing CMYK graphics in Illustrator CS3

When you create a new graphic in Illustrator CS3, you can choose RGB or CMYK as the color model in which to work.

For the CMYK print workflow, choose CMYK. Graphics you create will use the U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 profile.

For information on how Illustrator treats graphics not in this color space, see How Illustrator CS3 uses RGB and CMYK document profiles.

Saving files from Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3 with embedded profiles

When you are ready to save your artwork, it is good practice to embed the appropriate profile in your Photoshop CS3 or Illustrator CS3 document so that others can view how the file was created and the intended color appearance.

To save your artwork with an embedded profile:

1. Choose File > Save for a newly created document or File > Save As.
2. For Format, choose from the following:
   • (Photoshop) TIFF, Photoshop PSD, Photoshop PDF, Photoshop EPS, and JPEG.
   • (Illustrator) Adobe Illustrator and Adobe PDF.
3. Do one of the following:
   • (Photoshop) Select Embed Color Profile (Figure 6), and click Save.
   • (Illustrator ) Name the file and click Save. For an AI file, in the Illustrator Options dialog box, select Embed ICC profiles; for a PDF file, in the Save PDF dialog box, click Save PDF and then click Save.

      

     

     Figure 6. When saving images for future use, be sure to select Embed Color Profile.

The color workflow you initially set up in Adobe Bridge embedded the following profiles:

• The CMYK commercial print workflow embeds the U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 profile.
• The mixed RGB-CMYK print workflow embeds the Adobe RGB or U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 profile.
• The RGB photo print workflow embeds the Adobe RGB profile.
• The web publishing RGB workflow embeds the sRGB profile.

(To choose a profile from a CS3 component, choose Edit > Color Settings. See Adobe Creative Suite 3 Help for more information.)

Building an InDesign layout

Building an InDesign layout can include creating native content in InDesign, placing artwork from Photoshop or Illustrator, and saving the file. When you create a new document in InDesign CS3, InDesign assigns RGB and CMYK working spaces to the document as document profiles. When creating color content in InDesign CS3, everything built in CMYK automatically uses the document’s CMYK profile. Because CS3 components use the same profiles, content with the same CMYK values appears the same in all applications—that is, colors created in Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3 match the colors you see in InDesign CS3, Acrobat 8 Professional, and Reader 8.

Note: The CMYK policy, Preserve Numbers (Ignore Linked Profiles), ensures that all CMYK content uses the InDesign CMYK document profile. Using the same CMYK profile helps prevent unwanted CMYK color conversions that could occur in earlier versions of Adobe publishing applications when Color Management was selected.

When you save a file, InDesign automatically embeds the document RGB and CMYK color profiles and the Preserve Numbers (Ignore Linked Profiles) CMYK policy (see Figure 7).

That way, any InDesign CS3 user will have the color data needed for accurate viewing and color conversions the next time the file is opened.

All placed CMYK artwork uses the InDesign CS3 document CMYK color profile—U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2—the same as native content, so the color numbers specified in placed and native content appear the same and do not change when you print or create a PDF.

For placed RGB content, InDesign CS3 uses the embedded profile; if the profile is missing, InDesign CS3 uses the document’s profile.

Figure 7. Using the safe CMYK mode, all CMYK content uses the document CMYK profile. In a mixed RGB-CMYK workflow, RGB content uses the embedded profile, or if it is missing, the RGB document profile.

When saving a file, InDesign CS3 embeds the document RGB and CMYK color profiles and the Preserve Numbers (Ignore Linked) CMYK policy in the InDesign document. That way, any CS3 component has the color data needed for accurate viewing and color conversions at any further stage of the workflow.

To save an InDesign file, choose File > Save.

Previewing for more accurate blacks in Illustrator and InDesign

The black preview feature in Creative Suite 3 lets you choose how to view and print black objects in Illustrator and InDesign. While you can still view 100% K objects as a dark, rich black (the default in earlier versions of InDesign and Illustrator when Color Management was turned off), you can now also choose to view black objects more accurately, seeing the difference between 100% K and rich black.

Note: In CS3, you can easily preview the difference between 100% black and a rich black. For reliable results, it’s important to view your colors on a calibrated monitor.

To preview blacks more accurately in Illustrator CS3 or InDesign CS3:

1. From the Illustrator or InDesign menu, choose Preferences > Appearance of Black (Figure 8).
2. For On Screen, select a display option: Display All Blacks Accurately shows the difference between 100% K and a rich black; or Display All Blacks as Rich Black (the default) shows both blacks the same.

(+) view larger
Figure 8. Illustrator CS3 and InDesign CS3 (shown here) let you select how blacks will appear on your monitor and when printed to RGB composite printers.

Previewing overprints accurately

You may want to force inks to overprint on top of other inks, instead of knocking out the inks below, such as to overprint spot colors that overlap other spot colors or process colors. It is also common to overprint black text to prevent trapping problems due to misregistration on the press.

To preview overprinted colors more accurately, choose an option:

• In Illustrator or InDesign, choose View > Overprint Preview.
• In Acrobat 8 Professional, choose Advanced > Print Production > Overprint Preview.
• In Adobe Reader 8, use the preference to turn on overprint preview.

Soft-proofing for more accurate viewing

Color profiles produce a highly accurate view of colors in nonproofing mode. To preview (or proof) how colors will look on press when an image is printed as well as control how the final CMYK values are represented on-screen, soft-proof. You can then make changes as needed.

Soft-proofing simulates the color of RGB files after they are converted to CMYK; it does not change the CMYK values in your document. For more control, such as to simulate the media and ink that you will use, you can customize soft-proof settings.

Soft-proofing is available in all Adobe Creative Suite 3 components. For the best soft-proof conditions, make sure that the monitor has been calibrated.

To soft proof a CMYK document:

Choose View > Proof Colors.

Hard-proofing your InDesign document

When you have finalized the layout in InDesign, you can send your document to a local printer device for a hard proof. Hard-proofing provides a preview of how the document will print on the final output device, without permanently converting the color values.

To hard proof your CS3 document on a printer, you must first set up your printer to simulate the final output device. You can then print a proof that mimics standard press characteristics.

Sending files and printed proofs to a print provider

For more accurate color in the final output, deliver the printed proof as well as the electronic files to your print service provider either as a PDF file or a native InDesign document. Check with your print service provider to determine whether InDesign or PDF files are preferred.

If you are delivering a native InDesign document with fonts, graphics, or other files to the print service provider, package the file (File > Package) for easy hand-off. When you package a file, you create a folder that contains the InDesign document (or documents in a book file), any necessary fonts, linked graphics, text files, and a customized report. This report, which is saved as a text file, includes the information in the Printing Instructions dialog box; a list of all used fonts, links, and inks required to print the document; and print settings. For more information, see InDesign Help.

For instructions on creating PDF files of proofs and other electronic files, see Creating PDFs of proofs and print-ready files.

Page 3 of 13

Previous Page

Next Page