Designing for Print - A basic introduction:
It seems there are a large number of graphic designers who started their career designing for the web, with little or no knowledge of the technical issues for creating content for print use.
This guide is for those making their first plunge into print design. (Or those who have done so already, with less than favorable results)
Contents:
Part1: RGB vs. CMYK
Part2: Resolution
Part 1: RGB and CMYK - Web Color vs. Print Color
("what you see, is not what you get")
An image seen on your monitor is displayed using the RGB color space. Red, Green, and Blue produce the millions of colors seen on your screen.
When you look at a catalog, magazine, etc. you are viewing colors using the CMYK color space. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black: this is also known as "4-color process" or "full color" printing.
There are times when using Pantone inks will be called for in a print job (that's a whole other topic and the Pantone website has some fine articles and resources).
At some point you are going to need to convert your RGB image(s) into CMYK. This is pretty simple to do in Photoshop and other graphic programs. Converting your image to the CMYK color space will produce a more accurate preview of the printed version, but the preview will not be perfect.
Some colors that can viewed on your monitor, can not be achieved or will look much different in the printing process. With most photographs the transition from RGB to CMYK usually isn't too drastic. The most noticeable differences will be found in graphics with blocks of solid colors, as in bold background colors and logos.
So, you supply your client with a logo design, and it looks perfect on your monitor. However, when your client decides to get some business cards printed...the result is horrible: that fantastic shade of blue has turned out purple!
Here are a few suggestions for getting your colors to transmit from web to print accurately.
1. Invest in a book that shows RGB with matching CMYK values.
2. Visit the Pantone website (pantone.com). Pantone is to a graphic artist as Crayola is to a 5-year old. There is a wealth of articles and information on the Pantone site, and I highly recommend it.
3. Make friends with your local print shop. Introduce yourself and ask questions. If you can't afford to buy your own Pantone or CMYK books, you may be able to browse theirs in times of need.
4. Another common problem when converting from RGB to CMYK is that pretty blue sky on your screen often turns out more purple when printed. I have found the easiest way to fix this is to manually lower the Magenta and raise the Cyan levels within Photoshop. This will produce cyan-ish skies that you often see in magazines.
Breathe...and continue onto Part 2 - Resolution