CMYK/RGB conversion

[Christiane Crety (CC)]

Thanks a lot, Martin! 
You were right about my printer settings. I changed them and it did make a difference. However, when I check the text color, it is not defined as CMYK, but as "Grey 0%". Could it be my Distiller settings that are not correct? Or is the "Grey 0%" really the same as K=0? 
I'm not exactly an expert on colors, as you may have noticed. But I would really like to understand the basics, so that I can get my settings right for the print shop.

Thanks again.

Christiane


-----Original Message-----
From: Aronsson, Martin [mailto:Martin.Aronsson at sonyericsson.com] 
Sent: 8. november 2006 11:53
To: Christiane Crety (CC); Framers at frameusers.com
Subject: RE: CMYK/RGB conversion 

Christiane,

I assume you use Windows and that you print your Framemaker-book to PostScript via an installed PostScript printer.
In Control Panel, right click the PostScript printer and choose Properties -> Device Settings. Make sure "Convert Gray Text to PostScript Gray" and "Convert Gray Graphics to PostScript Gray" are set to Yes. If they were set to No, I think this is what is causing the problem with your black text getting converted to RGB. Changing it to Yes should prevent this. I have those options set to Yes and black text is correctly preserved as K=100% from Frame to PDF (while all other use of colours in text-elements gets converted to RGB).

More info on this:
"True gray" support options for both vector graphics and text. Defaulted to "no" values, when set to "yes" the "Convert Gray Text to PostScript Gray" and "Convert Gray Graphics to PostScript Gray" assume that for all text and vector graphics objects respectively, color values in which the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) values match are really an expression of grayscale as opposed to RGB color. The default "no" results in those RGB values passed through to the printer or Distiller as-is. The "yes" value can dramatically improve output quality for black and grayscale text and vector graphics for PostScript color printers that do not automatically make assumptions about and convert R=G=B values to K values. The "yes" value also assists in creating prepress-friendly PostScript and PDF from applications that do not generate their own PostScript (including Adobe FrameMaker, Microsoft Office, and other popular office suite and productivity programs). [I recommend that users always set these values to "yes" - Dov.]
Source: http://www.planetpdf.com/mainpage.asp?webpageid=1509

Good luck,
/Martin

> -----Original Message-----
> From: 
> framers-bounces+martin.aronsson=sonyericsson.com at lists.frameus
> ers.com 
> [mailto:framers-bounces+martin.aronsson=sonyericsson.com at lists
.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Christiane Crety (CC)
> Sent: tisdag den 7 november 2006 16:08
> To: Framers at frameusers.com
> Subject: CMYK/RGB conversion 
> 
> Hi Framers,
> 
> Using FM 7.2 and Distiller 7.0 to create pdf for print.
> I have some trouble trying to figure out how to cope with the 
> "convert to RGB" problem with FrameMaker.
> When I generate pdf files from FrameMaker, some of the colors 
> are converted to RGB.
> If I select the Distiller option "Convert all colors to CMYK" 
> I avoid the RGB, but the colors are not defined the way they 
> were in FM. For example, my black text is C=0%, M=0%, Y=0%, 
> K=100% in FrameMaker, but C=74.9%, M=67.8%, Y=67.1% and 
> K=90.2% in the pdf file.
> 
> I know there are also tools that can convert to CMYK after 
> creating the pdf file, but I would really prefer it if the 
> Distiller could take care of it...
> 
> Does anyone know how to keep the original CMYK values in the 
> pdf output? I'm pulling my hair out....
> 
> Thanks in advance!
> 
> 
> Christiane Crety
> Technical Writer
> 
> T + 45 39 55 86 82
> E cc at thrane.com
> 
> Thrane & Thrane A/S - Lundtoftegaardsvej 93D DK-2800  Kgs. 
> Lyngby, Denmark - www.thrane.com T +45 39 55 88 00 - F + 45 
> 39 55 88 88
> 
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