Richard writes: >> I'm rarely happy with the way my images end up once printed. <<
If you develop a relationship with a set of printers, you should be able to get a feel for things and not get too many surprises once ink hits paper. >> So should I be learning to do the conversions myself? << Depends on the delivery requirements of the data and if you wish to take on the glory and the problems with prepress. >> What I've read in Martin Evening's section on the subject in 'Adobe Photophop 7.0 for Photographers' suggests that it isn't (quite) rocket science. << It is not, but experience and knowledge are not built into separation algorithms. <g> http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/PPT_gamut.html >> That being said, it is presumably impossible to 'practice' conversions without seeing them printed (by a printing company). << One can convert and softproof - if one trusts the profiles/settings to give an accurate display...or one can even proof to inkjet, with the right profiles/settings in use etc. This is not the same as a real print run, where press specific issues will totally change things, but it is better than nothing. >> It would be something of a big leap of faith for a client to trust something that important to a novice, and it could be a good way of losing a client. Also, how helpful are printers, who are losing this part of their business to photographers and inhouse repro departments, in supply profiles, advice, etc.? << Some are helpful, others are not. This is sometimes politics, other times lack of will/enthusiasm or lack of knowledge or even using a closed loop system. >> I can also see it becoming another digital service that clients will want for nothing. How much is normally charged for RGB>CMYK conversion (by both photographers and repro houses)? << What the market will take! <g> There is much more to CMYK than a one button conversion from RGB to CMYK, although many do things this way and there are no rights or wrongs. Suffice it to say, that the more work you put into a RGB and CMYK file, the better the result. >> In the meantime, can anyone recommend other books, or other ways of 'learning' CMYK conversion, as well as answering some of the questions above. << http://www.ledet.com/margulis/ACT_postings/ACT.htm http://groups.yahoo.com/group/colortheory (where 'yours truly' is a moderator :) http://www.ledet.com/margulis/articles.html http://www.ledet.com/margulis/PP7_Ch02_ByTheNumbers.pdf (this sample chapter should 'sell' you the book, beware it is advanced and things are taken for granted such as how to create a great mask, in the rare cases that Dan uses a mask/selection) http://ep.pennnet.com/ (Dan's Make Ready column, soon in the NAPP Photoshop User mag!) http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/PSTV_links.html#S (scroll to separation & post separation techniques links) Hope this helps, Stephen Marsh. =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
