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Dan Rodney/2 min read

Prepping an Image for Print: CMYK Conversion

CMYK Conversion Workflow

1

Convert Document Colors to Working Space

On open, choose this option to move the file into Adobe RGB.

2

Layer → Flatten Image

Always flatten before mode conversion.

3

Edit → Color Settings

Set Working Spaces → CMYK to U.S. Sheetfed Coated v2 (or your press's profile).

4

Image → Mode → CMYK Color

Then sharpen (Unsharp Mask or Smart Sharpen) and save as PSD or TIFF for handoff.

Master Photoshop at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop's Photoshop Bootcamp covers retouching, compositing, color correction, and pro editing.

Learn the process of opening, flattening, checking color settings, converting to CMYK, sharpening, and saving a file appropriately with our easy step-by-step guide.

Getting Started

  1. Go to File > Open.

  2. From the Color Management Seminar Files folder, open East River.psd.

  3. Choose Convert document’s colors to the working space and click OK.

Flattening the Image

  1. If you had done any work to the image, at this point you would flatten the image (Layer > Flatten Image).

Checking the Color Settings

  1. Before converting to CMYK, you should always double-check the color settings. Go to Edit > Color Settings (Cmd–Shift–K (Mac) or CTRL–Shift–K (Windows)).

  2. The profile listed under the Working Spaces, CMYK menu will be used for the conversion. It should be set appropriate to the press/paper you are printing on. In this case, we’ll be printing on a sheetfed press, not a web press, so from the Working Spaces, CMYK menu choose U.S. Sheetfed Coated v2.

  3. Click OK to close the Color Settings window.

Converting to CMYK

  1. Convert to CMYK by going to: Image > Mode > CMYK Color.

  2. If a confirmation message appears, click OK.

Sharpening

  1. Sharpen the image using whatever sharpening techniques you usually use (such as Unsharp Mask or Smart Sharpen).

Saving the File Appropriately

  1. If you are taking this image into another program (like InDesign), you may need to save it as the right type of file such as PSD, TIFF, etc. before you close the file.