Getting a good CMYK print on my epson R300

[Hand of Ike]

Hi all!!!

I have an S2 Pro, using it with an Epson R300 prints ok when used with RGB files but I can't get a good CMYK profile at all - anyone had any joy using Epson printers with CMYK settings in Photoshop - what working CMYK profile did you use? I use Adobe RGB (1998) for my RGB colour space as it is supposed to convert to CMYK well as it has a wide enough gammut.

Please help - I do most of my colour correction in CMYK but can't get a decent print from it.

Regards

Paul

[Linda G]

I don't understand why you would want to use CMYK when the programs all work for RGB? Have you done a gamut check for changes when you convert? The options are so endless, sticking with RGB seems to me the best way to get the colors printed as you want.

[Hand of Ike]

I want to use CMYK, because that is the way that the printer will print so therefore you are speaking to the printer in its own language - I do all of my colour correction in CMYK which is how I have been taught, with CMYK as a printing profile you can control the GCR and UCR which means you can get better quality in shadow detail amongst other things - RGB is great for screen but you cannot control diffectly the way the image will appear in print unless you use CMYK.

At present I cannot get an ICC proflie to work with my printer - Using a Fuji S2 Pro through an Apple iMac (using a custom monitor profile and RGB colour settings of Adobe RGB (1998)) and printing on the R300 - with my previous printer a Hewlett Packard deskjet I could hook up a CMYK profile no problem but the quality of print isn't as good as Epson.

Can anyone help?

Paul

[Igor]

I never could get anything good printing in CMYK. RGB works just fine.

[crabby]

Paul,
You will not get accurate prints from an epson with a CMYK color space without a seperate RIP. If you want to use your R300 to proof then you will need a RIP. If you just want a nice print then convert to RGB as the final step before printing and save it as a copy.

[Hand of Ike]

Mike,

Thanks I don't understand what a RIP is - for now RGB is fine for personnal use but when I want to send to get the print done professionally I will want to use CMYK space and prof it on the Epson is CMYK, so I don't get any surprises back from the lab.

If you can fill me in on what a RIP is and what it will do for me thanks.

Off out to celibrate my Anniversary with my girlfiend - will respond to anything tomorrow, thanks for all of your time guys.

Paul

[Linda G]

Rasterize [B]I[B]maging [B]P[B]rofile.

This is a program that will change your file from rgb to the correct CMYK profile and the programs to do this are NOT cheap. The Epson, although may well print in CMYK, the software that comes with it, and the 'face' on the printer is all in RGB and not meant to be used in CMYK. Do you have the printer who does your work's swop for CMYK? All printers use a different profile for CMYK, it's not a blanket profile, just using the photoshop's cmyk so even if you get it right on yours, it may not match theirs. Talk to your printer, see what he/she recommends for the best proofs to match to.

[Face]

Another CMYK problem.

Due to the fact that noone can print on a white media ( using inks) a full colour image in native RGB ( so native RGB is when image is RGB and is printed in RGB) all the printers producers develop a methode calling Typogrhapic Methode to use that on a small and home bussine, that is printing on CMYK.

Generaly (on 85% of cases) our image in RGB colour mode is converted during the elaboration proccess from the Printer Driver , The printer driver generaly use a kind on convert using an icc profile that comes build inside.

This profile is the defoult profile testet and verifyed in factory by the developer of the printer.

So. Printing an image converte on photoshop in CMYK is like u are converting that 2 times on CMYK, 1 time from photoshop (or other software), and 1 time from the driver, b/c the driver is programmed to convert all the time the information on the CMYK format, even u have a B/W or gray scale image.

In those cases is better to use an image RGB and print it directly to the printer.
Using an image in CMYK lower the quality and u have allways a bad image on paper.

If for ex u want to bring your job to a print provider , simply let it on RGB mode and let know here what RGB system u are using. Practicaly noone can take proofs at home with a image on CMYK mode , and after pretend to have this result on a print provider, even im cases when u are uing a RIP., b/c tha RIP goes to clear all icc, and conversion setup on the Printer Driver and use the convertion that u have.

At last, anyone can imagine a Printer , with inks, with all the things instaled but without brain , without the electronic part that says the printer wich colour to use , and the electronic part is on a computer with a RIP that drive this printer. or a printer standalone (without RIP) is like e mini computer with a mini RIP inside that drive the ink jet and the movment of the heads and paper, so realy u have allready a mini RIP inside your printer and y cant proces RIP two times for one image.

I allways leave my colour prints at RGB mode when i send to a print provider, or with one print provider i have installed on my PC the driver of the printer that the provider use , just the driver and the profiles from the rip of the provider and i use those profiles to convert my job on CMYK mode , in tis whay im sure that after the print the image will be exactely as shown on my Screen.

Petrit

[Linda G]

Thank you, Petrit!

You said exactly what I was trying to yet only got half way there. Good explanation.

[Hand of Ike]

Cheers all,

It's just a little annoying because CMYK is so much better a colour space for colour corrections, RGB does come close but the flexablity of 4 inks especially controlling the black which is so important give CMYK the edge for me. The only reason I ever touch RGB is to convert Colour images to B&W using the channel mixer in Photoshop ...

Looks like I am stuck with RGB, which is no bad thing as it does produce good prints - but is does seem that we aren't being let in on something when the printer takes care of our conversions, I prefer full control ....

I would like to thank everyone for contributing to this tread you have all help me out, at least I know why my CMYK profiled prints look terrible (and at least I know it's not my dodgy colour correction!!!). So once again thank you!! Heres to a long future with my new buddy RGB!!

Paul

[easternherp]

Paul,

You may have been misguided into using the cmyk colour for editing images. Your screen only uses RGB and therefore cmyk is converted onscreen to a cmyk equivalent which is not what will be printed.
You are best to do all your adjustments in RGB and then only convert to CMYK when you have done all your adjustments. You will then see the image change colour onscreen but the professionally printed image may not match what is on screen. It takes a lot of experience to see cmyk on screen and make the necessary adjustments.