Monotone/Duotone Question

MS
Posted By
Mike_Schoaf
Apr 21, 2004
Views
605
Replies
10
Status
Closed
I am trying to set up some images for a 2 color print job. I can do this in Photoshop just fine. The images print as expected out of Photoshop just fine. However, when I place in Quark and print the color is very different. I am saving my images as EPS. Is this correct? Am I doing something wrong? I am printing to a Minolta Color Laser. Final output will be done by a printing company.

Thanks.
Related Tags
duotone question

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

L
LenHewitt
Apr 21, 2004
Mike,

When you say a "2-colour print job’ do you mean a spot-colour job or a duotone?

If duotone, then Yes, just save as EPS. Pantone references will be preserved.

If a spot-colour job, you will need to create that using spot-colour channels and save as a DCS-2 EPS file, multiple file with colour composite, 8-bit TIFF preview and ASCII encoding or the pantone references will be lost and the image converted to process colours
MS
Mike_Schoaf
Apr 21, 2004
Does it still make sense that my Duotone image printed from Photoshop would be a noticeably different color than when printed out of Quark? Which print will represent the true color closer?
DM
Don_McCahill
Apr 22, 2004
The color will match the PMS swatch. What you see on the screen is irrelevant. PS, installed correctly, corrects colors to make your screen look as good as possible. Quark may not. Your proof printer may not.
JS
John_Slate
Apr 22, 2004
DCS2 needs to be saved ASCII and not Binary!!!???

Certainly that has to be wrong.

I have never heard of such a thing.

I just tried both binary and ASCII in a separated print to ps file then distill and got the same result.

ASCII files are so much bigger data-wise 🙁
L
LenHewitt
Apr 22, 2004
John,

DCS2 needs to be saved ASCII and not Binary!!!???<<

That is Adobe’s recommendation for maximum compatibility. They produced a PDF Service Provider Guide with that information when Photoshop started supporting DCS-2
MS
Mike_Schoaf
Apr 22, 2004
I’m still a bit confused Don. The exact same file printed from PS is a different shade or red then when printed out of Quark. When I print CMYK files, the color from both PS and Quark are extremely close. Does it have to do with printing Pantone colors from PS?
RL
Robert_Levine
Apr 22, 2004
If Quark has a different algorithm for converting Pantone colors, which I suspect it does, then I wouldn’t be surprised to see a color shift with spot colors when printed to a desktop printer.

Additionally, Quark’s color management is not the same as Adobe’s which could further explain the shift.

Have you checked out InDesign?

Bob
JM
John Mensinger
Apr 22, 2004
Mike,

Further to Bob’s response, simply put, what you see when you print is meaningless, (not your 2-color output). Your spot color is undergoing conversions, (converted differently by the two apps, as Bob states, with other variables added by the printer itself). On press a two-color job will match the PMS swatch…period, (as stated by Don).
CK
Christine_Krof_Shock
Apr 22, 2004
Also do you have color management enabled in Quark–quite a few people don’t get it turned on and then have problems with colors. (Same with InDesign, however at least you can find the dialog box without too much hunting in ID)
L
LenHewitt
Apr 23, 2004
(Same with InDesign, however at least you can find the dialog box without
too much hunting in ID)<<

And it is SO easy to save your PS settings to .CSF file and LOAD that CSF into ID (and Illustrator and Acrobat)!

Must-have mockup pack for every graphic designer 🔥🔥🔥

Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections