Should I convert images to CMYK before printing?
RGB colours may look good on screen but they will need converting to CMYK for printing. If you are supplying artwork in its original format, such as InDesign or QuarkXPress, then it is better to convert colours to CMYK before supplying artwork and files.
What colors are used in a CMYK image?
Both CYMK and RGB are color descriptions. CMYK represent Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black). By mixing the four colors in varying amounts, millions of others shades are produced in the printed material. These links are utilized when printing photos in books and magazines.
What happens when I change the color of a CMYK image?
Again, if a profile is embedded, InDesign might use it. That means InDesign might try to color-manage your CMYK images–changing the color values in an effort to make the color better. For example, a solid 50% cyan in your image would end up on press as cyan with yellow, magenta, and perhaps even black mixed in. Gah!
What’s the difference between RGB and CMYK inks?
Notably, printed images use CMYK inks hence viewing the image in RGB on the monitor and printing it in CYMK may not produce the desired results. There are programs like Adobe Photoshop that convert the image from RGB to CYMK and vice versa. There are certain printers, which must have the image converted to CYMK before printing.
When to convert an image from RGB to CYMK?
It is common for color changes to be evident in case an image is converted from RGB to CYMK. The discrepancy is evident because the majority of the shades in RGB cannot be easily reproduced by using CMYK inks. This is the reason why the image should be converted to CMYK before printing.
Is it necessary to embed a CMYK profile in Photoshop?
Here’s an InDesign secret: By default, InDesign ignores embedded CMYK color profiles, so adding that CMYK profile when saving a file in Photoshop is generally unnecessary. Plus, it fattens files a bit: Embedding the profile can add 750K or even as much as 2 MB.