I use Photoshop CS2 to create press adverts for our company, the newspaper prints items using a four-plate CMYK colour system, and unless I set each items colour in my project into seperate CMYK format the output is very blurred.
For example, I now have to set a section of black text like so: C: 0% Y: 0% M:0% K:100%
Which is fine, I can optimise all the text I create, shapes etc this way to ensure the best quality output. However, I import many GIF images into my project, and what I need to know is – how do I adjust the colour properties of imported images? Because if for example I import a picture, that picture is made up of all four colours, and I need to be able to adjust this and optimize the picture to use a blend of fewer colours to avoid this blurry disjointed output.
Text should *always* be 100% K, at least in normal point sizes (~12 pts. or so and smaller). This is the default for most illustration and page layout apps, as is for 100% K to overprint. The reason for this is that it’s hard for the press to hold registration on small, thin lines and printing four color small text almost always results in a mess. Some presses are much better than others in this regard, however, so bear that in mind. The font style and weight also have to be taken into account. Sans serif fonts are much less problematic than fonts with wispy appendages.
Photos are a different matter entirely, and you should not have to tweak anything beyond sharpness and gamut in order to get good results on a decent press. Which brings me to…
Why in the world are you using the GIF format for your images?
In addition, since you’re printing on newsprint, and apparently they have a pretty big registration issue, there’s not a lot you can do except try and get them to tighten up there process. Newspaper printing doesn’t have to be horrible, it’s just easy to make excuses for it when it is.
The first thing that raises a red flag to me is that you are using a GIF image. GIF images are typically very low resolution files and would print blurry on press. Stick to TIFF or PSDs.
The second question is how are you saving the files you are sending to press? I ask this because you say that you do you text in Photoshop. If you are not saving as a PSD or PDF (with vector information included), but rather a GIF, JPEG or TIFF, you’d be losing the crisp vector edges of your document … that that too would cause the end result to print blurry.
Third question is at what resolution are you creating your graphics? My general rule of thumb is 300ppi for all images, with a bottom line of 200ppi for newsprint. If you are printing 72ppi or 100ppi images, that could be another reason why the images are printing blurry.
A fourth idea would be your ink density. Check with your printer to see what their preferred percentage is. It’s probably around 270%. If you’re running higher than their setting, that could oversaturate the paper and make your images blurry.
As far as color adjustment goes, here is what I suggest: Learn to use Levels and Curves to adjust the color of your images. Work on a properly color calibrated monitor with associated color profiles designed for the press (SWOP Coated, Uncoated, Sheetfed or Web) you’ll be using (your printer can supply you with the profiles you need). If you are creating your images in an RGB color mode, work with a CMYK Preview (Ctrl Y) to simulate the color shift. That way when you convert to CMYK, you’ll have a better idea of what the color shift will be.
Thanks for the help people but your great expertee’s is all a bit too ‘pro’ for me to understand. Basically I’ve been thrown in the deep-end at work with a "you’re the only one who has used Photoshop before so you make the adverts" kind of attitude. My PS knowledge is very very basic. I’m a "noob" if you will. Anyway – at the moment I’m creating these press adverts in a 300ppi – 140mm x 130mm (which is the output size) PSD document, and I’m simply using copy and paste to import hi-res GIF images of products into the project, I’m using GIF’s simply as they’re the only one’s I’ve handled in my limited knowledge that maintain transparencies, I’m know there’s more file types that do – but I’ve just never had to use them. So don’t understand them. When I send it to the newspaper for printing they ask me to save the file as a PDF and again I know I’m going about this the totally wrong way from a professional standpoint, but the output in the newspaper is perfect with regards to image resolution, sharpness, clarity of text etc – it’ just these pasted GIF images in which I can’t find a way to control how many of the CMYK plates are used, and in what quantity.
You don’t control the plates. The printer uses a RIP to separate the PDF file into individual plate files: one each for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. The only thing you have control over is the colors in the PSD file. BLUDVLZ gave very good advice on how to correct the GIF colors before or after pasting them into your PSD file.
Your best workflow is probably going to be converting all the source content (GIF or whatever) into CMYK since that’s your target. Be sure to do the conversions on copies of your source files. And make sure you are using the same CMYK profile for all conversions.
Correct the individual files, then combine them in your ad layout (which should also be set to the same ICC profile). This should keep everything the same color. Save the PSD, then save a PDF version and that’s about all you can do. While color correcting you can try to sharpen them up a little with Smart Sharpen or Unsharp Mask. But there’s not much more you can do.
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