Quark Forums

Hello.

This thread relates to Quark 6.5 on the Macintosh.

We're working in a color managed workflow (using a custom press profile for proofing/outputting plates) and it's been working quite well.

But, recently we've been receiving files from a client whom does not use Quark's CMS (ie. it's turned "off" in their files). However, their images, TIFs, are all embedded with "US Sheetfed Coated v2".

To manage this with the correct results, I turn on Quark's CMS (using our typical workflow settings) and then I have to manually go through each image using the "Profile Information" window, set the profile to "embedded" (rather than "default") and check "Color Manage to CMYK Destinations". This then converts the embedded profile (US Sheetfed Coated) to the destination profile (our custom press profile). This works great, we don't have to manually convert each image's profile in Photoshop (thus, leaving the original image untouched) and we get the exact results we're looking for.

The problem is, this takes *forever* to manually go through each image, set it to "embedded" and check "Color Manage to CMYK Destinations". Is there any way to automatically have all images set to "embedded" when I turn on CMS? This would make a 30-40 minute process (depending on how many images there are) take only seconds.

I have to admit, we do a lot of our work in InDesign and this is done by simply setting the Color Management Policy to "Preserve Embedded Profile" for CMYK images. But, I can't find anything in Quark that will do this.

Can anyone help me here? This would be a massive time-saver for us!

The reason I'm having to do this is because, unless I select "embedded" and check "Color Manage to CMYK Destinations" in the "Profile Information" window, the images suffer a drastic shift in color and a loss in contrast. As soon as I select these options, however, there is no shift in color and our proofs/plates come out fantastic.

If anyone could lend some advice, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Kristin.

I don't have any direct advice for you, but I would bet that if you are not adverse to using an Applescript someone in the Applescript forums here could put something together for you. You might try repeating your question in there. It certainly sounds like something that could be automated.

Thanks — I'll try posting there for some help — can't be any worse off!
k.

eyoungren:

I don't have any direct advice for you, but I would bet that if you are not adverse to using an Applescript someone in the Applescript forums here could put something together for you. You might try repeating your question in there. It certainly sounds like something that could be automated.

I'm intrigued by this because I would do the exact opposite with profiled images in a "CMS turned off" quark6.5 document.

I would leave the CMS off. The cmyk numbers of the TIFF would be retained in the postscript and I'd Distill to a PDF with no profiles (because postscript doesn't understand them). But you are saying that unless you change all the numbers you are losing contrast, what print process are you using?

How do you get your InDesign files to plate, PDF? .... what are your colour profile settings on output?

All the images in the Quark files (without CMS) are tagged with a CMYK "US Sheefed Coated v2". Upon output, the colour profile settings are set to our custom press profile. Without using the embedded profile and without having "Color Manage to CMYK Destinations", this custom press profile gets "assigned" to the images rather than "converting" and thus there is a colour shift.

The only two options I have are converting all images pre-Quark in Photoshop or using Quark via the process I described.

As for how we're generating our outputs from InDesign — same process — print to PostScript and then generate a PDF from that PostScript (via Prinergy settings).

Any ideas?
Kristin.

Glenn McDowall:

I'm intrigued by this because I would do the exact opposite with profiled images in a "CMS turned off" quark6.5 document.

I would leave the CMS off. The cmyk numbers of the TIFF would be retained in the postscript and I'd Distill to a PDF with no profiles (because postscript doesn't understand them). But you are saying that unless you change all the numbers you are losing contrast, what print process are you using?

How do you get your InDesign files to plate, PDF? .... what are your colour profile settings on output?

What I mean about InDesign is that you have the choice of converting, or removing profiles when postscripting (or additionally retaining them if you go to pdf).

Also in Distiller you can either convert or add (tag) profiles.

A third option for you would be to utilize a plug-in for Acrobat to handle the colour management (Pitstop is really bad at this) but this would only be global rather than just the "wrongly profiled" images. You could try Callas color correct which I think is available as a trial download.