Photoshop CMYK Workspace vs Saved Image question

Question

I'm a screen graphics guy trying to transition into print media for some projects, and I've done a ton of research on CMYK Black versus "rich" or "dense" black, and it all makes sense to me. I have a CMYK project, using the U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 color profile, and I'm designing everything and it looks good. I went with 75, 67, 67, 89 for my Rich Black for this project and everything looks exactly how I want it. Until I save the file.

Whether I save to PDF or JPG, embed the color profile or not, the black goes to being just a regular 100K Black and I have no idea why. When I simply re-import the saved file into Photoshop it looks great, but any image viewer I use (that isn't made by Adobe) to look at the image it comes through as gray.

So what color is my image really? Acrobat shows active color as well. So is there any way I can be 100% certain what colors are represented in my saved image so that when printed they will be similar to what I see? Any help would be appreciated! I'll attach a couple of screenshots to show what I'm talking about. Oddly enough, screenshots always render accurately. Who knows, I'm probably missing something small.

Answer 1

I would bet the problem is with your (non Adobe) image viewer. If the eyedropper in Photoshop (in CMYK mode) says it is a Rich Black, then it will go to press as a Rich Black. The Color Profile options are just for adjusting your screen - it's superficial. If you want hard proof, print your file with COLOR SEPARATIONS enabled - that will print each of the C, M, Y, and K channels. Ultimately - talk to the printing company that you are using. Let them tell you what to Build your black as. Every printing company prefers a different Rich Black because their printing machines can only handle so much density before destroying the paper and/or slowing the presses drying time.

Answer 2

I often give the same advice to these kind of questions: The only way to know what a computer image will look like when printed is to compare the absolute CMYK values in the file (using something like PitStop or Acrobat's preflight tools) with a printed reference piece, such as a swatchbook or color key sample that is printed on the same type of press with the same paper stock and the same ink.

Never, never go by what you see on the screen, unless you're willing to wind up with a big variation in hue, intensity, saturation, and other problems.

You must discuss with the printer the following: What dot gain should you anticipate? What is the maximum ink coverage allowed? What is the press tolerance (registration accuracy) -- this tells you how to handle trapping. What is the smallest point size type that you recommend for reversing out of a solid color (white on black)? What about with screened colors? What is the smallest line width you would recommend for two or three-plate objects? What specifications should I use for the digital file I deliver (file format, color mode, trapping, bleeds, orientation, font embedding, vector smoothing, screen frequency (if not handled by the output RIP)?

This may be a lot more than you thought you needed to know, but believe me, it's better to ask for too much information rather than too little. And if someone at the printer can't answer these questions, they either are a low-quality printer or they only work with very experienced production professionals who already know the answers.

Answer 3

Try View>Proof Setup>Working CMYK

Answer 4

JPG files are RGB, not CMYK, so my guess is that your image is getting converted to RGB when you save it to JPG. I'm not entirely sure what the issue with the PDF, but I'm guessing something similar.