Custom CMYK profiles

[DrisOne]

I've been using custom CMYK profiles alot due to the fact that when I convert from RGB to US Sheetfed Coated I'm getting my darks coming out to like 350% density & I'm trying to keep it around 300.

Now in most cases, I'm custom creating just a 300% Ink Limit 100% black Coated profile and it seems to retain the same detail as the Sheetfed Coated profile, but sometimes the color gets clipped.

During my color correcting process I'm doing everything in my power to retain detail and set my whites and blacks to my predestined values, but how in the heck am I supposed to use the Sheetfed Coated space w/out pulling back on the black so I'm not causing mass density for the poor pressmen to deal with?

Also, am I causing any problems in prepress by using custom profiles?

Thanks! Daniel

[DrisOne]

I actually downloaded the GRACoL2006_Coated1v2.icc profile off of the ICC website & it seems to keep my ink density down to around 310-315% on an otherwise 350% type density. It also brings out some hilights in the conversion process that was quite pleasant

anyone up on the v4 ISO's?

[pixelzombie]

why are you using sheetfed if you're limit is only 300?..it sounds like you need to be using webcoated as your cmyk working space

[DrisOne]

my limit isn't 300, I should of said I have no vendor information and I'm trying to keep my ink limit lower than 350. It's an outdoor board, so it's definitely sheetfed coated, but other than that i'm going off of nothing.

When it comes to coated, what do you think is too much density? Maybe keep it under 330? Or doesn't it matter in the sheetfed world? I know from working in prepress for a couple years when there was too much density the paper coming off the press would sometimes stick in the stack causing all kinds of stuff to happen, but being that this is a one off billboard, maybe it doesn't matter, i dunno, any advice?

[pixelzombie]

you're safer at 320, but you really need to ask your printer as they may not be able to handle even that much...

[DrisOne]

so if persay my printer cannot handle 320, it would be who of me to keep my range to around 300 as i originally intended on doing. In which this case, it is still a Sheetfed Coated operation....so....in a case like this where i dont know the vendor specs, nor will I be able to get them, is going w/a custom CMYK profile & embedding it my best option?

SWOP Coated
Dot Gain 20%
Ink Limit 300%
GCR
Black Ink Limit 100%
NO UCA

Basically your standard settings when launching custom CMYK.

But as i mentioned before I applied the GRACoL2006_Coated1v2 & got a great RGB to CMYK seperation, better than the custom. And kept my blacks around 310%

Here's the root of my question though. Working in RGB and converting to Sheetfed Coated v2, how can I prevent my blacks from going upwards of 350-360% w/out subtracting black in the CMYK file that washes out my image? Or have you sent a file to a vendor w/a 350-ish density in your shadows? I always thought that was too high, am i wrong and this is normal procedure?

Thanks!

Daniel

[pixelzombie]

unless you know what you're doing i wouldn't play around with a custom cmyk conversion..i am not familiar with the gracol profile mentioned but it appears to be an output profile and not a working space

[DrisOne]

hey pixel, the GracoL2006 is actually a working space, it comes loaded on PS CS4, but if you are running CS3 or earlier you'd want to download it from www.idealliance.org.

There's also the 2006v3 WebCoated as well in CS4. I feel as if I am getting better results w/these newer spaces rather than the Sheetfed Coatedv2 space and the US WebCoated SWOP v2. I believe from what i've read is that it is an updated, more precise version of the old ISO's with a more vast range.

I use the custom CMYK all the time when I'm outputting for different newsprint mediums. But when it comes to coated web or otherwise, I dont custom set it that often unless i'm trying to retain some fine screens thru the dot gain settings & black settings

[pixelzombie]

thanks for the info, i haven't had much time to explore the new color management options under cs4, i actually went back to cs3 as the cs4 UI slows me down quite a bit...