Colors aren t printing right!

Transcription

1 Colors aren t printing right! A little explanation why: When working with digital images, we use color models to describe these colors. There are a number of them: RGB, CMYK, Lab, etc., and each of them uses a different way of describing colors. In the various color models, there are color options known as color spaces. For instance, RGB, contains srgb, Adobe RGB, Apple RGB, etc. The CMYK model also has various color spaces to work in. These spaces have a limited range of reproducible colors. This range of colors is known as gamut. The various devices, printer, monitor, scanner, work within their own limited color gamut. Not one of them can reproduce the total range of colors seen by the human eye. To make things even worse, no two devices have the same color space. Although they all use RGB to define color, they interpret it differently. Additionally, some of the colors produced by inks cannot be displayed on a monitor, and some colors displayed on a monitor are not reproducible using inks on paper. And on top off all that, different monitors can display the same image very differently. How to fix it: It is not likely to be able to print the exact colors that your monitor shows, but here are a few steps to getting what you see on your screen to match what will come out of the plotters as closely as possible: i. Calibrate your Monitor a. For Windows 1. Go to the Start Menu 2. In the search box type Calibrate and select Calibrate Display Color (Or: skip step 2 and move ahead to step 3) 3. Select Control Panel 4. Select Appearance and Personalization 5. Select Display 6. On the left hand side of the window, select Calibrate Color 7. Follow the on screen instructions b. For Mac 1. Open System Preferences 2. Click the Display icon 3. Click the Color tab 4. Click Calibrate, the Apple Display Calibrator Assistant will open 5. Check the box next to Expert Mode

2 6. Follow the on screen instructions There are quite a few steps here, but if you re not sure what to do for the Gamma and White point steps, just check the box next to Use Native or use what is recommended in the instructions. ii. Work in proof colors. This will allow you to see more closely what your colors are going to print as. a. In Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator: 1. From the View menu, select Proof Colors so it has a check mark next to it. You will probably notice some of the colors on your screen change a little bit. They should now more closely match what the printer will be able to produce. iii. When choosing a color in Photoshop, click all warning boxes to find closest color for printing. 1. In the Color Picker window, select the color you would like to use

3 2. Towards the top-middle of that window will be your new color next to the current color. Next to that, you may see 1 or two boxes, (or none at all), one with a cube above it, and one with an explanation point in a triangle, above it. These are warning boxes to let you know that the printer will not be able to produce the color you ve selected. Selecting each of these boxes so they disappear will make Photoshop find the next closest color that can be printed. (If you cannot get both boxes to disappear, settle for getting rid of the box with an explanation point) Images are printing darker than what is on the screen! i. Adjust your laptop or computer s screen tilt and brightness a. The tilt of your screen can make the colors appear lighter or darker than what will actually be printed b. If your prints are coming out darker than what is on your screen, turn the brightness of your screen Down

4 Optional step: This requires a bit more time and patience (might only consider this option if working on portfolio/ published works): i. Correct out-of-gamut colors In Photoshop using Hue/Saturation 1. From the View menu, select Gamut Warning so there is a check next to it. 2. Colors on your screen that the printer cannot produce will turn gray. From here, you can fix each color family (reds, blues, yellows, greens, cyan) separately at a time. 3. Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.

5 4. With-in the Hue/Saturation window, there is a drop down menu that says Master, select the predominate, offending color to adjust from that menu. 5. Use the Add to Sample Eyedropper and drag it over the out-of-gamut regions in the image (areas covered in gray).

6 6. Move the saturation slider to the left until your selected color is no longer gray. Be careful not to overdo the desaturation. 7. Repeat steps 4 7 for any other colors that are out of gamut.