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• • April 4, 2019 at 1:03 pm #115831
    Kampy Kampmeyer

    Participant

    I’m designing a big sign with InDesign CC 2019, and the background image is an RGB photo with bright, vibrant greens. I want to keep everything RGB and vibrant until I export the final PDF.

    When I drop the vector logo(s) into the layout, the background image goes from vibrant to washed out and muddy.

    I’m assuming that this is because of some automatic CMYK conversion. I’m assuming there’s an easy way to override this, or edit my vectors so they won’t trigger this conversion… but I’m having a hard time figuring it out on my own.

    Can anyone direct me to any resources or tutorials that might help me? Facing a deadline and this is frustrating me…

  • April 4, 2019 at 1:58 pm #115834
    Colleen Shannon

    Member

    Getting the obvious question out of the way, why are you keeping everything RGB? I cannot reproduce this problem, maybe post a file.

    -In Illustrator: File > Document Color Mode > RGB, then check that all Swatches are RGB (not Lab or CMYK)

    -Make sure there are no spot colors messing it up.

    -Make sure all your Swatches in InDesign are RGB (not Lab or CMYK) – Delete unused and Add unnamed.

    -I don’t know if setting up your InDesign file for Print, Web or Mobile affects this, but worth a shot.

    • April 4, 2019 at 2:12 pm #115835
      Kampy Kampmeyer

      Participant

      Thanks for the advice. I want to keep everything RGB because the background image is an RGB photo with bright, vibrant greens. When it gets converted to CMYK, it gets significantly darker.

      I know that it is no longer necessary to convert to CMYK. The file is for print, but the printer I’ll be sending this to is a modern, digital printer. I’m familiar with David Blatner’s advice on this topic from 5 years ago:
      https://creativepro.com/import-rgb-images-indesign-convert-cmyk-export.php

      I just opened my vectors in Illustrator and re-saved them as black and white with no color profiles, and that seems to have worked for my issue… I was just wondering if there was a simpler way to stop that conversion, like a checkbox in a menu or something that I just wasn’t finding

  • April 4, 2019 at 2:23 pm #115836
    Kampy Kampmeyer

    Participant

    OK, now I’m able to drop in my vectors with no problems, but as soon as I add a drop shadow to the vector, my background converts to CMYK again…

    Even when I change the color of the drop shadow from a CMYK black to an RGB black, my background stays dark and dull. Anyone know what I need to do to keep this conversion from happening?

    • April 4, 2019 at 2:33 pm #115837
      Kampy Kampmeyer

      Participant

      Figured it out:
      Edit>Transparency Blend Space

  • April 5, 2019 at 12:06 pm #115861
    Colleen Shannon

    Member

    I understand technically that you don’t need to convert RGB in advance, but why do you want to preview an image that is DRASTICALLY different from how it will be printed?

    Don’t we all aspire to get what’s on our screens to emulate what comes out on the press? Anyone?

    • April 5, 2019 at 1:36 pm #115865
      Kampy Kampmeyer

      Participant

      Colleen, I don’t think you understand my reasoning behind trying to keep everything RGB. I’m trying to avoid/minimize the DRASTICALLY different color shift that you are talking about. I know the printer I’m sending to has modern digital printers, so they can handle RGB files a lot better and (hopefully) the output will be brighter. It was that darn “Transparency Blend Space” that was tripping me up, and led me here.

      I sent my X-4 pdfs to my printer last night and explained that they were RGB and they said “no problem” We’ll see how different the finished piece looks… fingers crossed…

  • April 5, 2019 at 12:37 pm #115863
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Colleen, if you know that your document will always be printed, and it will always be on the same printing press, you could probably stick with a CMYK workflow, where everything is converted to CMYK. That’s what we call the 20th century workflow.

    Today, most people don’t know where their documents are going to be printed tomorrow, and just as often the images and documents need to be repurposed for interactive/on-screen viewing.

    In a 21st century color-managed RGB workflow, you can preview the same document in a variety of different output situations, but keep the flexibility to take it where you need it, at a moments notice. :-)

    Hey, it would be awesome if you could swing down the coast and come to CreativePro Week in Seattle this June!

  • April 5, 2019 at 4:49 pm #115884
    Colleen Shannon

    Member

    We’re straying off topic here. I’m not disputing the RGB workflow, I’m talking about what color looks like on screen vs. printed.

    In general, do you think that CMYK images and Swatches are closer to print output than RGB?

    Hopefully you’re not using RGB Green in a Web-intent InDesign file. Down here in the 19th century trenches, if I get an RGB PDF from a client, I send them back a CMYK proof. Better for them to see the realities on screen, then later when it’s printed.

  • April 5, 2019 at 4:56 pm #115885
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    @Kampy: I love it when printers say “no problem” to PDF/X-4! That’s the best.

    @Colleen: You are totally right that designers and clients need to know how colors will look after conversion to CMYK. That’s why soft-proofing (on screen) and hard-proofs like your prints are so important! You can even keep your images as RGB and turn on Proof Colors and keep working, so you can edit while viewing CMYK… but the underlying image is still RGB. :-)

  • April 5, 2019 at 4:56 pm #115886
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    @Kampy: I love it when printers say “no problem” to PDF/X-4! That’s the best.

    @Colleen: You are totally right that designers and clients need to know how colors will look after conversion to CMYK. That’s why soft-proofing (on screen) and hard-proofs like your prints are so important! You can even keep your images as RGB and turn on Proof Colors and keep working, so you can edit while viewing CMYK… but the underlying image is still RGB. :-)

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