If you mean a Photoshop-yor-printer usage only, I don’t think so. But if you are asking for some given reason, the answer could be ‘no but it is interesting having it’.
Composite inkjet printers are RGB devices. Even though they use inks like CMYK. I can think of no useful reason to send a CMYK file to a composite printer.
Gary
I use to think cmyk was the best option if your printer is cmyk, but I have since discovered in this forum, that RGB is aparantly your best option, as that is what your printer reads, before converting to CMYK.
after saying this though, I use profiles, and always use cmyk.
experiment, use what you prefer.
George,
No.
Non-PostScript Printer drivers are incapable of passing CMYK data and so it has to be converted on_the_fly to RGB. The printer firmware then converts it back to CMYK (or CcMmYK) for the printer heads. This double conversion leads to degradation of colour fidelety
CMYK has a smaller gamut. CMYK is typically used to send an image to a professional print service where they use a printing press.
Inkjet printers are RGB devices. The drivers are designed specifically to take the RGB data and convert it to CMYK so that the inkjet knows what to use and how much. If you send CMYK data to the inkjet, it is going to think that it is RGB data and will convert it – I wouldn’t do that.
Use RGB for home / inkjet printers. Their engines actually are set up for RGB and they do the best job printing RGB images.
Use CMYK only if you are producing work for pre-press for offset lithography 4-color process printing.
On an interesting note…
We have a Xerox Tektronic at work. If I create a file using PMS 286 (which is very different in RGB than CMYK) the output is horrible unless I change the settings to output the file as CMYK. This must be a CMYK printer, because I’ve yet to get one good looking piece printed in RGB format when originated or printed through an Adobe application.
This must be a CMYK printer
All of them are CMYK – the issue is whether it can accept CMYK data accurately or not. As Len said, most CMYK inkjets are considered RGB devices because they will convert RGB data into CMYK – sending it CMYK will degrade fidelity.
It doesn’t look like they make Tektronix anymore, but the newer line of Phasers are PostScript printers, which ARE capable of handling CMYK data.
Cheese,
We use Tektronix printers where I work as well and everything we send to them is CMYK.
Everything we do in my department is ultimately destined for commercial print but since we use the Tektroix for producing proofs that are supposed to be at least close to accurate color wise, I’m guessing that they either are CMYK or are at least able to accurately reproduce CMYK… On a side note, some things slip through as RGB (usually client supplied photos) and they usually print fine on the Tektroixs as well only showing up as a problem when they go to plate.
I’m guessing that they either are CMYK
Sigh.
Like YrbkMgr says, all of them output CMYK…
It is the language a printer understands that makes the difference. Generally, non-Postscript printers read>RGB>output>CMYK, whereas Postcript printers read CMYK. There’s no need to guess. My ancient Lexmark 4079 JetPrinter Plus, (Postscript), gets 100% CMYK.
My apologies for not being more exact in my phrasing. :rolleyes: What I intended to get across was that they either worked specifically with CMYK images or were at least able to accurately interpret CMYK images as well as RGB images.
Better?
Then the problem must still be in ID doing a poor job of converting CMYK to RGB in the PDF process. I’ve yet to get it to do a good RGB output that prints nicely. The colors are always faded and very shifted from the intent.
The colors are always faded and very shifted from the intent.
Well, do what works, but generally, the issue is a color management, starting with an accurate monitor profile.
Ken, perhaps you would like to elaborate on your answer?..
Thank you all very much – I will stick with RGP for my photo printing! This is a great way to get an answer, sure beats going to the manufacturer.
George
In Cheese’s case – when you convert from RGB>CMYK with InDesign, you are doing so with (probably) a generic profile.
If you send RGB data to the printer, then it is doing the best conversion that it possibly can based on what type of printer and what type of media is being used – something InDesign has no idea of.
so it isnt a problem of InDesign doing a ‘bad’ conversion, the color settings just arent setup to take full advantages of the printer’s gamut.
