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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Jpeg Encoding
mandelo9 - May 26, 2005 - 8:45 am
We are using PhotoShop7, Illustrator10, and QuarkXPress 4.11. The issue we are having is..
We save our CMYK, PhotoShop eps files as JPEG (Maximum quality) encoding. We place the eps files into Illustrator, then we place the Illustrator eps file into QuarkXPress. We than create a .ps file that goes through a distiller to create a PDF. When we check our colors in Adobe Acrobat 5.0, we are getting LAB as the color space.
If the image is saved as Binary or the JPEG encoded file is placed directly into quark, we do not have this problem.
Why would this happen?
We save our CMYK, PhotoShop eps files as JPEG (Maximum quality) encoding. We place the eps files into Illustrator, then we place the Illustrator eps file into QuarkXPress. We than create a .ps file that goes through a distiller to create a PDF. When we check our colors in Adobe Acrobat 5.0, we are getting LAB as the color space.
If the image is saved as Binary or the JPEG encoded file is placed directly into quark, we do not have this problem.
Why would this happen?
Natobasso - May 27, 2005 - 2:33 am
Hi. I'm a freelance designer with 10 years experience. Hopefully I can help!
In my experience, especially with Quark, it's best to have as few "placed image steps" as possible. With your eps placed in Illustrator, then placed in Quark you've got 1, 2, 3 layers of complexity that you're then trying to RIP back down to 1 flat file. The file you're describing will hardly ever RIP correctly.
If you could keep the eps files CMYK and place them in Quark, then place the illustrator file in Quark, you will probably avoid any RIPing issues, as well as keep your color space consistent (and correct!)
Unless you're printing in RGB for some reason I'm not sure why you'd want to make your CMYK eps files into jpgs?
What's the end result you're trying to achieve with your steps? Are you trying to create print ready files? Files for web? More info will help me zero in on how to really fix your problem.
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Nat
flikworld.com
In my experience, especially with Quark, it's best to have as few "placed image steps" as possible. With your eps placed in Illustrator, then placed in Quark you've got 1, 2, 3 layers of complexity that you're then trying to RIP back down to 1 flat file. The file you're describing will hardly ever RIP correctly.
If you could keep the eps files CMYK and place them in Quark, then place the illustrator file in Quark, you will probably avoid any RIPing issues, as well as keep your color space consistent (and correct!)
Unless you're printing in RGB for some reason I'm not sure why you'd want to make your CMYK eps files into jpgs?
What's the end result you're trying to achieve with your steps? Are you trying to create print ready files? Files for web? More info will help me zero in on how to really fix your problem.
--------
Nat
flikworld.com
mandelo9 - May 27, 2005 - 7:10 am
The reason for saving our CMYK eps files as JEPG encoding is due to file size. Our designers believe when saving photoshop file as JEPG encoding, it alows them to print faster and creat PDFs faster. I agree with everything you are saying. I am trying to get a good understanding so I can set some guidlines and reasons why files should be built a certin way. If you have other suggestions I can pass on, that would be great.
Thanks,
Thanks,
Natobasso - May 27, 2005 - 10:43 am
Jpeg is not a very good printing format at all. I recommend not using Jpegs for anything but websites. DO NOT PRINT WITH JPEGS. Rule number one.
The best and most printable raster images are made with CMYK Tif or Eps files (if you need a clipping path use EPS), and you'll avoid getting LAB color space in your PDF files. PDF files, by nature, are smaller anyway so saving images as JPEGS only means your final print has much lower resolution. Actually crappy resolution because of the compression inherent in Jpegs is so "blocky". Zoom in on any jpeg image and see what I mean.
And don't place graphics in Illustrator and then place that whole file in Quark. Place vector and raster images in your docs separately, combine them in Quark.
Finally, when you create PDFs you should definitely use the PDF/X-1a format. Printers love it because you can't actually make a PDF/X-1a doc if there are any errors in the document.
Hope this helps. For more info on graphic design practices, visit these sites:
http://www.creativepro.com
http://www.creativebits.org
http://www.aiga.org
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Nat
flikworld.com
The best and most printable raster images are made with CMYK Tif or Eps files (if you need a clipping path use EPS), and you'll avoid getting LAB color space in your PDF files. PDF files, by nature, are smaller anyway so saving images as JPEGS only means your final print has much lower resolution. Actually crappy resolution because of the compression inherent in Jpegs is so "blocky". Zoom in on any jpeg image and see what I mean.
And don't place graphics in Illustrator and then place that whole file in Quark. Place vector and raster images in your docs separately, combine them in Quark.
Finally, when you create PDFs you should definitely use the PDF/X-1a format. Printers love it because you can't actually make a PDF/X-1a doc if there are any errors in the document.
Hope this helps. For more info on graphic design practices, visit these sites:
http://www.creativepro.com
http://www.creativebits.org
http://www.aiga.org
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Nat
flikworld.com
mandelo9 - May 27, 2005 - 10:46 am
Thanks for your help.
Natobasso - May 27, 2005 - 10:58 am
Glad I could help. Could you describe for me what your end result is with your files? Are you printing or just emailing documents to people to view? Let me know, I might be able to help even more.
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Nat
flikworld.com
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Nat
flikworld.com
mandelo9 - May 27, 2005 - 11:06 am
This will be printed at a printer. They are able to convert the Lab color in their program, but it would be nice for them not to be liable for color. I do know that sometimes to get the design that is wanted, placing the photoshop file in illustrator is necessary. It sounds like our photoshop eps image will have to be saved as binary instead of JPEG Max. quality if it needs to be placed into Illustrator.
Natobasso - May 27, 2005 - 6:37 pm
Without seeing your files it's hard to say, but I would definitely try to NOT place raster images in illustrator and then try to place that entire image into Quark. That's why you get color errors--too many layers.
All images should be CMYK tif or eps. Convert all PMS colors to CMYK unless you are printing a spot color or if you have a dieline you want on a separate plate.
Hope these options help you. Did you have any other questions?
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Nat
flikworld.com
All images should be CMYK tif or eps. Convert all PMS colors to CMYK unless you are printing a spot color or if you have a dieline you want on a separate plate.
Hope these options help you. Did you have any other questions?
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Nat
flikworld.com
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