| What about CMYK? |
| Here's the bottom line: |
| If you have
rented a Comstock Rights
Protected image, or purchased a Comstock royalty free disc, and... ... if you need a CMYK version of any image-- -- we will provide it at no additional charge. |
| But here are some things you should know first: |
| We do not recommend
that you get a CMYK version from us-- or any other image seller. Why? This is a highly technical, very tricky issue, with at least six different factors and variables that will conspire to dramatically affect the outcome of your printed piece. It is our opinion that any image-seller who is telling you they can provide a "one size fits all" CMYK version of their images is doing you a gross disservice. There are certain photo-sellers who, as a marketing technique, will try to convince you that they are giving you something "extra" by providing the CMYK files along with the normal RGB files. In our opinion, you are not getting something "extra"-- you're getting something that has the potential to cause you no end of trouble. |
| How do we recommend you handle it? |
| The CMYK version you use must dovetail with the type of paper you are using, the type of printing press, even the inks being used. Absent those specifications, no "plain vanilla" CMYK version you get from any image seller is guaranteed to optimize your printing results. |
|
| They know their presses, inks and paper (or should) and configuring the settings for your CMYK images is what they get paid to do (among other things) and, in our experience, most of them are supremely good at it. |
| We provide superb RGB images that no printer should have any trouble using as base-images for conversion to the proper CMYK files for their systems. |
| Here are some recommendations that we don't recommend: |
| Huh? Well, what follows are some "starting points" for various printing methods. No-one is going to be able to give you better than a "starting point" no matter what they might tell you. Once again, if you are doing a printed piece (and that's why you need the CMYK version) you need to let your service bureau or printer do their job based upon what they know about how their presses, inks etc. react to different papers. |
| RGB to CMYK Conversions |
| Coated
Stock Ink Colors SWOP (coated) Dot Gain: 12-25% Separation Type: GCR Black Generation Light Black Limit 90 - 100% Total Ink 290-340%; less for web press, more for sheetfed UCA 0-10% |
| Uncoated
Stock Ink Colors SWOP (uncoated) Dot Gain: 18-29% Separation Type: GCR Black Generation Light Black Limit 90 - 100% Total Ink 270-300%; less for web press, more for sheetfed UCA 0-10% |
| Newsprint (GCR) Ink Colors SWOP (Newsprint) Dot Gain: 30-35% Separation Type: GCR Black Generation Medium Black Limit 90 - 100% Total Ink 250-280%; less for web press, more for sheetfed UCA 0-10% |
| Newsprint (UCR) Ink Colors SWOP (Newsprint) Dot Gain: 30-35% Separation Type: UCR Black Generation Medium Black Limit 70 - 80% Total Ink 250-280%; less for web press, more for sheetfed UCA 0-10% |